Purpose in Ministry
August 26, 2009I recently came across James Higginbotham’s site, Agile Ministry. He has some really great content on his blog for ministry leadership. In a recent post, he commented:
“I want to remind you that your team will need a vision. God says that where there is no vision, the people perish. This means that your vision must carry them through the tough times and the fun times. The vision needs to be God-given and something that people will rally around. If you define your team’s vision, share the vision with the team often, and remind them of the vision during the busy times, your team will continue to grow and be effective.”
Wow, this really made me think about my role as leader of our visual team. But I want to take it a step further. I really like how Roy Spence defines vision, mission, and purpose in his book It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For: Why Every Extraordinary Business Is Driven by Purpose
“Purpose is a definitive statement about the difference you are trying to make in the world. Purpose trumps mission and vision. Purpose is all you need to get everyone marching in the same direction. However, if you find that your organization still has an addiction to mission and vision statements, you should craft them in the context of your purpose. The mission is the core strategy that must be taken to fulfill your purpose - the marching orders given to the internal troops. While the vision might paint a picture of what it means to fulfill the purpose of the organization. It’s the imaginative conception or view of the world once your purpose has been fulfilled. If you’re going to write them, make them meaningful. Purpose provides that meaning.”
What’s your purpose? Why does your visual team exist? To do? To minister? To engage? Your ministry purpose should come from the church’s purpose - they are one and the same. Then use that purpose to craft your mission and vision, specifically as a visual team (or a worship team, or any other ministry for that matter).
