Mission, Vision, and Values | Paul Israelson

 In Ministry, we talk quite regularly about our mission, with most of our mission statements being some variant of the Great Commission!

We also talk about “Vision”. We ask questions such as, “What is our vision?” and “What do we want to accomplish?”.

Lately, however, in much of my reading, I have been struck by the topic of “values”. One might even say that I have undervalued values. Guy Stratton defines values as, “enduring beliefs about what things ought to be done or how they should be accomplished.” Values define what is right or important to each of us; they serve as guidelines for our choices and actions.

So what are they?

Your mission explains your “why” and speaks to your overall purpose. Your vision explains your “where” helping to direct the church to accomplish its purpose. Your values explain your “how” which helps guide your church's decisions along the way of fulfilling your mission.

To illustrate, I have been on a mission to share the love of Jesus with our neighbours (my why). I have a vision of using our home, especially our backyard, for hosting our neighbours and getting to know them(my where). To do this, I am guided by values (how) to provide a positive experience to my neighbours.

-      I value relationships with my neighbours by building friendships.

-      I value hospitality by making people feel welcomed, and providing refreshments and comfort.

-      I value ambiance by having a well-cared-for area (deck, fire pit, lawn) that is enjoyable to be in.

-      I value safety by making sure no hazards, dangers, or harm could come to our guests.

Now, these values guide HOW I accomplish my mission of sharing the love of Jesus with those around me. While these values are important in and of themselves, it is also important that they are ordered by importance. If I value ambience (a nice space) more than I value relationships, I might never want to have people walk on my grass or sit on my deck because they could leave a mess.

So for the church, firstly, we need a clear mission or purpose. If we don’t know why we exist, then we soon will no longer have a reason to exist. We need a clear mission that is kept in front of us. We also need a vision of the future that is compelling and that drives us from where we are to where we want to be.

The PAOC has 5 core values listed on our national website. As a district, we are doing some work in alignment with these values to help shape how we fulfill our respective mission and vision of seeing healthy churches and healthy leaders.

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In late 2022, when I was in Zimbabwe, I noticed that the church I visited had a series of scrolling slides listing their mission statement and each of the values of their fellowship (PAOZ). Later, upon visiting a Village of Hope school, up on the wall hung a banner listing the same mission statement and core values of the PAOZ. This message was always kept in front of their people.

When it comes down to it, your values determine your culture. When people say, “We don’t do that here” it’s because of values (either spoken or unspoken).

If you’re having trouble shaping the culture of your church try clarifying and repeating your values. For example, if you’re installing new protection policies for your kids' department remind your team, “We value a safe environment for our kids and we value a good reputation in the community so we’re going to train our leaders and ensure we take attendance to do all we can to ensure a safe place.” By both clarifying and repeating your values, you will encourage your team to get on board and believe in your values.

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Whether you know it or not, your church has its own values. Values that have been created over time whether spoken about or not. However, if you really want to shape the culture of your church, let your values be those that are communicated and referred to often.

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