People of Hope:
At our May 21 congregational meeting, among other agenda items, we will discuss and vote on the guiding principles and mission statement proposed by the transition team. Because the guiding principles and mission statement are an essential part of the Ministry Site Profile (MSP) that we will fill out in order to call a new pastor, their adoption at our congregational meeting is important.
You have hopefully already seen the proposed guiding principles, which are:
- We set our goals guided by God.
- We welcome all and respect diverse opinions.
- We deepen our spirituality and put our faith in motion.
The mission statement drafted by the transition team is:
Esperanza Lutheran Church creates authentic connections and a deep sense of belonging as a Christ-centered community.
While submitting an MSP complete with our guiding principles and mission statement is critical to calling a new pastor, the guiding principles and mission statement are important for other reasons.
Just as the transition team did, I invite you to watch the TED talk by Simon Sinek:
In his talk, Sinek lifts up the difference between organizations, businesses, and leaders who inspire action and those that may have a great product or do great work but don’t inspire people. He distinguishes between what an organization does, how an organization does it, and why an organization does what it does. For instance, in the church, what we do is gather in community for worship on Sunday and gather for study and service throughout the week. How we do this is a complex web of history, staffing, volunteering, and communicating. Neither what we do nor how we do it is the subject of our mission statement or the reason for our existence. Rather, God’s desire for Esperanza — the why — is to create authentic connections and a deep sense of belonging as a Christ-centered community.
If this mission statement is adopted, our every what and how will seek to create authentic connections and a deep sense of belonging as a Christ-centered community. Does worship create authentic connections, and if not, how could it? Does choir rehearsal engender a deep sense of belonging? Does Children of Hope Development Center create authentic connections; do our kids feel a deep sense of belonging, so important for their emotional and spiritual growth? How about all of our outreach projects, do they create authentic connections, among those who volunteer and between us and those who might benefit from our efforts?
As we allow our mission statement to inform what we do here and how we do it, we will inspire both this community and others in our larger community. God’s desire is not simply that people come to church on Sunday mornings, not even if we filled a stadium. God has way bigger dreams than that for us!
If you have questions about the proposed guiding principles or mission statement prior to the congregational meeting, please don’t hesitate to be in touch!
With joy,
Pastor Sarah