The notes based on chapter 5 of Aubrey Malphurs' Advanced Strategic Planning - as used at LTCi, Siliguri

1. The kinds of
missions
Many of these categories
are the same as for those
applied to the discovery of
values

3. A conscious versus unconscious
mission
The church is on a mission
whether it knows it or not - it
is going somewhere that its
values are taking it. In such
situations the church needs to
discover and articulate its
mission.
Work out the core values -
then ask the church SLT,
where have these taken you?
Put this into a statement and
you have the mission.

4. 2. Personal or organisational
The church has a mission - but
most individuals also have one in
mind for the church too. The
personal side often happens early in
life - e.g. When someone gets born
again they are likely to adopt the
mission of the first church they
attend. Pastors will bring their own
personal vision to a church they
work at.
The church’s mission must be
superior to any personal mission.

5. 3. Shared or unshared mission
Once a mission is stated by a
church you find out which
people disagree with it.
Unshared ministry missions pull
people apart, create disunity
and can cause disaster. A
church has to address this
situation and ensure all people
are on board with the church’s
mission.
A new members class is a
helpful way of ensuring all who
join the church agree to this.

6. 4. Correct versus incorrect mission
Churches might have a ministry
mission - but Malphurs
suggests most of them are
wrong. They have to be about
the Gt. Comm - making and
maturing believers.
Anything other than this, no
matter how noble, is wrong.
Worship, fellowship, community
are all found in the Bible but are
not the Gt. Comm. If your
mission is not the Gt. Comm
- then change it!

7. 5. Actual versus aspirational mission
If a church has a wrong mission
then it needs to change to the Gt
Comm model - however this does
not then become their mission but
is their aspiration. Changing the
mission takes time - and key to
the change is examining and
changing values. Malphurs
suggests those of Acts 2:41-47
are the correct ones with
evangelism most important.

8. The development
of a mission
Being convinced of the need
for a mission you then need to
craft a dynamic memorable
statement for the church

10. The personnel
The SLT develop the
mission as they did with the
values.
Again you must involve the
congregation - ask their
ideas, get their feedback,
develop trust...

11. Guidelines
1. Determine what your
church is supposed to do
Essentially the church should ask,
“What business are we in?”
Malphurs suggests this is
summed up for all churches in
the idea of making disciples.
“Whom will we serve?” who are
the people we are targeting - as
Christ died for people (sinners)
those are the people we should
be looking at.

12. There are two groups within this -
the churched and the unchurched
(potential members.) Malphurs
suggests you look at the people
who are already part of your
ministry to get an idea of what new
people might (will probably) look
like.
“How will we serve these people?”
what is God telling you to do for
them? Salvation and then
sanctification - all else we do, even
in serving felt needs, should aim
towards these two aspects.

13. Malphurs give two examples:
Our mission is to share the
good news of Jesus Christ
with the people of New
Hope community and
beyond
That answers both the who
and how questions.
Our mission is to lead the
people of North Tarrant
County to faith in Christ
and growth in
Christlikeness.

14. 2. Write your mission statement
Write down what you are thinking -
use the words that best
communicate with your
congregation - does it need a
traditional or modern approach,
something catchy or cliched etc.?
Do people understand what you
have written? Is it clear?
Willow Creek turned Matt 28:18-20
into: Willow Creek exists to turn
irreligious people into fully
devoted followers of Jesus
Christ.

15. 2. Write your mission statement
Write down what you are thinking -
use the words that best
communicate with your
congregation - does it need a
traditional or modern approach,
something catchy or cliched etc.?
Do people understand what you
have written? Is it clear?
Willow Creek turned Matt 28:18-20
into: Willow Creek exists to turn
irreligious people into fully
devoted followers of Jesus
Christ.

16. The mission of Northwood
Community Church is to be
used of God in helping people
become fully functioning
followers of Jesus Christ.
Make sure the format is good -
Malphurs suggests the following
3:
The mission of (church name) is
to __________________________
Our mission is to _____________
(Church name) seeks to _______

17. 3. Make your mission
statement broad but clear
Holding boldness and clarity in
tension.
Is it broad, overarching and
comprehensive? A poor
example does not include the
Gt Comm:
Our mission is to teach the
Scriptures so well that
people will hunger and
thirst for righteousness

18. Is it clear? Easy here - ask people if
they can understand and then
explain it. A poor example:
Our mission is to glorify God by
responding to the Saviour
through exalting him as Lord,
edifying his church, and
evangelising the world.
The problem is using the world
glorify - what does it mean, how
should it be interpreted?
Additionally the mission leads to
glorifying God - it is not the mission.

19. 4. Make your mission
statement brief and simple
Does it pass the T shirt test? Say
more by saying less!
Faith community church exists
to make disciples by loving
Christ, loving one another, and
living to reach our world for
Christ.
This should be changed to (the by
is part of the strategy):
Faith community church exists
to make disciples
Finally - is it memorable? Too long
makes it hard to remember.

20. The process of
developing a
mission

22. Option 1: identify your current mission
statement
- then, if necessary, correct
this - if not be happy with it!
However if it is not the Gt
Comm then you have to
follow steps 2 or 3

23. Option 2: develop a new mission
statement
This needs to focus on what your
future mission should be.
Address your current values - will
they support and accomplish the Gt
Comm?
Use the Matt 28:19 model - what
is a disciple (using the terms your
congregation understands) -
follower of Christ, Christian, believer
etc.

24. Refine your term for disciple:
Malphurs suggests Jesus was
looking for mature disciples - fully
devoted, functioning, committed,
totally committed etc. Which term in
your church most suggests
maturity?
Use the right verb - willow creek
talked of turning people into
followers - assist, empower,
develop, follow, fulfill, help,
influence, lead, promote, provide,
transform etc.

25. Remember you always
need the work of the Holy
Spirit to do this - but we
are told to make
disciples!
Who are you working
with?
Malphurs suggests this
part is optional - it might
include the unchurched,
irreligious, religious,
unsaved, ordinary etc.

26. Option 3: adopt an existing mission
statement
Our mission is to provide living
proof of a loving God to a
watching world.
Our mission is to present Christ as
saviour and pursue christ as Lord.
Our mission is to follow and make
followers of Christ.
Our mission is to help our
community find real life in Christ.
Our mission is to lead ordinary
people to extraordinary life in
Christ

27. The mission challenge
Is to remain on track - there are
many many distractions.
Malphurs suggests that passion
is a key - the senior leader must
be pasisonate - and from him
passionate people live and
breathe the mission.
Passion is the difference
between mediocrity and
excellence.
Are you passionate about your
mission statement?

28. The communication of the mission
The mission must be
communicated or it is almost
pointless.
Use every opportunity you can
- and every good method you
can think of.

29. Guidelines for the Mission Statement
1. Determine your church’s purpose. Who will
you serve? How will you serve these people?
2. Write your mission statement. What words
communicate best with your target group?
3. Make your mission statement broad and
clear cut.
4. Make your mission statement brief and
simple.