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5 reasons your church needs an established mission statement.

A mission statement isn’t just words. It isn’t just a nice phrase you can display on your website and in your bulletin that makes your congregation feel good and entices your community. It isn’t something you can change every six months. Your mission statement is a foundation, a framework, an expectation. Something you should be able to point to as an explanation for who your church is and what you're doing in the community and world.

In a short article for TIME.com, the Small Business Tip of the Day staff writes, “[Your mission statement] can give you a framework for evaluating opportunities and deciding whether they fit your core business model and strategy. It can help you define your business and establish your brand, and it can help your employees focus their efforts and suggest ideas that fit with what you’re trying to do.”

Though your church doesn’t necessarily function the same way a small business might, these mission statement principles still apply. Your mission statement should give you a better focus on where you want to spend resources and energy. It should give your staff a clearer picture of what ideas they can bring to the table. It should give your congregation and those outside of it a solid perspective on how you plan to be involved in their community.

Here are 5 simple reasons your church needs an established mission statement:

1. It gives your church a solid foundation.
• We all know that the church’s ultimate goal is to bring people to Christ and give them a place to grow in their relationship with him. But your church’s specific mission statement brings that goal more into focus by answering the question, “How is our church going to bring people to Christ and strengthen their relationship with him?”
2. It gives your leadership a cause to champion.
• Having an established mission statement that creates a solid foundation for your church is also extremely beneficial to your leadership. The mission statement quickly becomes a cause for them to champion, an idea they can rally their staff around. Imagine your mission is, “Love God. Love our Community.” This creates a target, a focus for your leaders to come back to as they make decisions on teaching, ministry initiatives and programs.
3. It gives your staff a goal to work toward.
• As your leadership team makes decisions based around your mission, it also provides your staff with a goal. If they know that all programs should be created with this mission in mind, it automatically sets up a goal for them to accomplish. It’s important that everyone on your team knows your mission ... and can explain it.
4. It gives your congregation a way to connect.
• With your leadership championing the cause and your staff working toward a distinct goal, you are creating a safe and empowering atmosphere for your congregation. They believe your leadership team and your staff are working well together; that you have one goal and decisions will be focused on that goal. The mission is clear and they can see how to connect to it. 
5. It gives your community something to expect.
• In the same way that a clear mission and definitive process of accomplishing that mission creates a comforting atmosphere for you congregation, it also sets up a solid reputation for your church in the community. If your community can see your church constantly working toward loving God and the community, they can begin to trust this, expect this ... and maybe even grow a deeper desire to connect with your church in a more permanent way. They begin to feel safe building relationships with your leaders and your members and you can begin to have a greater, more meaningful effect on the lives of those around you.

Want to learn more about how to rally around your team around your mission? Click below for information about Fishhook University’s TeamSpeak Course.