This is the first episode of the Good Shepherd Podcast. Today's subject is familiar in the business world but may not be as much in the church – mission statements. We discuss what a mission statement is and how important it is for a church to have.

We look at the issues that can come up when a church doesn't have a mission statement and how to navigate developing a mission statement within your church. We also discuss the process Good Shepherd Church went through to discover our mission statement and make it an integral part of our church.

Takeaways

• A mission statement is a directional statement of your goals and values as a congregation.
• Everyone needs a mission statement - a family, an individual, you need it as parents, as pastors, regardless of your career or education.
• A purpose statement extends and details the core mission statement.
• Without a clear mission statement, it's easy for members to go in different directions without aligning on a single goal.
• Word choice for mission statements needs to be short and memorable.
• Defining what is meant by "mission", "vision" and "values" is an integral process of developing a strong mission statement.

In This Episode

• What's a mission statement and why a church needs one.
• Why it is not enough for a Church to focus on the Great Commission.
• How to process and developing a mission statement.
• What is the importance of keeping up a mission statement in the Church?

Key Quotes

• "Every organization needs a mission statement, we all need to know at the core of who we are, what's the one crystal clear idea of where we are heading and what we are about."
• "Good Shepherd's Mission Statement - Learning together to live like Christ while reaching out in his name."
• "God doesn't call us to only grow in him and grow together, but he calls us to go out and make more disciples."
• "Big churches need a clear mission statement that every pastor, leader, and member agrees upon – this keeps them on task together even when they're not all together."

If you have any questions about this episode or the show in general simply email: [email protected]