Writing a Mission Statement



You are going to be off track 90% of the time.

So does your family have a vision or plan? Is your family on track? How many of you have heard that you should be living missional lives? but how? Is a vision, mission, or purpose plan really important? Do you know that Rick Warrens book Purpose Driven Life was the bestselling book in the world for 2003-2005 and sold over 24 million copies. I would think that being purposeful or missional is important.

Whatever you call it

Begin with an the end in mind

If you fail to PLAN, you plan to fail

Proverbs 29:18 “Without A Vision, People (Families) Perish.”

Today, we are going to share the importance of not only living missionally but of having a flight plan we’ll call a mission statement which is much like a compass guiding your family as you navigate through life. Mission (the act of aiming or directing anything at or toward a particular point or target) I believe that is exactly what we are to do as parents. Consider Ps. 127:3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Are we not aiming or directing our children to be launched into the world (arrows are to be aimed at a target and launched at their target) our children are to be lights for Christ which is our target.

Tim Kimmel says that our aim as parents should focus on greatness rather than success. Most parents have the tendency to aim their children at a future focused on “success” which is defined by the world and measured by wealth, education, beauty, power, and fame. In fact my dad just this week shared his wisdom “you earn more when you learn more, remember your girls have to be well educated to get ahead.” Sadly, many well meaning Christian get caught in this success trap. When aiming children for success we can expect them to be self absorbed, complacent, and unsatisfied.

On the other hand, true greatness is defined by Kimmel as a passionate love for Jesus Christ that shows itself in an unquenchable love and concern for others. See Matthew 20:20-28 “The Mother’s request for her sons to have power and fame by sitting on either side of Jesus.” Jesus says the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” = true greatness.

Stephen Covey tells people to “Begin with the end in mind.” Covey suggests that you think about what people will say at your funeral as you decide your task for each day. What will the dash represent between your birth and death dates? Realize that everyday you are laying a brick in your own path that will lead somewhere. The decisions you make today will impact your future, what you become and how you are known to your loved ones. You will want to create a clear, compelling vision of what you and your family is all about the values you hold most dear should define your mission. As the WERNER family we value being together. I believe that one reason we are so close is that we maximize our togetherness and minimize our times apart.

If you really want to understand how to aim, lead, or live missionally John C. Maxwell books or Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders on servant leadership are excellent because as parents aren’t we raising Godly leaders? Don’t we want our children to reach their full potential? There will be no better people to influence or encourage than our children.

Mission statement will change as you mature. As parents we are responsible for leading the children God has entrusted to us. If you want to “train a child in the way he/she should GO,” you must first know the way she/he should go! A heart for direction means having a clear vision for where you want to lead your children. Often as parents we mistake protection as being the same as direction.

In Proverbs it states “Without vision, the people perish.” As a leader/parent if you cut your children loose without any direction or guidance, they will be lost and will suffer immeasurably. Guidelines are boundaries. In life, a clear sense of vision/purpose leads to:

o A strong confidence by your followers (children)

o Ability to move to places where will gain addition clarity – a clear sense of purpose – goals that lead to the accomplishment of your mission.

A vague sense of destination, leads to:

o Indecision about how to allocate scare time and resources – inaccurate goals either to small or too big – inability to plan properly – lack of motivation.

3 Ways to define where you are going and what you are about:

1) PURPOSE/MISSION STATEMENT:

This is a plan for HOW you will reach your destination and WHY you are going there. I will interchange purpose and mission knowing they mean the same thing. NOTE: Your mission is unique to you and your God given design as well as the circumstance of your life. Only you can choose to fulfill it. As a couple “how can two walk together unless they agree” Amos 3:3 you must agree on where you are going as it is essential to oneness in your relationship. Seeing a positive future for ourselves and our families is the key element that makes the difference in the effectiveness of our lives. So mission statements 1) Summarizes God’s purpose for your life; 2) gives directions for your life; 3) defines success for you; 4) clarifies your roles; 5) reflects the unique way God made you to serve Him.

2) VALUES/PRINCIPLES STATEMENT:

Your values are those things you esteem and what you give worth to. Your values determine where you spend your time, energy, and money. Spiritual Values, Civic and Cultural Values, Relational Values, Moral Values, Lifestyle Values, Family Values, Personal-Development Values, and Character Values.

3) GOALS SETTING

How do you plan to achieve your mission or values? These should be tangible and measurable. Various areas where you can set goals: Spiritual, Family, Financial, Personal/Social, Marriage, Household, Career, Community, Ministry, etc. (SEE HANDOUT)

How often have you felt that you and your family were not getting anything accomplished? Or felt that each was going their own way. Sadly today husbands and wives are each frantically pursuing their own overly full agenda. Children are left to develop their own agenda or are themselves over-involved in a “busy but barren” existence. Meals together are a rarity. Family time consists of an occasional shared TV program or riding to church together. Conflicts become frequent over rules, responsibilities, resources, and roles. Life seems empty. These are signs of a family “perishing!” King Solomon wrote throughout Proverbs that what was needed was a vision … a sense of direction and destiny

3 key ingredient in Goal Setting to stir vision and give purposeful direction

WHAT- do you want to see accomplished? Be specific as possible.

HOW – will you accomplish the “what”?

WHEN – will this “how” be done?

S.M.A.R.T. Goals are: Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Results oriented; and Time Limited.

Larry Crabb suggest the following 3 step in setting realistic goals

An objective I can accomplish

An objective I want to see happen in my life

An objective which I have complete control

What was one of Jesus’ goals for his disciples? “GO, make disciples of all nations(WHAT), baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have command you(HOW).” (WHEN – right then)

Set your goals (standards) high for it is better to set lofty goals and fall short of them than to set goals common to those around us and be like everyone else. A Goal vs. Desires – a word of caution. A goal is something I can accomplish. A desire, however, is something that I have no control over because it most often involves someone or something else.

EXPLAIN: Examples of desires vs. goals we set for our children are: we desire they be well mannered our goal was to equip them and teach them manners, we desire they exhibit Godly character but our goal was to use Character First and God’s word to equip them. We desire for them not to date until they were ready for marriage and that they would save themselves physically until marriage our goal was to use various resources to impart God’s truth and the blessings for such a high standard. Again, many of these goals we do not have control over as they are desires not goals. However, it is important to direct your children to a higher vision/purpose so they themselves might embrace them as their own mission/standard. We have had many well meaning believers, even a youth pastor, express how unrealistic we were but as parents we are not called to respond to criticism; we are called to respond to God. Remember that most of the time people who are critical are either jealous or uninformed.

As you plan, look to the future, not the past. You can’t drive ahead by looking out the rear window

3 steps needed to develop a mission statement (1) explore what you/your family are all about (2) Write your mission statement (3) Stay on Course.

The Plan

1. Get STARTED The biggest hindrance to writing a mission statement is aiming for perfection. You are better off writing an imperfect rough draft and improving it later. Take your time. Also don’t get caught up in trying to make your vision statement look like others as they come in many forms and change over time – poems, bible verses, song, quote, a picture, many words, a single word, etc.. There is no right or perfect way to doing this other than getting one done (

2. Invest TIME: you will need at least 2 hours or more; time to be creative and uninterrupted. I would not suggest you try and complete it in a single setting. Bring paper, bible, and calendar (past & present).

3. EXAMINE (past, present, & future) Use the handout of questions to get you started. You can do this alone for a personal mission statement, with your spouse or family. Involving your children in family goal setting not only helps shape them now but allow prepares them for the future as you help instill VISION. It’s important for children to see that things don’t “happen” but must be planned. If doing with others I recommend to each family member to do alone and come together to discuss and combine.

4. Prepare a written ROUGH DRAFT

5. Get FEEDBACK: Ask a few trusted mentors/friends to review it. These should be people who know you very well. You want to know it is it clear from the statement who you are, what you do and why? Is it compelling? What goals would seem to emerge from your mission statement?

6. WRITE IT OUT: In Habakkuk 2:2 the Lord tells the prophet, ….Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. So a key to successful goal-setting is revealed in this scripture. The vision must be written down. Writing crystallized thinking and distills meaning and bridges the gap between the conscience and unconscious. When you keep it in your mind, it is not really a goal, it’s nothing more than a dream and you have no one to hold you accountable. Trust me there is power to putting that dream down on paper.. When you commit something to writing, commitment to achievement naturally follows. From my experience each year I set goals for each of my girls of how I would like to see them grow and mature spiritually, intellectuality, and emotionally. I might not always hit the bull’s eye but I do come within the circles and am able to measure progress as I have something to go back and look at. God had a vision and He cared enough about that vision being passed on to us that it was put down on paper in the form of the Bible. His goals for us are written down. What He values we should value and our lives should be guided by His values and principles.

7. LIVE BY IT and STAY ON COURSE you have invested your time so place your statement in a place(s) where you/family will see it every day. Consider having it framed. Go over it often. Use it.

8. RE-EVALUATE and CHANGE if necessary as things might change over time as you mature and/or you family grows.

Questions to help you get started that I have obtained from Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life, various Stephen Covey’s resources, and others we came up with.

A personal mission statement addresses three questions:

1) What is my life about?

2) What do I stand for? What are my values?

3) What action am I taking to live what my life is about and what I stand for?

Life’s Five Greatest Questions from The Purpose Driven Life (chapter 40 Living with Purpose)

1. What will be the center of my life?

2. What will be the character of my life?

3. What will be the contribution of my life?

4. What will be the communication of my life?

5. What will be the community of my life?

Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families

❑ What kind of home would you like to invite your friends to?

❑ What kind of family do we really want to be?

❑ What embarrasses you about our family?

❑ What makes you comfortable in our home?

❑ What makes you want to come home?

❑ What makes you (children) feel drawn to us as your parents so that you are open to our advice, parenting, training and influence?

❑ What makes us feel open to your influence?

❑ What is the purpose of our family?

❑ What is the purpose of our marriage? What are our high priority goals?

❑ What kind of family do we want to be?

❑ What kind of things do we want to do?

❑ What kind of feelings do we want to have in our home?

❑ What kind of relationships do we want to have with one another?

❑ How do we want to treat one another and speak to one another?

❑ What things are truly important to us as a family?

❑ What are our families’ highest priority goals?

❑ What character traits do we value the most?

❑ What are the unique talents, gifts, and abilities of family members?

❑ What are our responsibilities as family members?

❑ What is expected of us? What is life asking of us?

❑ What are the principles and guidelines do we want our family to follow?

❑ Who are our heroes? What is it about them that we like and would like to emulate?

❑ What families inspire us and why do we admire them?

❑ How can we contribute to society as a family and become more service oriented?

As you discuss these questions as a family follow these guideline:

❑ Listen with respect.

❑ Restate accurately to show you understand.

❑ Record and consider writing down the ideas.

Denise Rainey of Family Life Today Talks suggests answering the following questions to determine your values:

A. Take some time and list as many values as you can that you would like to pass on to your children.

B. Out of this list, designate your top five core values in order of priority:

C. Reflect on your lifestyle and how you spend your time. How well does your life reflect your core values? Pull out your calendar if it's handy and see how your schedule reflects your real values. Be specific.

D. How do your mate's values complement yours as you raise your family? (Be specific. Try to list at least three ways.)

Rainey's Family Values

1. Aggressively communicate with one another.

2. Be sensitive to one another and their problems, being considerate, not excluding.

3. Be concerned about people's needs, inside and outside our family.

4. Live a non-materialistic lifestyle and keep materialistic demands in proper balance.

5. Pull for each other.

6. Be friendly to others, inside and outside our family.

7. Share the love of God, focusing on the Great Commission and the love of Christ.

8. Be respectful and obey parents without complaining, doing what you are asked to do.

9. Resolve conflict.

10. Do not complain and be positive with one another.

11. Work as a team, not just individual members of the family.

12. Learn lessons from failures.

13. Share physical affection with one another.

14. Take responsibility for your actions or lack of them.

15. Speak with respect for one another.

16. Say "I love you" to each other often.

17. Live differently from the world because of Christ.

18. Attend church regularly for growth as a family.

19. Show hospitality.

20. Pray for one another.

21. Do not be critical of one another but build each other up.

22. Do not be proud but teachable.

23. Do not be jealous but glad for others when they benefit or excel.

24. Make godly decisions.

25. Be honest and truthful with each other.

26. Believe in the value of good friendship.

27. Understand that everything is God's and we are His stewards.

28. Trust is gained as we are individually faithful in the little things.

29. Be quick to admit fault and to forgive.

30. Maintain a clean and neat environment.

31. Work hard, and remember to help others succeed.

32. Take the initiative without being told.

The Lepine Core Values

These are things we believe and have done a less-than-perfect job of passing them on to our kids!

1. Glorify God in all of life.

2. Make active participation in church life a priority.

3. Consider others as more important than yourself.

4. Grow in wisdom (skill for everyday living.)

5. Work hard and play hard.

6. Understand the times in which we live.

A personal mission statement helps identify core values and beliefs. Examples of personal mission statement:

EXAMPLE (A)

Be loyal.

Be honest.

Be compassionate.

I must give respect before I demand it.

I must continue to learn and grow through my entire life.

I must take the strengths of my loved ones and improve on my weaknesses.

Allow myself to empathize, not sympathize.

Set, and follow, a good example for my family.

Review my actions each and every day.

Learn from my mistakes.

Put faith in the Lord, in Him anything is possible.

EXAMPLE (B)

o Be humble, considerate, honest, kind, loving, and most importantly forgiving, but wise.

o Give unselfishly to the needy, but try to provide tools for success as well: i.e., offer a job and a handout.

o Provide limitless love to my children and my other family members. Allow them to grow and develop unhindered of what I think is best; but allow them to painfully discover what is best for themselves. Set wide boundaries within which they may develop, wide enough where they can make decisions they will anguish over but close enough that they will know how much I love them and that I will always morally support them. Say yes, unless there is a very good and explainable answer for no. Allow them to color in their own future, not striving for any perceived expectations of my own or other people in their lives.

o Keep my word.

o Find weaknesses in myself and situations and choose to improve them.

o Other important values I must never forget: Learning, gaining knowledge and nurturing friendships.

o Work and play where my integrity cannot be compromised.

o Refrain from building walls -- allow pessimism, criticism to come in, but I will choose to learn from them, not react or hide from them

o Refrain from competing, but add to other's success.

o Remember and thank those who have helped me. Return their kindness to others that need it.

o Allow my values to guide me, not jealously or other peoples' values, competition or wealth.

o Look at both sides of an issue before making a decision. Realize that each decision is an independent decision, not necessarily directly related to past or future decisions, and take the time to gather insight to make informed decisions.

o Take time every day for reflection, to realize what I learned, what I should learn more about to say thank you, to give myself a pat on the back while looking into what I need to improve upon.

o Remember always that my greatest success will be through my children’s' eyes and to build and positively develop that relationship every day.

o "Real success is success with self; it's not having things, but in having mastery, having victory over oneself"

EXAMPLE (C)

Throughout each day in my life I strive to be loyal to my friends and family, lead a successful career that I will enjoy, stay healthy, and take on any challenges that come my way.

I value my family members, friends, spiritual fulfillment, sense of accomplishment, and respect for others.

My Family Members

Throughout my life I will always be supportive and loyal to all my family members, allowing a relationship that will last a life time.

Friends

I will always be supportive to fellow friends and assist with any endeavors they may have.

Spiritual Fulfillment

My spiritual beliefs remain extremely important in my life, creating the backbone of my inner self

Sense of Accomplishment

I live life to the fullest and strongly believe that nothing is impossible.

Respect for Others

Without respect for life and human beings the world would be a meaningless place.

A favorite quote that is inspirational

"If one advances confidently In the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has Imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." --Thoreau

EXAMPLE (D)

o Show character through trust respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.

o I am honest and do not deceive, cheat or steal. I am reliable; I'll do what I say I'll do and I have the courage to do the right thing. I have built a good reputation and been loyal standing by my friends, family, and my country.

o I treat others with respect; I follow the Golden Rule. I am tolerant of differences and I use good manners and refrain from bad language. I show consideration for the feelings of others. I will not threaten, hit or hurt anyone; I deal peacefully with my anger, insults and disagreements.

o I always do my best and do what I am supposed to do; perseverance is my key. I practice self-control and self discipline. I consider consequences before acting and know that I am accountable.

o Play by the rules; take turns and share. I am open-minded and I listen well to others. I never put the blame on anyone else for my faults.

o Be kind, compassionate, and I show I care. I express gratitude, forgive others, and help people in need.

o Do my share to make my school and community better. I cooperate, stay informed, and vote.

o Obey the rules set before me, respect authority, and protect the environment.

o My personality is well-rounded and I am warm and loving with friends and family.

o I believe in staying positive and up-tempo.

o In everything I do, I shall give my interest, my enthusiasm, my devotion, my love, and most of all, myself.

"Doing good to others is not a duty. It is a joy, for it increases your own health and happiness." --Zoraster

EXAMPLE (E)

My (Cherie Werner’s) Mission Statement created Oct. 2006 using

My purpose is to express my willingness to learn and grow spiritually & mentally, especially as it relates to my faith in Christ seen by love and loyalty to my family. I will commit to invest in my marriage, family, & friendships, by worshiping and loving Christ through my actions & words and by love and good deeds as well as TIME spent with them. I will look for ways to free up more time for my family and Improve relationship and communication with Jon and the girls (my family). I desire to connect spiritually and intimately with Jon so our marriage will be stronger and healthier. Personally I will take care of myself by eating healthy, exercising, and getting enough sleep.

EXAMPLE (F) by Whitney Noziska’s

CARE About the world

About life

About people

About myself

LOVE myself

My family

My World

Knowledge

Learning

Life

FIGHT For my Beliefs

For my Passions

To Accomplish

To Do Good

To be True to Myself

Against Apathy

ROCK The Boat, Don’t let Boat Rock ME

BE A ROCK

BE REMEMBERED

EXAMPLE (G)

NOTHING LESS

EXAMPLE (H) Beth Haire’s (15)

First and foremost, I will remain faithful

always to my God.

I will not underestimate the power of family unity.

I will not neglect a true friend, but I will set aside

time for myself as well.

I will cross my bridges as I come to them

(Divide and conquer)

I will begin all challenges with optimism,

rather than doubt.

I will always maintain a positive self-imagine

And high self esteem, knowing that all my intentions begin

With self evaluation.

EXAMPLE (I) RESPECT

Religion

Education

Succeeding

Productive

Exercise

Caring

Truthful

EXAMPLE (J)

“Make each day the best we can for each other”

If we work upon marble it will perish, if we work upon brass time will efface it, but if we work upon immortal minds and instill into them just principals we are then engraving upon tablets which no time will efface but will brighten and brighten to all eternity. Daniel Webster

WERNER FAMILY MISSION STATEMENT (1/04)

We desire to be a distinct and disciplined family.

Jon & I will love and nurture our girls hearts, minds, & souls while training their character and leading them to a better knowledge of the Lord as they mature in Jesus.

We purpose to love the Lord with our heart, soul, mind, and strength unto the

third and fourth generations.

We desire to draw the lost to Jesus by our actions and words.

Our home will be inviting, filled with peace, laughter, and uplifting music and activities.

We will be servant-focused in our family and to those whom God puts in our path.

We are a family that does things together, no matter how big or how old we may get (

We will strive to exemplify the characteristics of Integrity, Honor, Trust, Service, Harmony, and Joyfulness.

W = Wisdom departed through daily events.

Will we choose to see the hand of God in every life experience and show God’s greatness to our children? We will teach God’s point of view concerning life. James 3:17 & Proverbs 3:13-18

E = Encourager for the girls in all they do.

“Are we our child’s chief critics or cheerleaders?’ To encourage means to give confidence or encouragement; that is what we purpose to do.

R = Reaching our children’s heart for Christ.

Will our children leave home with a hunger and passion to know God personally and to be used to accomplish great things for his kingdom by having open eyes to the various worldviews that compete with Christianity? Proverbs 4:7

N = Nurturing our children lives through servant leadership.

“If you want to be great in God’s kingdom, learn to be the servant of all!” Are we willingly giving up ourselves, our expectations, and our time to the task of parenting and choosing to believe that doing so is the best use of our time? John 15:13

E = Enriching and cultivating our children’s lives.

To raise mature adults of strong character, great faith, gracious relational skills, effective leadership qualities, and sharp intellect as they are home educated. We will train ourselves and them to think clearly, truthfully, and biblically about Jesus and the world. Tend to and cultivate their hearts, souls, minds, and relationships as we protect them from the wild storms and prevailing winds of culture. Proverbs 24:3-4

R = Respect our children’s worth as an individual.

Do we listen to our children? Do we consider their feelings and ideas? Do we give them sufficient recognition, and numerous compliments? Do we accept them for them? Do we avoid comparing them with others and to each other? Do we handle discipline privately and fairly? Do we allow them an appropriate amount of privacy? Psalm 139

S = Servant and Strong Friend in the end.

Will we be known for building loving relationships with our children? Because people will last through eternity, relationships with our children have eternal significance. The relationships we make and cultivate and nurture will also sustain us throughout all of life’s seasons. Galatians 6:7[pic]

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