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Defining what is “Mission True” 

“In the simplest form, Mission True organizations know why they exist and protect their core at all costs. They remain faithful to what they believe God has entrusted them to do. They define what is immutable: their values and purposes, their DNA, their heart and soul.” [Mission Drift p.27].

Remaining Mission True is to adapt and grow, so long as that adaptation and growth does not alter the core identity. Mission True organizations decide that their identity matters and then become fanatically focused on remaining faithful to that core.

The key in this process is not based upon a charismatic leader. If that were true then drift would occur within the second generation of the organization.

What Is The Core Distinction?

• According to the American Enterprise Institute religious people are 25 percentage points more likely than secularists to donate money and 23 percentage points more likely to volunteer time.
• Christians understand the importance of Good Samaritanism. The key concern is that we should remember that we are more than “world class humanitarians, we are CHRISTIANS!
• With that said, is Christianity nothing more than serving hands and willing checkbooks. Do we really believe that Christ is the difference?
• So that I am not mistaken, we must do good while we share GOOD NEWS! Do we believe this good news still matters? Do we believe that this is the best Good News the world has ever heard? I would suggest that a commitment to this good news is precisely what keeps us on mission!

Our Most Precious Asset

Christian leaders are often quiet about the crisis in our boardrooms and hiring practices and fundraising strategies. It seems there is a gravitational pull of secularization coming at us from all sides, beckoning us to abandon this “Jesus Stuff” and focus on the more practical side of life.

If we continue to apologize for our faith, conceal its importance and drift from its core, we will lose the very uniqueness our world desperately needs. There are three things that mission true organizations do:

1.Recognize that Christ is the difference. Education and the latest technologies are not enough to transform hearts and lives. Without a heart change prosperity can lead to brokenness.

2.Affirm that faith affirms them. Authors Stein and Barnett assert in their book Sacred Aid, that faith gives organizations endurance, often making them more effective than their secular counterparts. Faith is what keeps your face into the winds of difficulty and you press forward in perseverance.

3.Understand that functional atheism is the path of least resistance. What do I mean by that statement? Functional atheism is a belief that Christian works over Christian messaging is what makes the difference. This will lead organizations to become Christian in name only. I referenced journalist Matthew Paris admitting that he does not believe in God and yet admits at the same time that his approach to problem solving in the world is insufficient. As a Christian nonprofit I must be reminded that my works flow out of a transformed life in Christ. His message has changed me first and then my works flow out of that testimony.

We are in danger as Christian nonprofits if we abandon Jesus Christ, we will lose everything. Ironically, by submitting everything to Jesus it may in fact appear that we are going to lose everything simply because the drum beat of society is so anti-Christian at this point in history.

LINKS

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Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!