Mission and Method in Every Conversation

So you're starting to understand the difference between a church's mission and a church's methods. But what are you supposed to do with that? How and where does it show up?  

Well, you're in luck because today I'm talking about how Mission and Method show themselves in every church meeting you have.  

So, stick around because help is on the way. The Church Helper Podcast starts right now!

 INTRO

Hey there, and welcome to another edition of the Church Helper Podcast. We're here to help churches make every decision on purpose, so they can reach their communities with the message of Jesus.

And today, we're going to talk about how Mission and Method show themselves in every church meeting you have, from your staff and elders' team to your youth volunteers. 

 But before we start, if you're not sure what I'm talking about when I mention Mission and Method, hit pause on this podcast, and go back and check out episode one; it's the foundation you'll need for today's conversation.

HOW MISSION AND METHOD SHOW THEMSELVES

So, we know that your mission is your purpose, and the method is how you're accomplishing it. But something you need to identify in every meeting is how each one manifests itself during a conversation. 

When I meet with churches to discuss mission and method, I'll start by listing a series of ministries or traditions that happen in that church, and I'll ask the group if they think that thing is a mission or a method of the church.  

 For example, I'll ask:  

Is your Sunday morning service a mission or method?  

How about your music ministry?  

How about preaching or Sunday School?'

What about your fundraisers or your mid-week group?

 These are always tricky conversations because almost immediately, people start to get uncomfortable. Usually, it's not because they don't know the answer, but because the correct answer can sometimes bring them to a place they don't want to go.  

 So, let's choose Sunday School as our test case. If I were to ask "is Sunday School the Mission, or a Method," your instinct should be to say "Method," because the mission is to teach kids about Jesus, and Sunday School is a way, or a how, it happens.  

But you might feel like if you say "it's a method," it could lead people to think, "we don't need to have a Sunday School." 

And if you did think that, I think you would be correct. 

Now. You might want a Sunday School. And you might have a great one, and that's awesome! But is Sunday School Mission Critical to the church? I don't think it is. 

And I'm going to explain why. But first, let me preface this by saying I've spent 15 years in Youth and Family Ministry, and I love Sunday School.  

 A FIRST STEP

Here's something simple you can do right away.   

Either pause right now, or after you're done with today's episode, find your church's mission statement. Sometimes a church will use an excerpt of scripture as its mission statement like the Great Commission, and sometimes the church will create its own. Mission statements can sound like this:

"Knowing Jesus and Making Jesus Known"

"Love God, Love People, Make Disciples" 

"People Helping People Follow Jesus."  

 Now that you've got your mission statement ask this question. 

"Do we need a Sunday School to accomplish this Mission?" 

And pretty quickly, you realize that the answer is no. 

Sunday School might be a great way to accomplish that mission, but it's only one way.  

If you didn't have a Sunday School, but your Sunday service taught children to be disciples of Jesus, or you had a dedicated mid-week program, or you had a learning plan for families to use at home, you'd still be accomplishing your mission.  

And that's the tricky part. If you were to ask this question of most of your church ministries, would the outcome be the same?  

Would those ministries be the mission or a method? If you were honest with yourself, the answer to that question most of the time is going to be "a method."

THAT’S HOW QUICKLY IT SHOWS UP

This is how Mission and Method make their way into every church meeting you have and why it's so important to identify the difference right away. In most meetings, you're almost always talking about a method, but you're not always talking about your mission. And this happens very often in the church because sometimes we take the mission for granted. 

 Often, we have long conversations discussing the ins and outs of a method without first reminding everyone what the mission is. 

 So, the next time you're in a meeting, whether it be with your elders or your staff or volunteers, here's your challenge.

Pull out your mission statement and read it. And then, filter every conversation through the question: "Is what we're talking about mission-critical."

 If this is a new practice, some people might see it as passive-aggressive, or rude or even a little snarky because they might think you're just trying to get your way - or your method. But you're not, so make sure you explain why you're doing it; you could even use this podcast as a reference. Because starting every meeting with your mission, will help you every single time.  

In fact, by not asking this question regularly, you risk going off-mission altogether and having your ministries turn into things that you like instead of things that have a purpose.  

 MISSION DRIFT

And when you only talk about your methods, you end up with what's called "Mission Drift." And mission drift is the church killer because when you drift from your mission, you're drifting away from God's plan for your church.

 So, how can you avoid Mission Drift? Well, you can start by making sure you identify the mission and method in every conversation you have, and then you can tune into next week's podcast to find a little more. 

REACH OUT! 

If you're a church staff member or volunteer, and you're not sure how to make your conversations more mission-focused, feel free to reach out to us for a quick chat. We're always happy to help churches make every decision on purpose, so they can reach their communities with the message of Jesus.

 If you enjoyed today's podcast, please subscribe so you don't miss the next one and sign up for our email list. 

Thanks for engaging with the Church Helper Podcast. I'll talk to you again real soon!