Church Leadership
How to Write a Church Mission Statement That Actually Guides Decisions
Practical guidance for leading a small church well.
By Brent Lacy
Most small churches have a mission statement. Most of those mission statements are displayed on a wall, printed in the bulletin, and ignored in every actual decision the church makes. The mission statement says the church exists to make disciples. The church spends 80 percent of its energy maintaining programs for people who are already disciples. The disconnect is not unusual. It is the norm.
A mission statement that actually guides decisions is rare. It is also one of the most valuable things a church can have. When the mission is clear and the leadership is committed to it, every decision has a reference point. Does this program serve the mission? Does this budget allocation serve the mission? Does this hire serve the mission? The mission statement becomes a filter, not a decoration.
What a Mission Statement Is
A mission statement answers one question: why does this church exist? Not what it does. Not how it does it. Why it exists.
The answer should be specific enough to distinguish your church from every other organization in your community, and broad enough to encompass everything the church does. It should be short enough to memorize and clear enough to explain to a visitor in thirty seconds.
A mission statement is not a vision statement. A vision statement describes where the church is going. A mission statement describes why it exists. Both are useful. They are not the same thing.
A mission statement is not a values statement. A values statement describes how the church operates. A mission statement describes what it is for. Both are useful. They are not the same thing.
The Process for Writing a Mission Statement
Step 1: Start with Scripture
Every church’s mission is ultimately grounded in Scripture. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40), and Acts 2:42-47 are the most commonly referenced passages. Start by asking: what does Scripture say the church is for? This is not a rhetorical question. Spend time with these passages before you start writing.
Step 2: Ask the right questions
Before writing a single word, answer these questions as a leadership team:
- Who are we trying to reach? (Be specific. Not everyone. Who specifically?)
- What do we want to see happen in their lives?
- What does our community need that we are uniquely positioned to provide?
- What would be lost if our church ceased to exist?
Step 3: Draft, test, revise
Write a draft. Test it against real decisions. Does it help you decide whether to start a new program? Does it help you decide whether to hire a staff member? Does it help you decide how to allocate the budget? If the mission statement does not help you make decisions, it is not specific enough.
Step 4: Make it memorable
A mission statement that no one can remember is not guiding anything. Aim for one sentence. Fifteen words or fewer is ideal. If you cannot say it from memory after a week, it is too long.
Examples of Effective Mission Statements
These are examples of the kind of specificity that makes a mission statement useful:
- “We exist to make disciples of Jesus Christ in [town name] and beyond.”
- “Connecting people to God, to each other, and to the world.”
- “Reaching the unchurched in [county name] through authentic community and biblical teaching.”
- “Making and maturing followers of Jesus in the rural communities of [region].”
Notice what these have in common: they are short, they are specific about who the church is trying to reach, and they describe an outcome rather than an activity.
MinistryPlace has free resources for small church leaders including bylaws templates, board meeting guides, financial policy templates, and strategic planning tools.
How to Use the Mission Statement
Writing the mission statement is the easy part. Using it is harder. Here is how to make it stick.
Reference it in every board meeting. Start every board meeting by reading the mission statement. Before making any significant decision, ask: does this serve the mission? This practice keeps the mission in front of the leadership and creates a culture where the mission actually guides decisions.
Use it to evaluate programs. Every program the church runs should be able to answer the question: how does this serve the mission? Programs that cannot answer that question are candidates for elimination or redesign.
Use it in hiring. Every staff member and key volunteer should be able to articulate the mission and explain how their role serves it. If they cannot, they are not aligned with the church’s purpose.
Use it in the budget. The budget should reflect the mission. If the mission is to reach the unchurched, the budget should allocate significant resources to outreach. If the budget allocates almost nothing to outreach, the mission statement is aspirational rather than operational.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a church mission statement be?
One sentence, fifteen words or fewer. A mission statement that cannot be memorized is not guiding anything. If you find yourself writing multiple sentences, you are probably combining the mission statement with a vision statement or a values statement. Separate them.
How often should a church update its mission statement?
A mission statement should be stable. If you are rewriting it every year, it is not a mission statement. It is a slogan. That said, a mission statement that no longer reflects the church’s actual purpose should be updated. Most churches update their mission statement every five to ten years, or when there is a significant change in leadership or direction.
What is the difference between a mission statement and a vision statement?
A mission statement answers why the church exists. A vision statement describes where the church is going. The mission is stable. The vision changes as the church grows and develops. Both are useful. A church that has only a mission statement knows why it exists but not where it is going. A church that has only a vision statement knows where it is going but not why.
How do I get the congregation to embrace the mission statement?
Preach it. Reference it in every significant communication. Use it to explain decisions. When the congregation sees that the leadership actually uses the mission statement to make decisions, they will begin to internalize it. A mission statement that is only displayed on a wall will never be embraced. A mission statement that shapes real decisions will become part of the church’s identity.