July 2015
Vision and Planning

Why Articulate Your Mission & Vision?

Vestries today need to see beyond the quick, technical fix and tackle the more complex issues that ultimately can strengthen the congregation. That slower, more difficult work of transformational leadership requires a shared understanding of what God is calling the faith community to do. And the path to that shared purpose begins with these questions: Why? Why are we here, in this particular place? Why do we do what we do? Like inquisitive two-year-olds, we ask these broad questions that will eventually to the real questions: Where is Jesus in all this? What is he calling us to do?

Exploring these questions together is life giving. It is a way to discover a clear understanding of your church’s work and hope for the future. Shared understanding of spiritual purpose has the power to guide leadership and energize the congregation. It is transforming. In our work with congregations we see abundant evidence that the prayerful consideration of mission and vision can empower Episcopal communities of faith to embrace the challenges and possibilities of this time.

We see this in places like St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where congregation-wide conversations led by the vestry and rector have developed a vision for their Christian life, “The Way of Jesus.” Its eight themes—story, prayer, simplicity, discernment, reconciliation, hospitality, generosity, and gratitude—provide touchstones for St. Matthew’s life and ministry and represent its way of being Christ in the world.

We see it in western Massachusetts, too, where the catastrophic expense of repairing a collapsed church wall and another congregation’s call to pursue vital ministries led to the creation of a new congregation, Grace Church, formed from the members of St. James’, Great Barrington, and St. George’s, Lee. Both congregations sold buildings that were sapping their energy and resources and created a new, combined faith community that meets and worships in a public social hall. Energized and renewed, Grace’s members run two food pantries and a community garden—bringing Christ’s love and care to the need they see around them.

Discerning Mission & Vision

The Episcopal Church Foundation defines mission as what God is calling your congregation to do. We understand vision as a hopeful picture of the impact of your mission on the church and world in the future. Well aware of the tendency to spend too much time crafting beautifully worded mission and vision statements—and not enough time on implementation—we encourage vestries to remember that these statements are meant to serve, support, and inspire the congregation. They should not be static but should be subject to ongoing discernment and conversation (and perhaps never more than 85 percent perfected). It is vitally important that they reflect the faith community’s shared understanding of its call and the imagined impact of its life and work in the future.

The Vestry’s Role

Ongoing attention to mission and vision is critical as vestries navigate the complex challenges and opportunities before them, and these should be a part of every vestry meeting. That big-picture work gives each member a chance to step back and see the whole of the community’s life in the light of God’s call. Some vestries are already doing this, but others leave that deep, foundational work of discernment for retreats, if they address it at all. If this is true for your vestry, begin slowly. Introduce a short period of prayer and Bible study at the beginning of your meetings. It may take a while, but you’ll begin to see connections between your church’s life today and the ancient stories of God’s people.

If you’ve already done some work on mission and vision, dust it off, and spend some time discussing it at each meeting. You may find that it no longer fits or that it should be realigned to meet the needs and changes within and beyond your church. If you haven’t worked to develop a clear mission and vision or if you stopped at a mission statement and never considered a vision for your future, now is the time to start.

The important thing is to consider what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and where it is leading you, being mindful to listen carefully for the Spirit’s guidance along the way. Spending time in this way at the start of meetings connects the budget, staff, building, and programmatic items to God’s call to your faith community. It grounds your efforts as you confront issues and set goals, and it helps you think strategically.

If you are just beginning this work, there are various ways to go about it. You may want to form a small task force made up of lay, clergy, and staff leaders to design and lead the process. To keep the vestry engaged, it’s a good idea to include the rector and a warden or vestry member on that team. Alternatively, you may decide to work with a consultant or facilitator. You may also decide that a simpler approach led by vestry members and the rector is best for your faith community.

Engaging the Congregation

Discernment of mission and vision doesn’t end with the vestry. It offers an opportunity for conversation in the congregation about its day-to-day life and future. This is an important conversation to have annually (or every two or three years) to help renew and refresh your shared identity, purpose, and direction.

Whatever your process, you’ll want to give people a chance to talk about what the church is doing now and what they sense God is calling them to do. You’ll need to cultivate an open and accepting environment that encourages deep listening and values everyone’s input. Conversation should consider your congregation’s own life and mission and also the needs and opportunities in the surrounding neighborhood, city, or town.

The idea is to find out where there is meaning and purpose in your life together and to imagine how it will affect the future. Your mission—what God has called you to do—can be stated simply. It is a description of what your church does in your specific location within
the larger community. Here are a few examples:

“As a community of faith we gather for meaningful worship; form faithful disciples; serve those in need; use our time, talents and treasure in service to God’s kingdom; welcome everyone.”

“Sharing Jesus with neighbors”

“While St. Matthew’s may seem like several other churches in the Twin Cities area, we are particularly characterized by:

  • A desire to go deeper spiritually
  • A global perspective
  • Artistic expression
  • Hospitality
  • Community leadership”

It is important when discussing mission to identify your ministry strengths. They are a bridge to the future and to discerning vision. You might ask:

  • What are we doing well?
  • What do we do that is distinctive or unique?
  • How do we welcome and engage the community outside our church? 
  • How are we an asset in our local area?

With your ministry strengths defined, the next task is to imagine the ways your presence and mission can impact the future. Consider together:

  • What do we hope for our faith community?
  • What do we hope for our neighboring community?
  • What are the needs, hopes, and fears in the wider community?
  • How will faithful attention to our mission build our church community in the future and share Christ’s love in the world?

It’s okay to dream big. The Christian life is all about extravagant hope.

Less important is wordsmithing a beautifully crafted vision statement. Instead, consider reality-based answers to questions about your congregation’s strengths and future.

In some ways, discerning your church’s mission and vision is playing catch-up with the Spirit, which is always out ahead of us. If you listen well and faithfully, you’ll find important insights into God’s presence in your life and ministry—often from unexpected places and people. As you and your congregation explore your church’s call and its hopeful future, you will discover
strengths and passions, challenges, and dreams. From these come the shared understanding of your faith community’s values, purpose, and call, which will enable your church to embrace each challenge and opportunity with courage and hope.

Try This

What are your ministry strengths?

It is important when discussing mission to identify your ministry strengths. They are a bridge to the future and to discerning vision. You might ask:

  • What are we doing well?
  • What do we do that is distinctive or unique?
  • How do we welcome and engage the community outside our church?
  • How are we an asset in our local area?

With your ministry strengths defined, the next task is to imagine the ways your presence and mission can impact the future. Consider together:

  • What do we hope for our faith community?
  • What do we hope for our neighboring community?
  • What are the needs, hopes, and fears in the wider community?
  • How will faithful attention to our mission build our church community in the future and share Christ’s love in the world?

Once you have begun to define your strengths and vision, consider one or two strategic goals that would bring your congregation into alignment with your vision.

This article is an excerpt from the 2015 edition of the Vestry Resource Guide, an ECF publication by Nancy Davidge, ECF associate program director and editor, ECF Vital Practices and church communications writer and consultant Susan Elliott. The Vestry Resource Guide helps vestry members and clergy work together to become an effective, even transformational leadership team. With information and recommendations for congregations of all shapes and sizes, this is an essential tool to help vestries focus on what God is calling them to do in the world. Available in English http://www.forwardmovement.org/Products/1951/the-vestry-resource-guide.aspx or Spanish, http://www.forwardmovement.org/Products/1773/guiacutea-de-recursos.aspx and in both print and eBook formats.

Resources
  • Becoming Grace” by Deborah Johansen Harris and Frances A. Hills, ECF Vital Practices’ Vestry Papers, July 2013

See the August 2015 article, "From Vision to Action" for part two of this two part series.

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This article is part of the July 2015 Vestry Papers issue on Vision and Planning