Photo by Timothy Meinberg on Unsplash
A church mission statement isn’t just some gratuitous saying that is written simply for its own sake. Not if it’s done right, anyhow. If it’s done right, it serves as a definition of your church. It states, in a handful of words, why your church exists in the first place.
We know that every for-profit business exists to make money. But, if that was really every business’ mission, then nobody would be in low margin businesses like grocery stores, furniture stores, and car dealerships. Customer service would be even more of a rarity than it is now. Businesses might not even pay for heating and cooling in their facilities. You get the point.
Every business exists to make money, yes. But, they do it within the context of a bigger mission. If no mission is defined, there is a vacuum. If there is a vacuum then all the individuals within that organization will make decisions based on their own individual mission.
Similarly, if an organizational mission is defined, but not emphasized, the same thing probably happens. Decision making isn’t oriented toward a common goal and employees just look at the mission as some saying that hangs on the wall.
Churches are no different than for-profit businesses in this respect. They require a mission statement to serve as a “Star of Bethlehem.” A fixed reference point for every decision that is made.
If you’re still not sold on the value of a meaningful mission statement – consider the freedom that one might give you and the other decision-makers in your church.
How will it give you freedom? Because it will force you to consider if every decision is consistent with your church’s mission. “But that sounds like more restriction, not more freedom!” you might say to yourself. On the surface, yes, it is more restricting. But it will restrict you from spending time on things that aren’t going to drive your church toward its mission – and that’s a good thing.
An effective mission statement gives you focus. It keeps your eye on the prize.
There is no “one way” to make a mission statement. Follow these steps if you’re stuck or if what you’ve tried in the past hasn’t worked.
Whatever gets the job done is what you need to do. If you wake up in the middle of the night and you see your mission statement written plain-as-day in thin air, then, by all means, run with it.
But, if that hasn’t happened, here’s an idea on how to get the ball rolling.
Gather the key individuals in your church. Consider your church’s history, its culture, and its current situation. You’re looking for anything that might help you establish a central theme. What words or ideas keep coming up?
Maybe you’ve had an unspoken mission for some time. Perhaps you’ve had an implied mission given to you by someone higher up the church hierarchy.
If that’s the case, that might serve as a good starting point, but I would encourage you to develop your own mission. Though they probably mean well, someone halfway across the continent or world doesn’t have the boots-on-the-ground perspective that you do. You’re the one with a finger on the pulse of your church, congregation, and community.
Your church needs its very own mission.
Heck, create several of them. Talk with the other decision-makers in the Church and get their feedback.
What do people like and what do they hate? What sounds like an actual mission and what sounds like ad copy or PR material? Get rid of those drafts that obviously won’t work.
At this point, your head could be swimming and this could seem like a total mess. Narrow it down – the cream will rise to the top.
Typically the best missions will resonate with almost everyone. They’ll give you a positive feeling and make you nod when you hear them. Narrow it down to a few that have real potential.
Time to settle on an actual mission statement. Maybe the answer is clear. Or, maybe it’s not.
Can the final candidates be combined? Can one of the finalists be categorized as a goal (which we’ll cover at another time) underneath another one of the mission statements?
Hopefully one of the finalists really speaks to you. Maybe you keep repeating in your head and it sounds better every time you do.
Ultimately, it may fall on the person with the most authority to make a final decision and everyone else will have to get on board with it. Here’s the upside – even if it wasn’t exactly what you’d like to see as the church’s mission, after all this scrutiny, it’s probably a pretty good ideal for your church to live up to. Make the final tweaks and make it official!
You thought you were done??? Well, for now, you are. But, life on earth is dynamic, and so are mission statements.
The same thing that drives your church and your congregation one year might fall flat the next. Plan to revise (and defend?) your mission statement once every couple of years.
If tastes have changed, and they always do, you might be able to make some adjustments to your mission. Or…you might have to start over from step one.
Are you drawing a blank on this whole church mission statement business Try this: borrow (don’t steal, that’s a sin) another church’s mission statement.
The thought exercise outlined in steps 1-4 will be beneficial. But, if you’re just not getting anywhere – stop reinventing the wheel. Get on Google and search for “[insert state here] church mission statement.” You’ll find no shortage of ideas.
Once you find something that works for your church – borrow it for a couple of years and try steps 1-4 again.
The point of a mission statement is to help your church, not hurt it.
Frankly, it’s hard to envision a scenario where a mission statement, in and of itself, would be harmful. It’s like having a purpose (family, faith, fellowship, charity, etc) in an individual’s life – it provides focus and definition. As long as the purpose isn’t wrong, or perverted, it tends to be a very positive thing.
Everybody is obsessed with something. Everybody. That something can be exceedingly positive, exceedingly negative, or anywhere in between.
People that don’t acknowledge that they’re obsessed with something negative are the ones that have trouble in life. As are the ones that bounce around with their obsessions, never sticking with one clear path.
One possible reason a church mission statement might be a negative thing lies outside of the mission statement itself. If the church’s mission statement is forced or inconsistent with the values of the people that make up the congregation, it’s likely to fail.
For instance, a mission statement that speaks of acceptance of all of God’s children regardless of sexual preference would likely fall flat at the Westboro Baptist Church. Conversely, a mission statement that was super strict, and emphasized a to-the-letter interpretation of the Bible would not go over well at a more progressive church.
The mission statement should clarify the direction of your church, not go in a completely different one.
Along the same vein, your church’s mission statement shouldn’t be treated as a tool to control. If one individual, who’s sure they’re right, creates a mission statement for the sole purpose of pointing to it anytime somebody challenges their authority, the mission statement would be a bad thing.
Maybe you’ve got a very small church with fewer than 100 members. While a 100-member church might be considered small by comparison to some other churches, you’ve got to keep in mind that 100 people are still quite a few people. 100 people interpret the world in 100 different ways. A mission statement will help them all to get pointed in a unified direction.
Maybe a mission statement might feel overly formal. That’s a valid concern, but I reiterate – only if that’s how you write it. If you keep your mission statement just the right amount of vague and specific, it can be what’s it’s supposed to be: a guide (not a policy and procedure manual) for every decision the church makes.
Let’s stop speaking of church mission statements in theoretical terms and look at some real-life examples that are being used by your peers.
I’ll offer my input on them, but keep in mind – this is the opinion of an infrequent church-goer. So take it with a grain of salt.
The bottom line is – if a mission statement works for a particular congregation, and does no harm to anyone else, then it is a good mission statement.
“The mission of the church, until Christ returns, is to give glory back to God in the making of disciples (Mat 28:18-20), inviting others to follow the gospel of Jesus Christ and walking alongside each other as we mature in that faith. This mission doesn’t change from one generation to the next. It is constant and non-negotiable. This is why we’re here.”
Here’s what I like about the Wyoming Baptist Church’s mission: First, as a non-church goer, I like that it’s not pushy (the actual Bible verse notwithstanding). That they “invite” others. I also like that they emphasize a sense of community and fellowship.
Here’s what I would change: I think they should come up with something more personal to their congregation. Every Christian church refers to the Bible. There’s nothing unique about doing so. Though they do kind of build on that Bible verse in the second half of the mission statement – make it their own in some respects.
Also, I think it’s a mistake to be so rigid and to acknowledge that your church mission statement will never change; no matter what. I think, in order to accomplish what is laid out in Mat 28:18-20, they have to be willing to be flexible – to adapt to changing circumstances.
Finally, if it were my church, I would want something that implied that this mission requires the collective efforts of every member. This mission statement, to me, seems like it could just as easily be an individual’s mission statement. If I could live out that mission statement on my own, why come to church then?
“We, the parish family of the Church of St. Aidan, strengthened by the Eucharist and encouraged by the word of God, welcome all, for we recognize that everyone is a child of God and no one should be excluded.”
“Guided by the Holy Spirit through prayer, we strive as one to build the Body of Christ.”
“We commit ourselves to nurturing life-long faith formation, fostering lay leadership, promoting social justice, engaging our youth in every aspect of parish life, and offering care and compassionate service to all.”
“We invite everyone to walk with Jesus and experience his healing power and love.”
What I like: First, it refers to the entire parish. This emphasizes the notion of a community. It implies a sense of belonging.
Next, it welcomes all. The mission statement doesn’t imply “we’re going to find you and make you one of us.” It says “welcome,” which, to me, means “we’ll be here waiting for you when you’re ready.”
The second paragraph goes into more detail about how they want to be inclusive of everyone, including youngsters. All in all, as a non-church goer, this seems like a very approachable, non-threatening atmosphere. A place where, when I’m ready, I might consider visiting.
What I might change: It’s too long. Though it does it well, it reads a bit more like ad copy than something you could base operational decisions off of.
Also, unfortunately, the term “social justice” has been twisted by a lot of undesirable individuals over the past decade or so. A lot of “social justice warriors,” as they’re called, are hostile toward Christianity. This church desires to be inclusive, and I appreciate that. But, given the negative connotation of this term, I would suggest dropping it.
“The avowed purpose of Keolahou Congregational Hawaiian Church shall be to worship God, preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and celebrate the sacrements; to realize Christian Fellowship and unity within the church, in the community of Kihei and the Church Universal; to render loving service toward mankind; and to strive to do His Will”.
What I like: It’s short and sweet. It speaks of fellowship, unity, and service.
Though, I’m not sure why it qualifies the term “fellowship” with “Christian.” That makes me wonder what they mean exactly.
Also, I like that it specifies where their church’s mission will take place – the community of Kihei. They’re not trying to fit 7 billion people in their church. They’re keeping it practical and trying to execute their mission in their own backyard before tackling the rest of the world.
What I’d change: Nothing dramatic. As a non-member, I might like to see something about being welcoming in there (e.g. the New York church mentioned above). Other than that, it’s very focused and well thought out.
If I ran a church, we would have a mission statement. Maybe your church has never had one. Or, maybe you have, but you don’t feel like it did anything for you.
Possibly you don’t need one. If a church mission statement is created in good faith – there’s really no downside. Only upside. The metaphor I use is that a mission statement makes sure everybody is pointing in the right direction (N, S, E, W, NW, etc…). It’s your strategy that will tell you the exact roads to take to your destination.
There’s really no wrong way to create a mission statement. What you learn about your staff and your church throughout the process will probably be very beneficial and insightful.
Aside from this guide, there is a lot of other great information to pull from. It’s just a matter of buying into the benefits and making a commitment to take the time to make it happen. I think you will be glad you did.
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