One Thing Every Pastor Should Have

Most churches have a mission statement or tagline to help the church stay focused on its purpose and mission.

Mission statements don’t reflect the church’s entire theology or philosophical position on every matter; it’s not a confession of faith. Instead they help articulate the trajectory of the mission so everyone in the church can be united around it and anyone can assess the church’s vital signs at a glance.

At both the churches we planted, we used the following three-point mission statement:

We exist to exalt Jesus Christ, edify his followers, and evangelize the world.

It’s simple and concise for the reasons I mentioned above.

In the church where we are members at the time of this update, the mission statement is:

All of Christ for All of Life

Every pastor’s objectives are going to be slightly different depending on the needs, the season, and the context of the congregation he pastors. But every pastor, being under the authority of Scripture and being sensitive to the Holy Spirit, should have objectives for the congregation.

Four objectives every church family might consider incorporating.

1. Aim for every follower of Jesus who attends your church to see his or her life as a stewardship of God’s grace lived out for his glory.
2. Aim for every follower of Jesus who attends your church to adopt your particular philosophy of discipleship.
3. Aim for every follower of Jesus who attends your church to see the church as a covenant community to which they are each committed and accountable to Jesus and to one another.
4. Aim for every follower of Jesus who attends your church to actually and intentionally join God in the renewal of all things.

What objectives do you have for your congregation or area of ministry?

Share your thoughts in the comments?