Missions for Mantras

I think we need to abandon mission statements. Half of them are recycled from Saddleback, Willow Creek or North Point anyway. But even worse, no one can remember them and they only make sense to the pastor. They sound like they were written by lawyers.

Mission statements are like sand-bags on a hot air balloon. They’re great at keeping the church grounded, but if you want to take off, they don’t contribute very much.

Here’s what I think: we should eliminate mission statements altogether and replace them with mantras. Mantras are one to five, maybe six, words that define the church’s purpose. They’re memorable. They incite passion. And they’re active, not passive. They look great on a shield. If you can’t tattoo it on your forearm, it’s too long.

Comments

[tony sheng]

i can rattle off three or four of Mosaic's mantras still after hearing them 5 years ago. and i live 3000 miles away.

[Terrace Crawford]

I agree. Gimme your best mantra. Lets say you planted another church... what would the mantra be?

[Ben Arment]

well, i don't have one for myself. But i love symphonic church's "Love God. Love People. Prove it"

[ryan guard]

I'm with you on this one.

There's nothing compelling about two sentences that were mushed together using five keywords. I like the symphonic line, and the fellas at Mars Hill in Michigan have some great "shared values" that encompass the whole enchilada. But they also have a mission statement- but it doesn't say anything about fellowship, evangelism, worship, discipleship, ministry, or "the whole world".

[perrin]

don't know what your book is about, but i hope you're putting this in it. with all the books that tell us to have mission statements, there needs to be someone out there telling us to have mantras.

[J. Cardinell]

Ben, there is an article in Fast Company this month about slogans that sounds somewhat similar to what you are saying....

[Mark Herring]

I agree. Phil Pringles Church in Australia have three words for theirs, 'Save, Disciple, Empower.' They also have a cultural mantra, 'Bright, Relevant, Powerful.'

[Nick Blevins]

How timely considering our staff is having discussion about this right now, and will continue that discussion in staff meeting about an hour from now.

[Ben Arment]

If Braveheart wouldn't shout it... keep re-writing. =)

[chad mccallum]

our mantra...

we exist to develop and deploy non-religious followers of jesus

we also don't have values, we have core elements...

[Ben Arment]

chad, rework that for a shield. what would it sound like as a tattoo?

[Chris]

Guy Kawasaki deals with this idea in "The Art of the Start"

The mantra of our church plant is "Love Beyond Reason" We have that up on billboards and everything. People here in the city have heard of it...even if they don't go to our church.

[jason]

i agree on the mantra vs. statement thing.

at our new church, we have a mission "to go & make disciples who love God & people" but have found ourselves saying the phrase, "change the story" a lot.

would that qualify as a mantra in your book mr. arment?

[Ben Arment]

yessiree Jason. that's brilliant.

[Jason]

in morgantown. for morgantown.

[Adam]

Great stuff. Maybe my church will rethink the statement they just spent a month crafting.....

[Peter Carino]

Our church (Pasadena Foursquare) "slogan" (a Foursquare term) is" Worshipping Jesus Together.

Peter Carino

[Clayton Bell]

Ben FTW. Preach this one from the rooftops!

[matholemu]

Love God. Love People. Do Something About It.

[Edgar Cabello]

Love God. Love People. Love Life
www.southgate.cc

[Adrian Crawford]

Great Post Ben!

[Mike Rowell]

Ours is:

faith|love|hope|together

[Ben]

amazing how the great commandment has taken over mantras. Love it!