Have you ever heard that question before? I certainly have.....in many different circles. At South Pointe, we are unveiling our new mission statement now and it really has me thinking about what that means to me personally. I have been a part of several churches that all have mission statements. Most churches have them, but do they live them out? Over the next few posts, I will explore this thought further identifying the different types of churches and their thoughts about their mission.
In the church world, most churches are holding on by the skin of their teeth and many are on the decline. The 21st century church is in a state of flux....you have several scenarios being played out. Here is the first one:
1. Churches that are traditional in nature and are not reaching out to the younger generation. Note: This church could have a young pastor, in hopes of hiring him to draw young families. (please make a note here: THAT DOES NOT WORK!!) These churches may have been strong in the past, but that is the glorious past. They have nice big buildings and plenty of room to fill it each Sunday. They are program oriented and have a very rigid schedule that changes rarely. They are typically very committee/deacon led and will tolerate a young-wipper snapper as long as he plays by the rules. This type of church has money and more often than not thinks money is the fix to many of their issues. They are usually high in missions giving which is a good thing, but rarely do missions themselves. Image is important to this type of church - and membership is a really big deal! This type of church spends allot of time developing a mission statement, but has a hard time living it and selling there people people on it.
Please note the above graphic as our mission. I really like it, but more than that my goal and desire is to live it. A mission statement is more than just words on a wall or in a bulletin - it must be something we do and live. Here it goes - "Love and Lead everyone we meet into an everyday walk with Christ."
Amen!
ReplyDeleteI agree whole-heartedly with the mission statement. I also believe it applies not only to the church as a whole but to the individual Christian as well. If you have a church full of people adhering to this mission statement, then it doesn't matter if it is a "traditional" or "contemporary" church. It will be a growing, thriving church. It all comes down to a condition of the heart.
ReplyDeleteSometimes labels such as "traditional" and "contemporary" can become divisive even when that is not the intent. We are all on the same team with the same unifying purpose if our hearts are right with Christ and we allow ourselves to be led by His Holy Spirit. I like the mission statement. Let's all strive to live it out daily and make a difference in our community for Christ.