Your business’s mission statement says a lot about what you value as a company and organization. With just a few words, you communicate your core values, practices, focus, and the reason behind what your organization is all about.
Why a Christian Mission Statement Matters for Your Business
For this reason, having a compelling yet simple mission statement can help attract potential clients, quality employees, and establish a great organizational culture that will set you apart from other companies and organizations. This can be especially challenging when crafting a mission statement that accurately reflects your Christian beliefs and ideals. When creating a Christian mission statement, it is vital to ensure that your statement is genuine and sincere to who you are.
Key Questions to Ask Before Writing Your Christian Mission Statement
Mission statements should not be aspirational or hopeful in nature. They should reflect who you are today and set the foundation for who you want to be. Before you get started with the brainstorming or writing process, you need to ask yourself a few key questions. Here is a list of questions that are essential as you begin to formulate your organization’s Christian mission statement:
Why Does Your Organization Exist?
You can talk all day long about what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it, but the why behind your existence will be the main thing that will draw people in and inspire people to buy in or be a part of what you are doing. Why does this organization exist? What is your purpose? Why does the world need this business and company? Being able to write down and vocalize your ‘why’ will be a central theme in your mission statement. You need to be able to explain in simple terms why your organization is essential. Your why will drive everything. Answering why your organization should be the first thing you do and will be a foundational piece to building a splendid Mission Statement.
What Is Your Story?
Facts and data can be a powerful tool for convincing people why something is important or why they should be a part of it. However, Stories are king when it comes to persuading and inspiring people to buy into what your company and organization are selling and offering. Story compels people into action. When you have a good story, people will see themselves in it and will want to partner with it. Every person has a story, and every organization has an origin story on how it began. Write down your organization and company’s story and use it as a building block to write your Mission Statement.
Who Is the Audience You Are Trying to Reach?
After answering the question of why you exist and what your story is, you then need to narrow down who your audience is. Who are you trying to draw in? What are you trying to impact? Who are you trying to help? Is your organization all about kids? Families? Men? Women? Specific groups of people? Your audience can be broad, encompassing everyone, or specific, such as a particular group of people. Regardless of who your target audience may be, you need to identify them and keep them in mind when crafting your mission statement. Writing a mission statement that speaks to parents with
their kids in school will be different than writing a mission statement for retired military veterans. Knowing your audience will help you select the appropriate language and words to convey your mission statement effectively.
What Key Bible Verses Drive What You Are Trying to Build?
As a Christian and faith-based organization, you will need bible verses that will communicate what you are all about. Is there a Bible verse that supports your “why” and your story? Was there a specific bible verse or bible story that inspired the birth of your company and business? You may have a few supporting Bible verses or stories, and that’s okay! The important thing is to know what those Bible verses are and have them readily available when you reach the writing phase or when crafting your Christian mission statement.
Tips for Writing a Strong and Faith-Centered Mission Statement
Keeping these answers to these key questions in mind, here are some practical tips on how to write your Christian Mission Statement:
Include a Group of People
Can you write a mission statement on your own? Sure. But you won’t get the best version or outcome on your own. You have limited perspectives, language, education, and experiences. Inviting a group of people to assist you will bring a broad spectrum of thoughts and information that will allow you to narrow down the best Christian mission statement. Try to keep the table to a maximum of 8 people. Too many voices and thoughts can muddy the conversation.
Brainstorm Everything and Don’t Say No to Anything
The brainstorming process can be messy, and that’s okay. The goal in this phase is to get all thoughts and ideas out on the table. Don’t discourage or mock anyone’s ideas. Create a safe space for people to feel comfortable sharing their ideas. Sometimes the best ideas come from the least likely sources, so remain open to them. Write everything down and don’t say no to any ideas. The goal here is to create an extensive list of potential ideas, concepts, and phrases.
Select Your Top Three Ideas and Begin Assembling Them
Once the brainstorming phase is completed, start to narrow down the best ideas, concepts, and sentences. This is the most challenging and time-consuming part of the process. Choose the three best ideas and start to formulate from there. Some of the ideas may mix well. You may choose parts from multiple statements and merge them into something new. This is the stage at which you need to narrow down the language and words you want to use to complete your Christian mission statement. Be specific, detailed, and nitpicky about everything. Say it out loud over and over again. Make sure it’s simple and easy to understand.
Take Your Time
Don’t rush the process. Once you’ve selected your top ideas and formulated the actual Christian mission statement, you may not like where you’re headed. It’s okay to go back to the drawing board and revisit the brainstorming phase. Your organization’s mission statement deserves the time and respect to get it right. Do not move on until you have something that you feel good about and that truly reflects who you are and where you are going. Once you’ve narrowed it down to your final statement, take a break and come back to it. If you feel good about it, great! You can then proceed to the final stage if you don’t become frustrated and continue working on it until it’s right.
Get Feedback from Multiple Sources
Getting feedback from multiple sources should be the last phase. Ask a diverse group of people for their opinions. Don’t just ask friends and family members. Ask strangers. Survey your target audience and ask them how the statement makes them feel and what comes to mind when they read the mission statement. Does it inspire them? Would this be an organization they would want to partner with or partake in? Write all the feedback down and use it as a framework to refine your statement.
Finalize Your Christian Mission Statement
Once you’ve received all the feedback, process the information and determine if any adjustments are needed. There may be some words you need to change. There may be a concept that needs to be updated. Someone may give you a fresh idea, and you may want to run with it and start the process over. At this stage of the process, you will write the final mission statement that will propel your organization and company forward.
Final Thoughts on Creating Your Christian Mission Statement
Writing a Christian mission statement for your company can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. By answering the questions above and following the steps, you can have fun crafting your Mission Statement and be confident knowing that it will reflect your values and inspire people to be a part of what you’re doing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions Christian employers might ask:
1. What is a Christian mission statement for a business?
A mission statement is a clear, concise declaration of your company’s purpose, values, and goals. A Christian mission statement is one intentionally written to reflect the faith and the biblical principles on which an organization is built.
Mission statements help guide business decisions and communicate your organization’s spiritual foundation both internally and externally.
2. Should I include Bible verses in my mission statement?
Yes, a Bible verse can be included in your Christian mission statement. Bible verses reinforce your spiritual values and connect your business’s purpose to your faith.
3. How long should a Christian mission statement be?
A good mission statement is typically one to three sentences long. A mission statement should be specific, straightforward, and memorable. You want to capture the essence of your organization’s values and goals without being vague or overly sentimental.
4. Can I revise my Christian mission statement later on?
Yes! It’s healthy to revisit your mission statement periodically to ensure it still aligns with your values, audience, and purpose. Just be sure that any updates remain faithful to your core beliefs and don’t compromise your integrity.
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