Recently, several small group leaders and I made a commitment to develop personal mission statements. We worked individually at developing a statement describing how we desire to live our lives each and every day. At a later date, we met again to share our statements. We spun a gun (a neon green and orange water pistol) in the middle of the table to determine who would share their statement next - an action mimicking the pressure faced by many Christian martyrs. Somewhat nervously, we all took turns proclaiming our statement of faith and purpose from memory and at gunpoint. The result was remarkable. Each public declaration was the evidence of hours spent soul searching and prioritizing, and although many of the statements were short and simple, their brief simplicity packed a powerful punch. Personally, the process made me accountable about how I spend my time and what possible effect my words and actions could have on others.
This month, ask your small group to commit to the process of developing individual mission statements. Spend some time discussing the importance of a personal mission statement. Then, offer some ideas on how to write it. A couple of good resources can be found at http://www.successnet.org/articles/mission130.htm or http://www.successnet.org/topten/TTMission.htm. Encourage those who already have a personal mission statement to reevaluate it and prayerfully consider if any changes or enhancements need to be made. Set a date for everyone to say his or her mission statements by memory. During that meeting, after everyone has had a chance to share, ask the group these questions:
- Describe the steps in the process of writing your personal mission statement. What did you find easy? What did you find difficult? Why?
- In what ways has the process of writing your personal mission statement changed the way you live?
- 1 Peter 3:15 says to, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." How does having a personal mission statement fulfill this command?
- How do you think making a proclamation of your life's mission will affect your personal outreach?
Remind your group to keep their statement where they will see it every day. Consider pairing up as accountability partners. End your time together by having each person pray for boldness and courage in living out his or her personal mission statement. Remember to refer to these powerful proclamations in future meetings.
