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Your mission statement reminds members who they are and what they are about.
Sometimes churches get distracted or lazy or burned out. This comes from not having a clear purpose. A clear mission statement reminds everyone what we are here for.
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A mission statement helps members talk publicly about their faith.
Writing a mission statement together stimulates exciting discussion about mission and helps members articulate their faith.
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Your mission statement unifies your membership.
A mission statement needs to be written with a process that involves as many members of the congregation as possible. When they are part of the process they are on board with the mission. When conflict arises, your mission statement reminds people that they are united with one purpose.
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A mission statement calls you to reach out and serve beyond your own membership.
When this is clearly stated in your mission statement members are less likely to get in the rut of only taking care of themselves.
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A mission statement encourages action.
Mission statements use verbs. Mission statements remind members that faith is more than just believing things about God. A mission statement reminds members that God is calling us into a relationship with God and our neighbor.
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A mission statement focuses on the particular gifts of your particular congregation in your particular context.
A mission statement encourages a congregation to ask “How can God use us in this community?”
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A mission statement makes for more effective church meetings.
When council and committees keep the mission statement front and center, members focus on setting goals and objectives based on your agreed upon mission, rather than getting hung up on minutia.
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A mission statement helps you evaluate your ministry.
Instead of getting sucked into negative nitpicking and scapegoating a mission statement allows evaluations to operate under question “how is what we are doing meeting our stated mission? What else can we do to meet this mission?”
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A mission statement lets the community know who you are and what you are about.
Your mission statement should be clearly visible on signs and banners and all publications, both print and digital.
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Mission statements are fun!
You can turn them into a litany on Sunday morning. You can flesh them out in bible studies, adult forums and confirmation classes. You can have Sunday school classes illustrate them. You can have youth groups make skits about them. You can let your imagination fly with ways to use your mission statement.
For more help:
- Pastor Joelle Colville-Hanson is available to come to Northeastern Iowa Synod Congregations to lead mission statement writing.
- Read more in The Power of a Mission Statement in the February 2014 STAR
- Mission Planning Resources from the ELCA
