Transition Team: Mission Statement Work and Vote
Transition Team Update, Mission Statement Work and A Vote!
Thank you to everyone who has been able to participate in this chapter of the transition process. As a congregation we have been working on Mission–defining our purpose and identity going forward as a church. On August 10th we gathered to distill mission statements from our church covenant. Between the congregational discussion, an event at Southminster, and individual emailed responses we received many creative and powerful statements that reflected the diverse yet united dreams of our congregation. The passion of this community was felt in every word that you shared.
The next task was to form a small group of congregation members to take the master list of statements and identify common elements to pull together into some final options to bring to a vote. It is our hope that when you read through the mission statement options that you see yourself and this church in the words.
We are doing the vote differently this time. Instead of choosing just your favorite statement we ask that you take time and rank the options. By using this method of voting we can identify the option that most people will be happy with. We are a diverse community of believers and independent thinkers. With that, we all have our own opinions about faith and mission. The statements that have been created sprang from those diverse perspectives and reflect the common elements that have connected so many of us here in this place.
When you read the mission statement options there are several things to keep in mind.
First: A mission statement should be brief. It should be memorable.
Second: A mission statement should be accessible and easy for a child to understand.
Third: A mission statement speaks to our purpose as a church and our identity as a community. It should reflect our institutional values and our aspirations for the future.
Fourth: By nature, a mission statement can’t say everything. This is not a replacement to our covenant, but rather a shortened expression of the ideals found in that document.
How will we use our mission statement? A mission statement allows us to have a digestible way to tell prospective members who we are. It becomes something we can turn to in order to easily communicate our identity and our goals as a congregation. Our mission statement should act as a light, guiding us on our way. When we get overwhelmed or lost in the weeds of the day to day, our mission statement reminds us why we are here and why we keep showing up.
Finally: a caution and reassurance. A mission statement can change in the future. It is natural in the life of a church that the needs of the community and the world shift over time. So, the mission statement we choose today may stand for many years, or in a decade we might revisit. It is a part of being a living church, so don’t be afraid to be bold today.
We are including a link here to the online vote. You also can use a paper ballot that we handed out on the 21st and will be available at the church. Please put your name on your ballot and you can add it to the offering plate on the 28th. Also, please ensure that whichever of the voting methods you use that you get your responses to the transition team by the evening of September 28th.
We are also including this short video recorded by Carol Reid who served on the small group that assembled these options. It was included in the presentation on the 21st.