Mission statements matter.

Having worked in the business world and the ministry world, there are obviously a lot of differences. One of the major differences is based on the organization’s mission statement. Unfortunately, the business world often does a better job of establishing its mission. For some reason, most churches have wordy mission statements.

As you read a church mission statement, you can almost see the team of deacons or elders all trying to get their two cents in, as they craft the statement. Within this process, the team tries to encompass the entirety of their doctrinal statement or multiple Christian values and virtues within that single mission statement. It’s typically long and wordy; a run-on sentence full of content.

The final product? A very forgettable mission statement.

After its release, there’s excitement, but no one (including the deacons and elders) can ever remember the actual statement. It eventually becomes something that floats on their website and the weekly bulletin, or is painted on a wall in the foyer?

The lengthy statement never becomes memorable, which hinders it from becoming the unifying mission the church was aiming to create. Having large amounts of content in the statement minimizes the focus on the Great Mission (Commission), to spread the Gospel to the world.

“To Present Everyone Complete in Christ“

This was the mission statement of a church in Alaska, where I served as Youth Pastor for a season. When I was initially candidating for that position, there were a lot of great things about the church that attracted me. However, it was this mission statement that gave me the most joy and confidence in the church.

It was so concise and easy to remember; very unlike most church mission statements, I had come across. It was a mission that is complex in meaning, yet compact as a statement. I was excited about moving into a ministry with this kind of focused and well-thought-out mission, stemming from the first chapter of Colossians.

“We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” (Col. 1:28)

Try to envision the process of coming up with that mission statement. Instead of trying to force 20 Scriptural references and doctrinal beliefs into the meaning of the mission statement, it was written from a single, yet complimentary verse of Scripture. Not only would church leadership be able to remember this mission statement, but the congregation would be able to pick up on it just as quickly.

Opinion Vs. Mission

Ask any member of your church, “What’s important to you?” and you’ll get a wide variety of opinions and preferences. We must accept that finances and facilities, programs and policies, as well as styles of preaching and teaching, are common answers.

All of these will come and go, rising and falling in popularity through various seasons of ministry. They’re constantly changing over time, as culture in both church and local community shifts. However, the mission should remain, and bring focus to all of these areas. So, have a look at your church’s mission statement this week and ask four strategic questions.

4 Questions To Ask

1. Does our mission have Scriptural integrity?
2. Is our mission Christ-centred and Gospel-focused?
3. Is our mission concise and memorable? (Who can quote it?)
4. Are our current ministries looking to our mission for direction?

If you’re currently serving in leadership and have a working knowledge of the church’s history, here are a few other questions to ask.

3 Bonus Questions

1. When was that mission written?
2. When was the last time it was reviewed?
3. Who was there? (And are they still alive?)

After reviewing your answers to these questions, ask the big question, “Do we need a new mission statement?” This little exercise may just be the catalyst for a significant re-focus and revitalization of ministry within your church!