In the fall of 2000, my new bride and I struck out to a dusty little West Texas town with a big dream in our hearts to change a generation for God.
At the time, I was so glad God would consider using me to shape the young minds and hearts of students. I was passionate, radical and loud; but I lacked one major thing: strategic thinking.
I thought if I preached well enough and worked hard enough, I would see the dream in my heart come to pass. I produced heartfelt talks and held crazy events to have fun and tried to grow our group; but my approach was like throwing mud at the wall and hoping something stuck.
Passion, desire and a good work ethic weren’t lacking; rather, my problem was blindness to The Big Picture. I really didn’t know what we wanted to accomplish other than to teach God’s Word and have a good time.
I needed a mission statement, a clear and concise assertion that spelled out our purpose as a student ministry. If you had asked me what our mission statement was, I would have given you a long, blank stare and said, “I dunno.”
Mission statements communicate with passion and precision the reasons a youth ministry exists within its church, and it brings credibility and purpose to the ministry.
A mission statement must be something more than just a phrase on a sheet of paper, more than a task you complete just to satisfy the powers that be. A true mission statement must emanate from your heart.
Our mission statement for our student ministry, which we call E3, is: “We exist so that students may ENCOUNTER God, ENVISION His plan for their lives, and be EQUIPPED to fulfill their destiny.” Very simple but effective.
A clear mission statement describes the “why” behind the “what,” and everything you do should be centered around that mission. It’s amazing how a concise statement can release you to set your focus on accomplishing great things!
So how can you develop your mission statement?
Talk to Your Senior Pastor
Whoa! What? Why would I want to do that? Because as the top dog of your church, his opinion matters. Schedule a time with him and get his thoughts. What does he want to see happen in the student ministry? The student ministry is a part of the overall ministry to the church body. Knowing what he thinks will create a target for you to hit, strengthen your relationship with him and give you some much-needed support.
Ask Yourself ‘Why?’
Why does your ministry exist? Of course you have a passion for students, but what do you really want to accomplish? What has God put in your heart for your students?
Take your answer and put it into one simple sentence upon which you are going to build everything concerning your ministry. Kick the idea around with a few leaders and friends, then go for it.
Inform Others of Your Mission Statement
Display this mission statement every conceivable place. Keep it in front of fellow team members to encourage and motivate them to go for God’s best. For students, it will help them catch a glimpse of the God-purpose for their ministry. Finally, parents will be reminded of the importance of what you do and why their children can’t afford to live without it.
