In Bible college, I was taught a fundamental principle for studying the Word of God. "If you want to understand a truth or principle of Scripture, go back to where it began and follow it." Establishing the Mission of the Church requires us to go back to the beginning of the church. Mission is not established by finding some "new" paradigm or a cultural expression.

Most churches have a purpose statement that is buried in their constitution. The statement often has the basic ingredients of a biblical mission statement. However, generally the statement is not articulated well and/or is not communicated clearly. Establishing and communicating the mission of the church is crucial to building a ministry that makes both a local and global impact.

Can you tell me what the mission of your church is? Do you know what the key points in your mission are? Most people can generalize, but few churches have a mission statement that most members can clearly articulate.

The birth of Jesus Christ into a family is a reminder to us ofthe importance of family. It also reveals much about the biblical model for the family.