Not long ago, we wrote, “The most effective churches are able to wrap all of their “ministries” up in the blanket of a great church mission statement” on our blog. If that post inspired you to revamp (or totally rewrite) your church’s mission statement, congratulations––you’re on the right path!
We also encouraged you to revisit that mission statement after some time had passed. This is because as your church grows, your mission statement should still be the “blanket” wrapped around your ministries. But the connection between your mission and your everyday faith doesn’t stop there: in order to make real use of your church mission statement, you need to find ways to bring it to the surface of your church’s communications and messages. You need to be the catalyst that reminds the church of the blanket that makes you all feel warm and safe!
To help you do this, we’ve brainstormed 4 new ways that you can use your awesome church mission statement in your role:
4 New Ways to Use Your Church Mission Statement
Find Your Keywords
You should be able to boil your mission statement down to 3-5 words that you consider the heart of your mission. Maybe these are “service,” “growth,” “hope,” and “connect.” Or whatever works for your church. Use these words as cornerstones for the other messages and projects your church communications team creates!
For example: turn to them for inspiration. Maybe you want to help your pastor focus a sermon series on “service.” No matter what type of service this is (volunteering, tithing, or missions), you’re always rooting your messages in the word service. Your congregation might not immediately make the direct connection to your mission statement, saying, “Oh look, it’s one of our mission’s keywords.” But, over time, they will hopefully take away a more concrete and inspired feeling toward service by the end of the series. And that’s how you turn church mission statements into an actionable movement.
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You don't have to use all 4 words or concepts together all the time just because they're all in your mission statement. You can use them as separate points of inspiration and ideas or mix and match just a few. |
Give Your Keywords a Home
There’s a reason the homepage of your website is called your homepage. This is where your visitors go to see all of the things your church could teach them––from a blog or service opportunities to the latest sermon on video. This page is the home of your content and the home of your church, so it only makes sense that your mission would live here too.
Incorporate your keywords into the main messaging on your homepage. Fellowship Church does a great job of this. Their mission statement is, “To reach up, reach out, and reach in.” This ties together seamlessly with the first photo and caption on their homepage slider:
This is a great example of noticeable but simple connections between the mission statement and the website.
But many churches fall into the trap of trying too hard to incorporate these words. For instance, you probably shouldn’t use your keywords as the main buttons on your site navigation menu. If I'm new to your website, is it obvious what information could be under, "Believe,” "Grow," or “Serve?” If your site nav menu is not super clear, you’re creating a lackluster and confusing experience for your visitors.
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Use your keywords and all over your website––but make sure you don’t start to sound like you’re speaking in code. |
Tie Your Keywords to Your Campaigns
If your church has a mission, you're most likely using tithes and giving to further that mission. Tithing is an essential way to participate in what God is doing through your church family. It’s also the support system that keeps the church living, breathing, and paying its mortgage on time. To help power your online giving or seasonal campaigns, you can use your mission statement in exciting ways to remind your church why their gift is so important to the success of your mission.
Red Rocks Church does a wonderful job of this, simply in the naming of their online giving. The church’s mission statement is, “To connect with God, connect with others, and connect others with God.” And their online giving portal is called iConnect. How perfect is that repetition to remind those thinking of donating at how it strengthens the church?
Talk It Up
What’s the difference between a “chatty Cathy” and a motivational speaker? The listener’s love for the topic. Your church loves your mission. Your church is committed to their faith, knowing Jesus better, and building a warm community. Your members want to feel supported by each other and comfortable in this safe space. So why aren’t you talking more often about the mission statement that helps to bind you all together?
You should be placing it on pre-service slideshows, letterhead, in your bulletin, and on any PR messages. Put it in front of people so that they can identify with it more concretely, and get the conversation started. You are the fuel that gets this engine going.
Your pastor will be one of the best sources for helping you deepen your church’s appreciation for the mission statement. Think of your pastoral team like a megaphone: they can help you make your church’s mission and keystones more real and relevant. Ask if the mission statement can be included in sermons, planning future series, and in the way the pastor talks more generally about the core mission of the church. Don’t be afraid to say you want the mission statement spoken about -- loud and proud.
