Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Mission and Vision: For non profits. The heart of the matter



Mission and or Vision? 
What comes first?
What is most important?


Read this post first: Then come back to my post! 


What's the difference between Vision and mission?


From Ministry Ventures website:  A complete discussion on this topic

Vision: The preferred future your organization wishes to bring about.
A good vision statement paints the picture of a preferred future. It helps people visualize the outcome. It lets everyone know there’s a problem that needs to be fixed and casts the vision for a time when the problem is solved.



Mission: The strategic focus your organization will employ in order to bring about it's preferred future. Your mission is what you do. 

A strong mission statement clearly describes the unique way your ministry is going to fix the problem. It says what you do and who you serve.
Your mission is what you do and your vision is what it looks like when it's accomplished.  
Great information for a  non profit!
  When you are checking out a non profit to invest in or volunteer with...does their Vision and Mission statement show on their home page?  If not, why not?
Are they clear on their vision and mission...or have they maybe unknowingly "drifted" from their mission?  

The best book I have read on the subject of Visions: Visioneering: God's Blueprint For Developing And Maintaining Vision.  

"What is a vision?
Where do they come from?
Visions are born in the soul of a man or woman who is consumed
with the tension between what is and what could be. Anyone who is emo-
tionally involved—frustrated, brokenhearted, maybe even angry—about
the way things are in light of the way they believe things could be, is a
candidate for a vision. Visions form in the hearts of those who are dissat-
isfied with the status quo."   P.17 of PDF   A PDF of 1st Chapter of the book

If we are NOT clear on our Vision and Mission Mission Drift occurs!

 How does this apply to individuals?

Are we clear on our individual mission?  Do we have a vision for our life?

If not, how do we know where we can be most effective in our financial giving and volunteering? 

If you are already clear on your Vision and Mission in life...go to my post on where to invest  your life:    How to Make Wise Choices in Your Financial Giving & Volunteering

 So if we are not currently clear on on Vision and Mission for life...how do we find it or develop it?

 We might start with looking at our Worldview. Everyone has one.

More on this: More on this;

Where does our worldview come from: 
"Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." Philipians 4:8 NLT 

What you think about is influenced by "The events you attend, the relationships you build, the materials you read or don't read, the music you listen to, the media images you're exposed to, the conversations you engage in, and the thoughts you entertain all shape your mind, and eventually your character and your destiny."
From The Word For You Today. By Bob and Debby Gass.  August 12, devotion. 

Also, we can look at our prior experiences, spiritual gifts, strengths, and abilities.
Don't forget your past volunteer experiences! Why did you volunteer where you did?

These all provide clues to help us in developing our vision and discovering where the Lord might want to use us in His plan for the world!

Again, so how do we develop our vision and mission for life?
Is it important?  

 As a believer in Jesus Christ and desiring to be a good steward and a faithful "follower" of Jesus on our way to glory...we can be a light for others to see the Truth.

At the end of our lives, I would like to say or have said, "I  have fought the good fight, I  have finished the course, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim. 4:7) 
 
"In his insightful and challenging book, The Call, Os Guinness defines our purpose as "the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion, dynamism, and direction lived out as a response to his summons and service" This perspective give meaning to every moment, and it challenges us to live with integrity in every choice and relationship because we represent God at all times."

" So, does this perspective inspire you to use every part of your day more effectively as God's servant, or does it threaten you because you realize some things in your life aren't what they should be? It should do both."

Taken from Daily Insights with Zig Ziglar and Dr Ike Reighard   January 29th

  A summary:  

Vision: The preferred future your organization wishes to bring about.
A good vision statement paints the picture of a preferred future. It helps people visualize the outcome. It lets everyone know there’s a problem that needs to be fixed and casts the vision for a time when the problem is solved.


Mission: The strategic focus your organization will employ in order to bring about it's preferred future. Your mission is what you do. 

A strong mission statement clearly describes the unique way your ministry is going to fix the problem. It says what you do and who you serve.
Your mission is what you do and your vision is what it looks like when it's accomplished.  
 So what should you do? Start each day by praying. 

Asking the Lord to give you wisdom, clarity and discernment in how to use your life to bring glory to Him. 

As Jesus said in Mark 12:30-31, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."

 ●"The Lord created each of us individually with different Spiritual Gifts, Passions, Abilities, strengths and a unique personality with different experiences.  Helping each other put the pieces of the seeming puzzle together so we each can be most effective in our families, church, community and the world and finish our lives well and leave a legacy that gives glory to the LORD so when we stand before Him one day, we will hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

So what's your Passion?

 

That may be the best clue to your vision and then mission in life!

 

  What is "Passion"?

 

  "Actually, passion is morally neutral. It is simply a strong feeling or deep longing for something." 

  "Passion is the God-given ability to feel so deeply about something that it causes us to move toward the object of desire. This passion stems from an urge given by God-a burden, an emotional response to a need or opportunity He wants us to move toward. It is not a feeling that we experience and then lose easily. It's persistent and powerful. We can't ignore it."   Discover Your Destiny by Bill & Kathy Peel  P. 77

 

 How our giving is an indication of our passion.

 

Have you found your Passion?

Have you found a good non profit where you can volunteer at...in your city?

Are they true to their mission?   Find out if they are and how you can help them stay "On Mission"

 

If you are already volunteering with a non profit...do you feel apart of their "TEAM"?

 

Do you know why you are here? Why God placed you where you are right now?

 
 

Clue to your passion! Type of people you link to work with!

 

Have you found peace in your journey?

 



A great book on Visioneering by Andy Stanley



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  More on Calling!

Your Calling, Purpose and Worldview

"There are things only you can do, and you are alive to do them. In the great orchestra we call life, you have an instrument and a song , and you owe it go God to play them both sublimely."  Max Lucado

"In his insightful and challenging book, The Call, Os Guinness defines our purpose as "the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion, dynamism, and direction lived out as a response to his summons and service" This perspective give meaning to every moment, and it challenges us to live with integrity in every choice and relationship because we represent God at all times."

" So, does this perspective inspire you to use every part of your day more effectively as God's servant, or does it threaten you because you realize some things in your life aren't what they should be? It should do both."


Taken from Daily Insights with Zig Ziglar and Dr Ike Reighard   January 29th

 More on CALLING!

  

 

Come back soon. For an update!