What Can We Learn From a Chile Relleno?

During a recent trip to the Southern Baptists of Texas annual meeting in San Antonio, I took the opportunity to eat at one of my long-time favorite restaurants, Mi Tierra.  Actually, I took the opportunity to eat at several of my long-time favorite restaurants, but we won't go there.

At the end of a wonderful meal, which for me was the Poblano Dinner, our waiter asked if he could take a moment to share the mission statement of the Cortez family, who founded the restaurant in 1941.  I can't remember it verbatim but it had to do with glorifying God by providing excellent food, service, and atmosphere.  He shared the mission statement with pride and enthusiasm.

My dining party was 4 guys who have the same ministry as mine.  We work for regional networks of Baptist churches, assisting those churches as ministry partners.  As we prepared to depart the restaurant, we wondered aloud how many members of the churches we work with could recite with pride and enthusiasm their own church's mission statement. How many church leaders could do it?  How many of those churches even have a mission statement?

Someone once said, "If you aim for nothing, you'll probably hit it."  What is your church or ministry organization aiming for?  What is the mission that God has given you?  And how will you achieve it? 

You see, the Cortez family could have simply said they wanted to glorify God in their restaurant.  That's a pretty decent mission and about as far as most churches go with their own mission statements.  But, they didn't stop there.  The put some specific markers in place (a vision statement) for how they would achieve their mission. 

So what can we learn from a chile relleno?  You tell me.

With an eye on the Harvest,

Gerry

A Missional Surprise

I had the opportunity a few days ago to catch up with a long time pastor friend who I haven't seen in a few years.  It was great to hear about what the Lord is doing in his life and in the church he has pastored for the past 23 years.

In the course of the conversation, he told me about several upcoming mission trips that his church is planning.  He also told me about how they have really embraced the idea of being "on mission" in their own community.  He said, "It is amazing how the church's buying into the idea of being on-mission, has eliminated most of the little squabbles over things that don't really matter."

As one who often gets to see the results of both church members and ministry leaders behaving badly, I have come to a pretty firm conclusion: churches who truly embrace the concept of being on-mission don't have a lot of time for petty squabbles.

The opposite is also true: churches who spend all their emotional capital being inwardly focused and conflicted over eternal things like the color of the carpet or musical preferences usually don't have much energy left to focus on being on-mission for Christ.

I love the term "missional", but not so much as a technical term of a certain kind of church.  My definition of "missional" is a congregation that is deliberately on-mission for Christ.  The unexpected surprise of being on-mission is what happens to conflict.  It tends to die from starvation when the focus is our mission.  When the focus is dealing with our conflict, the conflict may consume the mission.

So, here's the question for today:  What would it take for you, personally, to focus on being on-mission for Christ?  What would it take for your church or ministry organization to really focus on the mission?  Who can be your partner is seeking that focus?

With an eye on the Harvest,
Gerry