When I was a child our church did not have a mission statement. Everyone knew that the church's job was to preach the gospel, keep kids on the straight and narrow and send care packages to poor people. The "great commission" was the only vision statement needed.
Somewhere along the line things changed. For years now I've seen churches wrestling to come up with a one or two line statement that summarizes all their aspirations, values and beliefs. It has mostly been an impossible job. "We are a welcoming community of Christ," may work well on a letterhead but does it mean anything in the budget?
Some are catchy "Christian, in our beliefs. . . Methodist, in our approach . . . Episcopal, in our organization."
So, while I've seen a lot of angst over a mission statement, I've not seen that statement have much of an impact on the congregation's practices.
Therefore, when I came across a commercial enterprise's mission statement, I was prepared to be untouched, if not cynical. Yet, when I turned over the card, and found this list of values I was impressed.
1. We empower our team.
2. We forgive honest mistakes.
3. We support training, education and personal
growth.
4.We support our community through sustainable
practices.
5. We interact as a team with integrity and respect.
6. We provide a positive, fun and caring
environment.
7. We provide warm and sincere service.
8. We encourage open and honest communication.
9. We create an environment that embraces the
opportunity for change.
10. We recognize and celebrate our achievements.
Of course, this is a purely secular statement from an enterprise whose main mission is to turn a profit. Still, it's not a bad place to start when we look at making decisions in our own lives or in the life of our congregation. After all, it is our values, not our slogans, that show the world who we are.
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