Who Are We, And Why Are We Here (Part 2)

The Mission Statement

An organization's mission statement answers yesterday's question, "Who are we, and why are we here?"  It is a brief statement that articulates the organization's identity and purpose, and serves as a standard against which leaders can check their strategic, tactical, and operational decisions.  If a potential strategic move does not further the mission, or is incompatible with it, the organization's resources would be better used elsewhere.  The mission statement tells the organization's leaders, managers, and workers why they should be doing what they do.

In the New Testament, there are quite a few statements that can be construed as mission statements, and Jesus and the apostles have provided powerful metaphors to illustrate the Church's mission.  Many of Jesus' parables were given for the express purpose of explaining the organization he was establishing, and he spent a great deal of time and effort articulating and demonstrating His mission, vision and values.  Let us take a brief survey of some of the statements and metaphors that answer the fundamental strategic question of "Who are we, and why are we here?"

According to Jesus, we are:

• ·         the salt of the earth;
• ·         the branches to His vine; and
• ·         the light of the world.

According to Paul, we are:

• ·         the Body of Christ;
• ·         the Temple of the Holy Spirit; and
• ·         His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for the purpose of good works.

Now, that last statement looks more like a mission statement.  It merits further study, and we'll get back to it in more detail a bit later.  But first, what can we infer about our purpose from the metaphorical pictures of our identity?  We'll address each of these "pictures of purpose" over the coming days, and see what we learn.  Let's begin with salt.

The Salt of the Earth

Salt is an amazing chemical.  It does many wonderful and useful things. 

In small quantities, salt is a seasoning.  It is absorbed into its environment, making it more pleasant.

In larger quantities, salt is a preservative.  It maintains its identity, and becomes the a major factor in the environment of the object to which it is applied, protecting it from adverse influences and fundamentally altering (curing) it in a way which prevents decay. 

In a solution with water, salt is a disinfectant.  In hot climates, it helps prevent dehydration.  In cold climates, it melts ice and makes sidewalks and streets safe to travel.  It is used in water softeners to counter the negative effects of other minerals, and in ice cream makers to allow rapid heat transfer through a liquid medium that is colder than water could be without it.

However, used in the wrong way, in the wrong amount, or at the wrong place at the wrong time, it's merely an irritant.

Who Are We, and Why Are We Here (Introduction to a Work in Progress)

Who are we, and why are we here?  Every organization needs a mission statement, and the Church is no exception.  The mission statement answers those two basic questions.  It gives the organization its identity and it purpose.  With the mission ever in mind, the organization's leaders identify goals and strategies to assist in attaining those goals.  Leaders establish the mission, and set the vision and values that guide the organization toward accomplishing it.

I'm not a theologian.  I'm an MBA, not an M.Div., but I'll stack my 16 years of fundamentalist Christian education against their three years of seminary and state with confidence that I know and understand the Bible at least as well as the majority of ministers, and far better than quite a few I've met and worked with in 32 years as a church musician.  That MBA gives me an insight into the strategic management of organizations that makes me look at the Church as a global enterprise, and consider its mission, vision and values as established by its founder and Eternal CEO, and articulated by his original senior management team, the apostles.

This series of posts (which might eventually become a book) is my attempt to re-focus (small-c) church leaders, workers, and members on the (Big-C) Church's foundational mission, vision, and values.  My hope is that a fresh look from a strategic perspective will improve the performance of the total enterprise (the Church) by targeting the efforts of its local units (churches) toward accomplishing the Founder's mission, vision, and values, as laid out in the scriptures.