Family Mission Statement

A family mission statement brings you back to the BIG PICTURE which is so easily lost in the day to day struggle. We desperately need to see the bigger story that is being written if we are going to live these little stories with grace and endurance.

About 8 years ago I kept coming across authors and speakers who were all strongly encouraging me to write a family mission statement. I was resistant to the idea because at the time I only had one baby and because the whole idea of the three of us having a sentence or two that summed up our entire purpose and goal as a family unit seemed a bit over-kill and super intimidating. I understood why they worked well for business models but were they really necessary or helpful for families? I wasn't totally sold on the idea but figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. After some prayerful consideration this is what I came up with:

"In this family we desire to enjoy, demonstrate, and testify to the goodness of God and the wisdom of His design by joyfully living according to His Word."

Folks, it turns out this statement has been incredibly helpful to me! Part of what drew Ben and I to each other is our shared love of the family unit. We think it's one of God's best ideas and we are both passionate about loving our own family well and also helping other families to enjoy the blessings and benefits of a healthy, God-honoring family life! This blog/website eventually sprung from this mission. This short sentence also helps us when we are making decisions about which types of activities or ministries we want to be involved with. And this year, when I have often found myself weary of doing good, this mission statement keeps coming to my mind. Are the decisions I'm making right now helping to demonstrate and testify to the goodness of God and the wisdom of His design? Am I living according to His word? Am I doing it joyfully???

In truth, I am probably the only person in our family who ever looks at this statement which is framed in our dining room. My husband is in agreement with it and I should probably start discussing it with the kids more often but even if I am the only one who reads it and adjusts my course accordingly it is well worth it. A mom often sets the schedule and tone of the home-life and having a clearly defined goal is incredibly helpful on days when everyone is crying and every surface is sticky and you've lost sight of the big picture.

And that's really what it boils down to. A family mission statement brings you back to the BIG PICTURE which is so easily lost in the day to day struggle. We desperately need to see the bigger story that is being written if we are going to live these little stories with grace and endurance and so...I think you should give it a try too. As we get ready to begin a new year, why not sit down and prayerfully consider what BIG PICTURE goals and purposes He is calling your family to walk in? Family mission statements can be broad or more specific and can be adjusted over time so don't feel like you are locking yourself into something just because you write it down. Allow the gospel to be your jumping off point. Here are a few other questions that might help you begin:

1. What are we passionate about as a family?

2. What do I want our family to look like in 5 years? In 10 years?

3. If someone were to describe our family in 10 years, what would I want them to say?

4. Is there a specific scripture or ministry that we are drawn to as a family?

5. If we could only pass on one major truth/habit/passion to our children, what would we want that to be?

Psalm 139:24

lead me in the way everlasting