Our Mission Statement in Draft
Posted by: jaket
Church:
Date: October 5th, 2010
At our meeting on Sept. 25 the General Council drafted the statement below.
God’s kingdom people living authentically among the peoples of the world, demonstrating shalom and inviting others to believe, belong and follow Jesus.
How does the above reflect your understanding of our work in the world?
What would you change?
Just my two cents but I would have the statement as:
God’s kingdom people living authentically, demonstrating peace and inviting others to believe, belong and follow Jesus.
While I understand the meaning of the word shalom, there are many people who do not, especially Muslims who would see the use of this Hebrew word as an alligning with the Jewish people.
I think the words “among the peoples of the world” is already implied in the statement and is unnecessary. I also thought it sounded a little arrogant – the image of us standing taller than everyone else. I understand the biblical truth of it but perhaps it does not need to be said in this statement. I also think removing it makes the statment a little shorter and concise.
Just my opinion…
I like both the separateness connoted by “people” “among peoples” and the commonality of “among.” To me this connotes a distinct identity, yet the amongness – withness – is also critical. I don’t read any sense of “taller” here personally, but instead I hear an echo of kingdom language ‘ behold, the kingdom of God is among you. In the presence of Jesus in his people the kingdom is present. “Shalom” – another story – curious what others will say.
Along the lines of what Stephen was saying about being careful not to make it sound arrogant, the part that says “God’s kingdom people” could sound like it implies that other churches/conferences are not “God’s kingdom people”. How could the wording be changed to express the concept of being committed to or giving allegiance to God’s kingdom without sounding like GoMission are the only people doing this? Maybe, “People living authentically for God’s kingdom in the world…” or just “Living authentically for God’s kingdom in the world…”
I also think Stephen has a good point about the word shalom. unfortunately the word “peace” does not necessarily cary thesense of wholeness in all relationships that the Hebrew word shalom is meant to carry. However, most people who read this may not be aware of the meaning of shalom, in which case the word “peace” (or perhaps “healing”?) might be most effective.
How about something like this?
Living authentically for God’s kingdom in the world, demonstrating peace, and inviting others to believe, belong and follow Jesus.
Andrew, good thoughts. My question is: who is the statement for? If it is primarily an internal statement, then your concerns are moot. But secondly, if shalom is a good biblical word, in fact one that brings with a huge anchor in the narratives of both Old and NT, maybe its time to reclaim it? What other word gets us beyond the gnostic and modern separation of sacred and secular, spiritual and material? Words that are storied are our heritage; we give them up too easily. Language creates culture, just as stories root us in the past even as they help propel us into a new future.
Further thoughts – why use the word “kingdom?” Isn’t that a word that connotes earthly rule and earthly power? But we use “kingdom” because Jesus spoke and lived under a different rule and authority, and the word is storied in both OT and New If we have some theological work to do to give the word back its meaning, isn’t that part of discipleship? Isn’t that even part of what Paul calls all leaders toward in 1 and 2 Timothy?
I recall.. I thin it was Brian McLaren, maybe taking off on Campolo’s book “The Kingdom of God is a Party,” who advocated that image for one that tells us something about the big celebration – the feast – at the new beginning for all things. What would that look like in a mission statement?
God’s kingdom people, living authentically among the peoples of the world, demonstrating shalom and inviting others to believe, belong and to party with Jesus.
Thanks Len, Stephen and Andrew for the good interaction. What are others thinking? What about using the word “shalom” in the statement? Can this be a teaching and growing opportunity? Or will it be the word we stumble over?
I actually really like Andrew’s rephrasing:
Living authentically for God’s kingdom in the world, demonstrating peace, and inviting others to believe, belong and follow Jesus.
Mission statements are not just internal – or at least they should not be. This phrase sums up what we as a conference are aiming for – what makes us tick. This should not be hidden away in a private file but be visible and public so that as many people as possible can benefit from it.
I still say Shalom is a loaded word. It is at best foreign and misunderstood. At worst it has very negative meaning for more than a quarter of the world’s population. It means peace – so lets just use the word PEACE.
Although I like the word “shalom”, I think that it will be a stumbling point for many of us, me included. When I first heard it as part of the mission statement, I must admit that I squinted a bit and went “huh?” Whether it is a word that we need to reclaim or teach on then do the teaching BEFORE you use it in the mission statement. For those of us that do not do the theological studying on a regular basis or read the latest books, it doesn’t make sense. If the folks you want to reach are your grassroots supporters, use language that they use and understand. Otherwise, you’ll lose us.
So then I hear at least two issues raised here: 1. is this statement primarily internal for God’s people, or does it also need to represent us to the world around us? 2. Can we use a word that says something essential about the story we are in when the word is not “current” in our spiritual vocabulary? Would such use challenge us to dig and wrestle, or simply turn us off?
btw, these two issues were also on the table at the General Council meetings. Running this around my head today, I have a feeling we won’t adopt a word like shalom until we talk about a more basic question: what is “the gospel of the kingdom of God’ that Jesus preached? I don’t think that question can be answered very well without looking at the OT roots of the story..
Stephen, you say about shalom, “At worst it has very negative meaning for more than a quarter of the world’s population” Say more about this, you lose me here..
A mission statement should cause people to think about what is being said in that statement and why. And though I do not disagree with the word “Shalom” and it’s meaning, I don’t feel that this is the place to use it. Make people think? Yes. Keep it somewhat basic? Yes as well. Use Shalom in the mission statement? No.
What was the old missions statement?
What I mean Len is that about a quarter of the world’s population are Muslims. Having lived for a decade in the Middle East I have seen how Muslims view the West. It is no surprise that one of their biggest problems with America (especially the church in America) is that it tends to be very pro-Israel.
I would never say the word SHALOM to a Muslim – it is extremely offensive to them. It is not that they have a problem with the concept of Peace, they use the Arabic word SALAAM. The problem is that the word is Hebrew.
To use that Hebrew word in our mission statement would be saying something to the Muslim communitee that we do not necessarlity want to say. Simply using the word PEACE avoids this problem completely.
Hmm.. So – are EMM churches involved with Muslims? How significant a problem is this in terms of our mission? What percentage of Muslims here in the west would see this word as exclusively Jewish?
Hey, who’s going to answer Leroy’s question? What was our old missions statement?
Len about whether we are active in ministry to Muslims – some individuals are and my sense is that we should seriously consider this more. Many of our young adults seem to feel a real nudge towards reaching out to our Muslim neighbors. I am half way to Turkey any given week. So, it seems important to consider this as we draft the statement. Now – does anyone else have insights in how Muslims might respond to the word “shalom”?
If there is any mission to muslims at all – and if the mission statement will be visible to them, then the word is iffy. Its a shame tho – a great biblical word that needs recovery..
In the fourth chapter of Inhabiting the Church (“Stability”) Jon Stock writes,
“Shalom and berith (“covenant”) are practically synonymous. Shalom refers to the state of those who participate in the harmonious society. Berith refers to the community and all the privileges and obligations that community implies. Covenant and shalom go hand in hand; God’s community must have one to experience the other.” (112)
In view of this connection, how about our statement reading “demonstrating God’s covenant of peace.” At least we then nuance the word “peace” in the context of the story of God and his people.
What does it mean to live authentically? How does this relate to Holy living?
If we live Holy lives won’t proclaimation and demonstration be the natural by-products?
Whatever we use – the shorter and fewer words the better if we want a statment that is catchy and memorable.
I want to re-ask the earlier question – what was our old mission statement?
Go Mission is fairly new, isn’t it? Did they even have a mission statement before? I looked on the facebook page and found this:
“We are network of churches & individuals who share ideas, passion and resources for encouraging each other towards discipleship and establishing Christ centered, missional focused communities in the most needy places.”
It kind of resembles a mission statement, if that helps.
EMMC is deeply involved in ministry to Muslims – mostly through associate missions, but nonetheless, very thoroughly so.
To me, the word “Shalom” is part of a foreign language and not part of one I speak. So it is in no way something I am giving up. The meaning of words is always changing related to people’s experience with those words. Let’s be, “peaceful” and let others see by their experience of us what that means. (-:
OK, so it’s time to re-engage and try to pull some of this together. Maybe for starters we need to respond to the question about the previous mission statement. In terms of a 75 year history, I am fairly new and so I am very open to being corrected.
In 1959 when we restructured into a conference and registered with the government through a special act of parliment our statement read as follows:
“Honor and glorify God. As partners in the Gospel, under the Lordship of Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit we encourage each other in making disciples; nurturing believers, preparing and sending workers into the world. Anticipating the blessing of God we commit ourselves to do together what we cannot do alone.”
In 2000 we were saying the following things about our identity and purpose:
Evangelical
Holding to the historic evangelical faith which takes the Bible seriously, clings to the redemptive work of Christ, and awaits the second coming of our Lord
Mennonite
Appreciating our unique spiritual heritage and focuses on the biblical concepts of discipleship, community and love in all relationships.
Mission
Participating actively in the mission of the church by proclaiming Christ in our communities through word and deed, and sending missionaries abroad to do the same.
Conference
Working together as a group of churches, supporting each other and doing together that which we cannot do alone in the ministry to which God has called us.
During this period our tag line was “doing together what we cannot do along.”
At a Red Rock Retreat in 2005 the following was drafted:
The EMMC exists to equip and encourage our churches for effective ministry, empowering them to participate in God’s work in the world. Our international, regional and local ministries will focus on:
ｷ Inspiring and facilitating local outreach and global missions.
ｷ Equipping and resourcing local church ministries.
ｷ Developing and supporting pastors and leaders in our congregations.
Let’s reflect on this journey of our identity and purpose for a bit. Where have we come from? How does that line up with what we are presently saying through our core values and our draft mission statement?
Now, in light of the history and our present understanding how does this all fit together?
I think the last suggestion for a second draft was as follows:
“God’s kingdom people living authentically among the peoples of the world, demonstrating God’s covenant of peace (shalom) and inviting others to believe, belong and follow Jesus.”
How does that sit with you?
How does this mission statement fit with our “core values” of discipleship, community and reconciliation and the statements drafted as a result of the “Rethink Your Conference” journey? They are below:
Who we are:
We are a family of 32 churches with common roots in the Anabaptist and Evangelical traditions. This allows us to have a strong emphasis on discipleship and missions.
What we do:
We form a network of churches and individuals who share ideas, passion and resources and encourage each other towards discipleship and establishing Christ-centered, missional-focused communities in the most needy places. The EMMC office is the hub that works to strengthen the connections between these churches and individuals in order to fulfill our common mandate.
Why this matters:
We understand that we need to be part of a larger network that helps us stay centered in Christ and focused on our mission.
My vote is for the simplified version:
Living authentically for God’s kingdom, demonstrating peace, and inviting others to believe, belong and follow Jesus.
This puts the focus on the verbs – Living, Demonstrating and Inviting (Worship/Word/Witness).
It is simple and memorable which are necessary in any good mission statement. Just my opinion…
Thanks Stephen for a quick and good response. So we have a draft 3.
Draft Two
“God’s kingdom people living authentically among the peoples of the world, demonstrating God’s covenant of peace (shalom) and inviting others to believe, belong and follow Jesus.”
Draft Three
“Living authentically for God’s kingdom, demonstrating peace, and inviting others to believe, belong and follow Jesus.”
Draft Three
“Living authentically for God’s kingdom, demonstrating peace, and inviting others to believe, belong and follow Jesus.”
That’s my vote. I don’t like to get involved in things like this because I don’t usually know if I like something until it’s done and I’ve heard it used. Also, if anyone is a person who likes things simplified and easy to read, it is most defiantly me. I for the most part dislike reading anything especially posts of things I’m not involved in but this sparked mu interest none the less. When I read the original draft I hadn’t a clue what “shalom” meant and thought to myself “wow that sounds very churchy”. I do agree that it is a great word but when someone reads something for the first time and you have to explain to them what the words they are reading mean, by then chances are they have lost some interest or thought like I did and just passes it off as just another preachy statement. I read this whole post and it wasn’t until I read draft 3 that I stopped and dwelled on it. It’s short, powerful, and easy to grasp. I think that using strong biblical language to attract someone who lives a non biblical life has less chances of grabbing their attention. And there you have my 2 cents
God bless
Well, interesting discussion. I just jumped in here and have not read everything. I think it first glance I like what I see. One other option may be reconciliation instead of shalom or peace. It may be another foreign word as well… Just a thought.
what do i know, as someone who knows 3 languages, i find when you mix or try to be fancy and add a word from another language, you are trying to impress the listener. stick to english. i do not know what shalom means and who are we trying to impress? I like option 3.
suggestion: if you need input from a lot of people, send an email with these 3 options to all and see what the majority would like.
I like both two and three and could go with either.
I strongly suggest to let’s stick to the English word peace.
The words “living authentically” appear too vague for my liking. How does one live authentically? My interpretation might vary greatly from another’s interpretation. A new Christian might interpret it in context of former beliefs. How does one live authentically? What does Micah 6: 6 -8 tell us? Our walk should demonstrate God’s mercy, His love, His justice and His humility. Right now I am at a loss as to what single word to use. However, I do believe another word or phrase could express more clearly the intent of this statement.
Alternative Draft for the MISSION STATEMENT
We strive to be a community of believers marveling at God’s amazing grace as shown to us in Christ Jesus, living in obedience to the Word of God and urging people everywhere to repent and be reconciled to God.
Last year in September at a General Council meeting in Winnipeg we were first introduced to a process of establishing a new “Mission Statement” that would define and direct the work of EMMC and it’s new GoMission initiative. This has been further debated on the GoMission webpage involving a limited number of “bloggers.” Other less public discussions have continued and as Region 1 appointed new reps the discussion has continued, with a consensus that the existing wording did not adequately express our understanding of a “Mission Statement” in the language that was easily understood at the grass roots level in our region.
Therefore Region 1 presented an alternative wording for consideration at the Gathering in Belize in February (see minutes #___) where it became apparent that others would also be in favor of further input as well before formally adopting the statement that had originated at the Sept. meeting. Region 1 reps took that as a queue to re-examine their first draft and formally present it to the other regions to seek further input and dialogue, with the hope of arriving at a statement that would represent a broader consensus.
Therefore we are proposing the following statement for consideration: We strive to be a community of believers marveling at God’s amazing grace as shown to us in Christ Jesus, living in obedience to the Word of God and urging people everywhere to repent and be reconciled to God.
Below is also a short glossary of listing some of the key words and thoughts behind choosing this wording.
Commentary:
“strive” cp. Psalm 63:1 “…earnestly I seek you…”
“community” cp. Eph. 3:6 “…members together of one body…”
“believers” cp. 1 John 3:23, 24 “ …this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him..”
“marveling” cp. 2 Thess. 1:10, “on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.”
“obedience” cp. Mt. 7:21 “ Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
“Word of God” cp. 2 Tim. 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”
“repent” cp. Luke 13:3 “But unless you repent, you too will all perish”
“urge , reconcile” cp. 2 Cor. 5:20b “We implore you on Christ’s behalf:
‘Be reconciled to God’ ”.
We are planning to email this letter to each of the EMMC regions, Regional Reps, as well as posting this draft (along with the glossary) on the http://www.gomissin.ca in the same manner that the original statement was handled. We would invite you to discuss and critique the statement, offer suggestions or changes, etc., and passed on to your Regional Reps, would in turn bring it back to General Council. We would also appeal to the General Board to invite the newly formed Theology Committee to examine this statement, along with all correspondence coming forth, and ask for this committee to critique the wording and respond to the General Council.
We recognize the importance of a “Mission Statement” that clearly states our purpose and one that will guide staff and councils in be faithful in giving leadership to the EMMC churches.
Region 1 Chair
Dean Huber
Dean, now I am confused as to process. Do we process two parallel statements and then vote for a preference? Probably divisive. Do we abandon the earlier process and begin with a new draft? We could do this, but would it not then be better to draft a statement together as a place to start rather than one region proposing a statement? What I hear in the draft you propose is a sub-text of assumptions based on a particular reading – a particular hermeneutic – of the New Testament. FIne really, we all come with our particular lenses. Maybe the task is to unpack those hidden layers? Your perception of those same layers in the earlier statement is probably why you are now coming with your own draft statement.
The kinds of questions that would help us get to basics:
What is the Gospel?
What is the connection between Gospel and the Kingdom?
How do we talk about sin in a culture where shame is replacing guilt in awareness of personal need?
Another good one, that we have been wrestling with here in a variety of ways, is really helpful. What does it mean to be “in” but not “of” the world? Its too easy to live our lives in silos these days – yet Jesus was “among” the lost more than he was in the synagogue.
Again, I may sound like a broken record, but a mission statement should be concise and memorable. If you can’t repeat it then you don’t know it. While there may be nothing theologically wrong with it I find the new statement wordy and somewhat difficult to follow.
What is it this statment really trying to say? We value Fellowship, (community of believers), Worship (marveling at God’s amazing grace), Discipleship (living in obedience to the Word of God) and Mission (urging people everywhere to repent and be reconciled to God). In other words Believe, Belong and Follow (in maturity and mission) which is exactly where we started.
As our own church mission statement says: Exalt God, Embrace one another, equip for service and extend the kingdom. Four easy to remember words that all start with E and outline our mission – taken from the great commandment (Exalt and Embrace) and great commission (Equip and Extend).
A mission statmement doesn’t have to say everything. Just figure out the key biblical emphasis and state them in a simple and memorable way.
It hit me this morning as I finished reading Al Roxburghs newest book, that to move forward strongly in these times any group that is widely dispersed will have to focus on something other than theology. I had not made the connection until today, but one strong shift in post-Christendom is from believing before belonging, to belonging then believing. Our mission statement should reflect that priority. If we try to work at theology first, and particularly if we try to do that given our cultural diversity, we will likely fragment further.
Stephen, really like your mission statement
Len, please elaborate on the believing-belonging shift. I think we’re talking about two different kinds of “belonging”.
In an earthly sense we are all “children of God” in that we are all created by him. In a spiritual sense, as Jesus tells us in John 1:12, only those who receive him and believe in his name are given the right to become children of God. In this second sense then, there is no belonging before believing.
Is the type of “belonging” you are referring to then an invitation to those who do not yet believe to join in the life of a congregation as much as they can without believing in hope that they will come to believe?
I take “believe, belong and follow” to mean we place an emphasis on worship, fellowship and discipleship (which includes both growing and going – equipping and extending).
I do understand what Len is saying. Traditionally the normal path for most Christians has been that you go to church, accept Christ, find a place to fit in/make friends and then you grow and get equipped for service and mission.
These days people sometimes want to make friends and fit in before coming to church and accepting Christ. I knew a couple who joined one of the church’s small group because they were friends with the people in it. They attended that group for a long time before finally coming to Christ and then they started coming to church.
I agree with Michael that these are different types of belonging. I don’t think non-Christians can really enter into true fellowship with believers because they do not share the same vision/mission/core values. As I understand it, true belonging or fellowship includes freindship, membership, partnership and kinship. It is being joined as part of the body with Christ as the head.
That is what I am understanding the word belong to be. It is much deeper than just freindship or fitting in. Therefore it must follow believing (salvation) and is a prerequisite to following (discipleship).
I am thinking of the frame Stuart Murray offered in “Church After Christendom,” and of course there are some complexities here – he devotes a chapter to the discussion
But in short – Michael, yes, we can belong to a group before we believe, but we cannot belong to Christ before we believe. Stephen, yes – in our experience in Metro many wanted to belong before they would really hear our confession. In a way, they were testing the waters. Did our “beliefs” impact the way we lived together? Everyone has something to sell these days and trust is low. At the same time, it is amazing how much in common we can have with people at the level of shared humanity. Belonging reaches perhaps deeper than we sometimes know. I am thinking of Peter Block here (COmmunity – The Structure of Belonging).
Peter Block..
“Community as used here is about the experience of belonging. We are in community each time we find a place where we belong. The word belong has two meanings. First and foremost, to belong is to be related to and a part of something. It is membership, the experience of being at home in the broadest sense of the phrase… The opposite of belonging is to feel isolated and always (all ways) on the margin, an outsider.
“One goal in exploring the concepts and methods of community building in this book is to increase the amount of belonging or relatedness that exists int he world. Experiencing this kind of friendship, hospitality is not easy or natural in the world we now live in.
“The second meaning of the word belong has to do with being an owner: Something belongs to me. To belong to a community is to act as a creator and co-owner of that community. What I consider mine I will build and nurture. The work, then, is to seek in our communities a wider and deeper sense of emotional ownership; it means fostering among all of a community’s citizens a sense of ownership and accountability.
“Belonging can also be thought of as a longing to be. Being is our capacity to find our deeper purpose in all that we do. It is the capacity to be present, and to discover our authenticity and whole selves. This is often thought of as an individual capacity; but it is also a community capacity. Community is the container within which our longing to be is fulfilled. Without the connectedness of a community, we will continue to choose not to be…”
I think we need a new thread here to adequately discuss the meaning of the word ‘belong”. I think in a superficial ‘making friends’ sense then of course non-believers can find a place. However, the word ‘belong’ as we would want to use it in the mission statement means so much more than that. It embraces the deepest level of fellowship which can only be shared between believers.
2Co 6:14-15 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
I believe one of our goals as Christians is to find true community which implies a deep sense of connectedness to one another. There is a reason we do not accept non-believers into membership in our local churches. It is because they are not on the same page we are – they are not coming from a place of submission to the headship of Christ and the guiding of the Holy Spirit. It is this sense of oneness in Jesus that promotes unity and drives and empowers biblical community.
Eph 4:3-6 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit– just as you were called to one hope when you were called– 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Done – new thread opened
I sense some disconnect from a greater narrative that we Gentiles have been grafted onto. “Shalom” ought to be as foreign to us by now, as is ‘YHWH” or “Jesus”, or even words like “fruit of the spirit”. Who the heck knows what those things really mean? We hear preachers talk about sanctification, glorification, justification…all as though new attenders should know what is meant by them…and we are picking apart a foundational biblical concept of the very thing God wishes for all humanity? Let’s get rid of Jubilee too then…since we don’t use these words any more, let’s just never deal with them at all…I think we often deceive ourselves into believing that we are people with our very own special story, one which begins and ends whenever we choose. If the church is not found within the OT narrative, then it is not the church of Jesus of Nazareth (and who really knows if that place actually exists
I would suggest we find as many words for the Shalom peace that the bible imagines, from as many languages as possible, and maybe include those…or at least the ones who might take most offence if theirs is not included. I realize I’m being facetious here…I know, not always helpful. But where do we draw our story from? The God of both testaments. This also means that the Hebraic narrative is part of our very own, and this means its language is not entirely “foreign” to us, but they hold very significant meaning within the greater story. I would be disappointed if the word is cast out because it doesn’t offer that “marketing hook”, as if that’s what the church has been reduced to. I would say, let’s not even consider trendy, catchy phrasing, but let’s capture a faithful witness to the God of true peace…Shalom to all!