What Is a Mission and Vision Statement and How Are they Different?
One of the more confusing topics I see in the church world is around the topic of a mission and vision statement. Many will use them interchangeably and some will not use them at all. I want to take a few minutes to help clarify what they are, how they are different, and why they are important. What is a mission and vision statement? The important thing to keep in mind when wrapping your brain around these statements is the questions they answer. The mission statement (sometimes called purpose statement) answers the why question. Why does our church exist? Because God designed the church and empowered it by the Holy Spirit to accomplish His purposes on earth, many mission statements will sound very similar. You might see a statement like, "We exist to produce fully devoted disciples of Jesus who make other disciples." This statement, which is common in a lot of churches in some form or another, clearly communicates why that church ...
