A Coach’s Diary: Vision and Mission

Elite.

This one word sums up the vision of my favorite football team.

When a new coach is hired, the commentators begin talking about the need for a culture change. Establishing a new identity. A new philosophy. A new ethic. Sometimes it even requires new personnel.

Leaders must establish an identity for their team. The goals and plans of a team cannot be properly executed apart from knowing who they are. What you do is directly associated with who you are. So one of the major tenets of a coach is to clearly define and constantly reaffirm who they are as a team.

Vision casting is such an important concept for any coach or leader. Not only must he be able to establish the team’s identity by incorporating core principles and values, but he must also remind them where the team is going and what it is they are seeking to accomplish.

That same coach who has captured the attention of so many players and fans with his declaration of building an ‘elite’ program, has also made another remarkable assertion. He said, “We will not be hunted. We will be doing the hunting.” This statement was made in regards to other teams and programs placing a target on their back in an effort to defeat a premiere football program.

Where vision establishes identity and guiding principles, mission provides direction and establishes a plan for execution. Vision is who you are and where you’re going; mission is why you do what you do. In the case of this football team, they are elite. Therefore, they choose not be hunted but to do the hunting. While it may sound silly to the casual reader, the players and fans of this particular program have witnessed its resounding effects in this era of college football.

What happens when teams and organizations lack vision and mission? They become sabotaged by mediocrity. Their goals become compromised by complacency. A lack of vision cultivates an indifference that will eventually lead to destruction. So, from a coach’s point of view, he must never grow weary of constantly communicating with clarity and innovation his team’s identity and purpose.

My church’s motto is “Every One Matters.” This is the vision that the leadership has cast for our people to embrace as the core principle of who we are. This statement is loaded with meaning. It’s a declaration of our identity as a church.

Every one has value. Every one has a place. Every one has a role. Our church’s identity is unquestionably one that values every one that crosses paths with our church family. Because every one matters, our church has developed a mission statement that is specifically designed to move people along a continuum of discipleship as they encounter Jesus at our church.

Our church’s mission statement reads, “Rescue people, Show them what we do, Send them out to do what we do.” We, as a church, value people. Every one matters. And we want to point everyone in a direction to the One who truly values them unconditionally.

There is an expectation that every one who comes to our church has a story. And it is unique to them. Some who come are far from God. Some have been hurt by the church. And yet others have come who have experienced the goodness of God. No matter the starting point for anyone who comes, the mission is always the same.

Our ultimate goal is for everyone to have a personal relationship with Jesus; to be rescued from their sin. But to be saved from sin is not the end. We want to help others along in their faith journey. To see their spiritual transformation through a process of discipleship; to show them what we do. Then as a mark of spiritual maturity, we want to see others replicate what they’ve seen; to be sent out to do what we do. We believe this is a biblical model for helping others to experience a personal relationship with Jesus and to become true disciple-makers as the Bible commands.

These statements and guiding principles are not unique to our church. Jesus established a vision and mission for His followers during His time on the earth. It may be difficult to surmise which statement should be held as preeminent, but undoubtedly He told His followers to be ‘kingdom seekers.’ He spoke regularly about the kingdom of God and incorporated this theme in many stories, parables, and statements among His disciples and the crowds who were intrigued by His words and miracles.

If ‘seeking the kingdom of God first’ is the preeminent theme of Christ’s coming and the true mark of Christian identity, then what words did He establish as the plan for this vision?

Many commentators and authors have attributed Matthew 28:18-20 as the heralded statement for commissioning the purposes of the Christian faith. These details include making disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey His commands. And this is all predicated on the perceived authority established by Jesus Himself.

And along the way, there are guiding principles and core values to be established, explained, and adopted into their lives on a daily basis. Such tenets as love, grace, and forgiveness are just some of the attitudes and actions that invigorate the ‘kingdom seeker’ mindset that is always looking to penetrate the kingdom of darkness in this world with the gospel light.

So how do we keep the vision fresh before our eyes? By constantly listening to our Leader and choosing to submit our individual plans to the eternal efforts of the kingdom of the God. We are kingdom seekers! That is who we are! What’s the mission? By the authority of Jesus that has been vested in us, we are to go, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey all the words He’s spoken. That’s what we are to be doing!