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Emericko, thank you for the post. Without knowing your community or the dynamics of your leadership team, it would be impossible to offer any specific advice, but maybe I could offer some suggestions that could help a bit.
In my opinion, the way the leadership addresses issues, vision, and ministry in a church defines what kind of church you are. Because of this, when you take specific time away to focus on vision, I think the first question should be the hearts and spiritual lives of the people who are leading. An important element of this would include asking questions about discernment in general. It might be beneficial to take several specific times during the retreat for hour long prayer meditations on specific aspects of leadership - one of which could focus on discernment in general. If I may suggest, a prayer time like this might include: 20 minutes reflecting on the last year of their leadership in the church, and how they made the decisions they did, how they decided where to spend their time and energy, etc. Then 20 minutes of sitting before the God who will judge them as leaders, asking the question, "Father, what does it mean to discern your will for my life, my family, and my role as a leader in this community?" Finally, the last 20 minutes could be spent reading through Psalm 139 "Search me O God and know my heart," asking the Lord to reveal their brokenness and open them up to the fact that it is only in weakness that they are strong, and that without Christ they can do nothing.
The goal of these times would be to take seriously the hearts of the leadership, and the realities of what it means to lead. If you focus on that question first, then you would set the discussion of vision upon the foundation of the spiritual maturity of your leadership.
I hope this helps, and hopefully provides some ideas to build on.
Blessings, kyle
Aloha! I am just wrapping up leading a small group through Upper Room's "Companions in Christ" lengthy study. The final 5 weeks focus on exploring spiritual guidance (It is now possible to purchase just that final guide - and not the 28 week series as a whole). The last two sessions do a really good job of laying out a format for seeking God's guidance and discerning God's will, and it does this more clearly or concretely than I have seen anywhere else. The study lays out these "Principles for Discerning God's WIll Together", p. 278 in the 28 week participant guide Companions in Christ
Preparing - trust and expect that God is with you and will guide you in all matters as they affect the life and ministry that Christ seeks to express in and through us. Prepare yourselves for the guidance of the Spirit by devoting yourselves constantly to prayer.
Framing - clearly focus the proposition to be tested or the question to be explored.
Grounding - Define the higher, guiding (or missional) principle or criteria to which your considerations must be faithful.
Shedding - Lay down all motives, agenda, and prejudgments that may limit opennes to God; become indifferent to all but God's will.
Rooting - Consider texts from the Bible, wisdom from our spiritual heritage, and experiences from our walk with God that illumine the matter.
Listening - Seek out the voices we need to hear and learn from; listen for God's truth in each one.
Exploring - Consider all of the options and paths within the guiding principle.
Improving - Seek to make each option the best it can be rather than amending down those we don't like.
Weighing - Offer the best possible options to God, one at a time, weighing our readiness as a group to accept a proposal.
Closing -Ask all persons present to indicate their level of acceptance of a proposed path. State and register the wisdom that may lie within lingering reservations.
Resting - Allow time for the decision ot rest near our hearts in a spirit of prayer. Notice feelings of assurace or anxiousness, peace or heaviness, consolation or desolation.
I pray that whether through this resource or another, you are able to clearly discern what God is leading your community to next. Grace and peace to you, Pastor Greg Ellis