The Fuel of Vision: My four passion priorities for 2021

Not everything is worth being passionate about. However, when passion is directed properly, it’s like the gasoline in your tank, and it can fuel your drive toward accomplishing your vision and dreams. So, here’s a good question: What are you passionate about right now? I’ll start. As I consider my current season of leadership, there are four passions that rise to the top.

1. I am passionate about growing the church. I believe the local church is a gateway to heaven. According to Barna Group research, 97 percent of the people in our community (South Florida) are unchurched. I have a passion to see these numbers change for the better. Everywhere we look there is so much spiritual lostness, social pain, and cultural brokenness. People need to hear the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The core mission of our church is to help people know God, find freedom, discover purpose, and make a difference.
2. I am passionate about building an all-star staff team. Not only am I the lead pastor at Vertical Church, I am also the CEO of our organization. Throughout my years in leadership, I have learned that one of the most important determining factors in the success of an organization is selecting the right people for your team. The question is, what do you look for? Dr. Sam Chand suggests the acronym S.T.A.F.F. Look for people who are strong, teachable, attentive, firm and faithful. This framework has proven to be helpful for me, and I’m on my way to building an all-star team.
3. I am passionate about equipping and training pastors and leaders. I’ve found that the most significant growth I’ve experienced in my leadership is when I’m helping other leaders grow. I am honored to be a part of the AVAIL Leadership team as we help thousands of leaders sharpen, develop and grow in the art of leadership. Hosting the AVAIL Leadership Podcast is a privilege and an honor. Together with other top Christian world-class leaders, we are producing leadership content that is relevant, practical and trajectory-changing!
4. I am passionate about doing all of these in two languages, English and Spanish. I was born in South Florida. My family is from Colombia, South America. I am first-generation American. However, I am not just American; I’m Hispanic. I don’t just speak English; I speak Spanish. This is the reality of the duality of my world. I am not just one or the other; I am both. I find great pleasure in doing everything that I do in both languages. I have a passion for growing the church in both English and Spanish. That’s why at Vertical Church (Iglesia Vertical) we say that we are one church, two languages. I have a passion for building an all-star staff team in both languages. That’s why I am discovering, developing, and deploying bilingual team members. I have a passion for equipping and training pastors and leaders in both English and Spanish.

What am I passionate about right now? This question has helped me focus on the vision I’m working toward with all my heart: leading our church to become the most influential bilingual church in the world. Will we truly accomplish this audacious vision? Only the Lord knows. But it will be an incredible journey, and with God’s help, we are going to make a difference in innumerable lives and families along the way.

Now it’s your turn: What are you passionate about right now?

This article was extracted from Issue 4 (Winter 2021) of the AVAIL Journal. Claim your free annual subscription here.

This article was written by Virgil Sierra

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Virgil Sierra is the lead pastor of Vertical Church in Sunrise, Florida, and the host of the AVAIL Leadership Pod-cast. Virgil and his wife Gislaine are high school sweethearts and have been happily married 11 years. They are the proud parents of Caleb, Sophia and Nicholas.