Having a Touchstone

There have been two very important actions that the leadership of our congregation has taken in the last couple of years.  The first is that the group adopted a vision for the ministry they felt the Lord calling them to be faithful to.  The second is that they adopted a mission statement.  These are leadership approaches that are not new in any fashion.  They are also concepts that seem to have as many meanings and definitions as there are leaves blowing in the autumn wind.  So let me share briefly with you how our leadership has utilized these concepts.

The vision statement, or more accurately rubix, was adopted to provide a challenge and a broad overview of the ministry that the Lord seemed to be leading us toward.  It is relatively broad in nature and has a strong Scriptural basis.  For a couple of years we have used the vision to generate questions about what the Lord might be doing in us and through us at this time.  The leadership has challenged themselves in identifying how we are responding in the different ministry areas that are contained in the vision and making adjustments where and when needed.

The mission statement flowed out of our vision statement.  We came to the point of saying we needed a concise response to how we were going to fulfill the vision.  We also determined that we wanted a statement that could be remembered easily and by a large number of individuals.  A statement that we could place on all communications that flowed in and out of our church.  A statement that would give some insight for the community at large into what this congregation was called by the Lord to do. 

The exciting reality of these two activies is that it helped the leadership to discern what the Lord was telling us.  It also helped the leaders to get on the same page with each other.  The other vital reality is that we now have a touchstone from which we can determine activities and expenditures that will strengthen our ministry versus distract from the ministry.  I have seen a couple of recent examples when the leadership asked the question of "how does this fit within the vision and mission that the Lord has called us to?"  As they responded to this question, it became very obvious what decision needed to be made.

So I encourage you to set up touchstones that will provide guidance as you transform and respond to the Lord's call.