What’s your purpose statement? That’s Rick Warren’s final question – at least in the old edition of the book.
I developed my purpose statement for ministry a dozen years ago. It is …
Deeper Faith
Joyful Community
Reaching More
Is that my personal purpose statement too?
Yes. A pastor’s personal life is inextricably connected to his ministry. It’s hard to know where ministry ends and life begins.
That’s how it should be with EVERY life, though. Life should be ministry. And ministry should be life.
As I look at Rick Warren’s five purposes, they fit nicely into my own purpose statement:
Deeper Faith is Worship and Discipleship
Joyful Community is Fellowship
Reaching More is Service and Evangelism
Now … rarely do I hold all five in perfect balance. I’m better at some than others. And in various seasons, one tends to get emphasized more than another. The goal of my life is to balance all three (or really five), because when I’m unbalanced … I’m unbalanced!!!
You’ve heard me mention Jesus’ method of ministry – UP, OUT and IN.
- He spent the morning pointing UP in prayer (worship and discipleship).
- He spent the afternoon pointing OUT in service and evangelism.
- He spent his evenings gathering back IN with his disciples (fellowship and more discipleship).
Those are two ways that I seek to fulfill the five purposes. What’s yours?!!! In fact, please send me your personal mission statement! Let’s celebrate how God is working in your life.
In Christ’s Love,
a guy who’s UP too early
OUT too late and
IN too little
… ahhh …
now I’m reminded
to rebalance!
(That’s what a purpose
statement is for!!!)
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