Got a Cause Statement? |
Dec 22, 2009 |
I recently had a ministry ask me (I’m paraphrasing here)…
“People are becoming more committed to Causes these days and not so much organizations or programs. Therefore, if Cause is so important I need a way to help my churches come up with identifying their Cause. With that being said, can you help me (so I can help my churches) with how to create a Cause Statement?”
Here is my basic response that might be helpful to you…
“Name, churches and ministries need to work through creating a Cause Statement themselves. Nobody can do that for them and, as they work through the process, it will be an extremely valuable experience for them. As a beginning point, they should ask themselves a few key questions…
- Why was our organization founded and for what purpose?
Many organizations stray far from their roots and end up being all about things that they were never intended to be about. So, for what reason were we founded and what did this ministry start out accomplishing in the beginning days?
- What does this (our answer to #1) mean for the community we’re in today?
In other words, based on our birth and the vision connected with that, what is God calling us to do today, in our specific community? Churches often miss this truth: They are called to fish in the lake where their boat is located. We need to look around. Where are we and what is God calling us to do HERE and NOW?
- How do we plan to get done what God is calling us to do in our community?
If we miss this, we miss everything. It’s not enough to know what we're supposed to be about; we need to have a plan in place so we know how to accomplish what God is calling us to accomplish. Without the plan, we only have vision that won’t turn into anything.
Name, many organizations have no idea why they exist and so they certainly can’t even begin to articulate it. Many have no idea of their Cause; they say something like, “We’re here to help the homeless”, or churches say, “We’re here to reach people for Christ.” Honestly, phrases like these don't communicate the specifics of a Cause much at all.
Name, overall, this is an important process that leadership teams need to work through.
I hope this helps a little."
