Seven Essentials of Great Missional Organizations
Christian leadership coaching insights for your organization
Recently, I had the privilege of participating in a meeting of leaders from a denomination with a wonderful missional heritage. They represent ministries from all over the US and nations around the world. They called their gathering “The Great Conversation”.
Their Great Conversation really centered around this essential question: “How do we ignite a movement that multiplies disciples, leaders and churches in our generation…in other words, how do we live out the Great Commandment and Great Commission in our day?”
That is the essential question for every denomination, ministry, mission agency, and organization today.
Let me emphasize it in several ways:
THAT is the essential question…
That IS the essential question…
That is THE essential question…
That is the ESSENTIAL question…
That is the essential QUESTION!
“How do we live out the Great Commandment and Great Commission in our day?”
Let’s look at that question from an organizational perspective. In working with over 75 organizations over the past 25 years I’ve learned that when we take off our labels we are often wresting with the same essential questions and issues. We all have the same essential longings. We all love Jesus and want others to love Him, too.
To truly answer those questions and address those issues, we have to get to some bottom-line essentials. Here’s what I consider the seven essentials of great missional organizations…
1. Christ is central to everything!
2. Cast clear contagious vision, values, and mission grounded in the Great Commandment and Great Commission.
3. Create the climate and culture for vision, values, and mission to flourish.
4. Cherish, cultivate, equip, and steward leaders and teams that fit and flourish. The organization balances developing missional leaders and accomplishing mission, keeping people primary.
5. Coordinate, cooperate and integrate efforts across teams and departments.
6. Communicate and celebrate what matters most consistently.
7. Continually adjust tactics and strategies to accomplish the mission.
Coach Yourself Forward
1. As you look at the organization you serve with, how well is your organization doing in each of these essentials? Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being “We’re doing almost the opposite” to 10 being “We’ve made this an essential and it’s now reproducing fruit.”
2. What can you do from your place in your organization to make each of these essentials stronger?
3. What will you do first?