Does your church have a mission statement? Could most of the people in your church repeat it?
If the answer ‘no’, I have one word for you. Relax.
If church members can’t recite your mission statement, it’s okay. People don’t become fully devoted followers of Jesus when they can say the words, but because they’re doing the work. It’s about discipleship, not well-crafted statements.
Author
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Karl produces resources for Helping Small Churches Thrive at KarlVaters.com.
He's the author of five books on church leadership, including his newest, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next. His other books include The Grasshopper Myth and Small Church Essentials.
Karl also hosts a bi-weekly podcast,The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry, featuring in-depth interviews about topics that concern pastors, especially those who minister in a small church context.
Karl has served in small-church ministry for over 40 years, so he speaks and writes from decades of hands-on pastoral experience. He and his wife, Shelley have three children and two grandkids.