In the last several Equipper articles we considered the importance in life and ministry to establish a clear mission and vision. The goal is not to simply have an engaging statement but to build a strategic plan based on the mission and vision. This is often where mission and vision statements fail. 

Do you have clear vision for your life? How about your church? Once you have a clear understanding of the Biblical mission of the church you are ready to build your vision. Vision must above all else reflect the biblical mission. 

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.