Postkiwi

Tomorrrow morning I’m working with a group of youth leaders in what we’re calling ‘Passion and Purpose.” The brief is to work on motivation. We’ll be starting with personal mission statements.

As a mission consultant I’m often invited to help congregations develop their mission statements, along with strategic plans for the future. Occasionally it becomes obvious that everyone expects someone else to be carrying out their goals.

“We’d like to have more effective youth ministry. But don’t expect us to be doing it! We’ve had our day! We’ll keep the committees of the church going, but we don’t have time for connecting with people outside the church.”

So I’ve learnt that right at the start we have to work on personal mission statements with personal strategic plans. Once we’ve got a clear idea of where people’s passions and energy lies, we can construct a realistic approach to shared mission.

I encourage people (of all ages) to see membership of the Christian Community as based on (in this order):

1. Relationship with God (expressed in 2,3,4,5)
2. Primary relationships - family, flatmates
3. Community involvement - work, play, neighbourhood
4. Participation in worshiping community
5. Support shared mission of the church

I’ve had this model of mission membership going for a while but didn’t really get it clear in my head until spending a week with Gus Nelson, of Project 21 in Des Moines, Iowa. We disagree on some of the ways in which this model is worked out. But we do agree that the purpose of the Christian is not to become more and more involved in running ‘Church World’ or to fulfil the mission statement of the senior pastor.

Of course a personal mission statement is flexible - it can change as life changes. Right now mine is :

1. Consistently explore and express the good news of Jesus Christ for me and others.
2. Grow in my relationship with Ennis, my wife, and mentor my three children.
3. Provide effective leadership in my role as mission consultant.
   Build friendships with the neighbours in my street.
   Engage in a worldwide community involved in developing generation-related resources.
4. Work out where I’m going to worship regularly.
5. Support chaplaincy in the local public high schools in my role as Local Chaplaincy Committee Chair. Continue regular planned giving to my local church.