Mission Statement

At a church board meeting last week I noticed the church's mission statement, or "Statement of Purpose" as it says. "South Flint Church of the Nazarene exists to exalt the name of our Lord Jesus Christ through worship, evangelism, and obedience to the living Word of God."

Over the last few weeks the idea of vision has been on my mind. I've never really been in a situation where I've needed a vision for more than just my life before now, so I'm in the beginning stages of figuring that out. But I think before you can create a vision you need to know what you're purpose is, in other words, what is your own personal mission statement?

As I sat waiting for this meeting to start I began to think about a mission statement for life, a personal mission statement. I've narrowed it down to three words: LIVE, PREACH, GLORIFY.

LIVE in the Spirit, Galatians 5.22-25

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."

PREACH the gospel of Jesus, 2 Timothy 4.1-8

"I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing."

GLORIFY the Father, Philippians 2.1-11

"Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

LIVE, PREACH, GLORIFY

Peace be with you