Chapter 1 · 60 min
The Mission Came First
Big idea
Jesus never improvised His purpose. Every decision, invitation and refusal traced back to one clearly held mission.
Session objectives
- ◆State the mission of your organization in one sentence, from memory
- ◆Identify decisions currently made without reference to the mission
- ◆Distinguish mission from activity, programs and tradition
Opening question
If we stopped every program tomorrow, what would still have to happen for us to say we did our job?
Discussion questions
- 1.Where did our current mission statement come from, and who still uses it?
- 2.Name a recent decision the mission actually settled. Name one it did not touch.
- 3.What are we doing purely because we have always done it?
- 4.Could a new volunteer describe our mission after one month here?
Group exercise
One-sentence mission draft
- 1Each person writes the mission in one sentence, alone, without notes (4 min)
- 2Read them aloud without commentary and post them on the wall
- 3Circle the words that appear in most versions; underline what only one person said
- 4Draft a single combined sentence the whole group can repeat
Commitment before next session
Before the next meeting, take one recurring activity and write down which part of the mission it advances. If you cannot, bring it to the team for a decision.
JOI categories addressed
Mission ClaritySpiritual Dependence
Facilitator note: open with the question, keep discussion to half the session, and end with every participant naming their commitment aloud.