Purpose Based Decisions

By Doug Franklin August 18, 2010

As the new ministry year kicks-off many of us are working on our purpose statements. We want a clear purpose for our ministry and for our lives. We have a desire to be intentional and make sure we are not wasting time. Purpose statements and mission statements tend to be wall posters, you know, the stuff we hang up in the fall so that everyone feels like we have a plan for the year. Many times we can’t remember the statement by Christmas. The reason I think we forget our statement is because we don’t make a lot of decisions based on it. Instead, we do the same events and programs we did the year before. If you want to see change, make decisions based on your purpose statement. Here are a few ideas that might help.

1. Good fit
Make sure you can articulate how each event and program fits into the purpose statement.

2. Only make one change per year
I see many youth ministries start over and try and change everything in one year. Be careful, I think you can only change one or maybe two things a year. It takes your adults, parents, and students time to accept and absorb change.

3. Over communicate
Most youth workers don’t get this, but you have to say things 7 times before people get it and 27 times before they accept it. Help your adults and students get the purpose of your ministry by repeating yourself until it makes you sick and you can’t stand to say it one more time…then they might be getting it.