Simple but Hard -- Part 2

Last week I wrote about keeping the “most important thing” the “most important thing.” That, of course, involves knowing, first of all, what the “most important thing” really is – and it’s easy to get side-tracked.

The mission statement for the Xerox corporation is as follows: “We create document technology and services that enable businesses to manage information more efficiently and effectively, whatever the situation.”

Well and good – except there’s nothing there about profit. Are they going to just create this technology, or will they try to sell it? As a stockholder, I want to know the company is “in it” to make money. I don’t consider the development of “document” technology a worthy charity.

Of course, we know Xerox IS in business to make money; it’s just not “polite” to say that too pointedly. Our society frowns on that. But leadership has to always be aware: “THIS is why we are here – to make money. Our business is profit, and If we’re not profitable, we’ll be out of business.”

Not only leadership, but every employee and supplier has to keep it in mind too. It’s one of the reasons the American automobile companies are in such a pickle. The industry lived far too long on past glory. It failed to be competitive, “thought” things would “turn around,” but forgot that if you keep doing the same things, you’re going to get the same results. Unions and employees forgot that a company that wasn’t making money couldn’t keep paying wages and benefits. And when you forget that – you’ll go out of business and frankly, deserve exactly what you get.

So how does all this apply to the Church? Last week I asked you to think about the Church’s mission. Your vision has to be biblical, short enough to remember, and comprehensive enough to cover everything.

What did you come up with?

Here’s mine – though it is not original with me, nor is it the only possibility. “The mission of the Church is to be Jesus on the earth, and bring the world to join us.”

Simple right? Yes, but very very hard. Next week, we’ll walk through the mission statement, look at its basis in Scripture, and see how it must drive every facet of “Church.”