God has given your organization its mission. Maybe it’s to equip student to impact the world for Christ. Or maybe it’s to make Jesus known and to empower His disciples to build up His Church.
 
Now staff members are asking, “What’s it take to achieve our mission?” That’s a good question and one that deserves an answer. And knowing the answer can help staff focus on achieving the mission.
 
How can your organization define what it takes to carry out your mission? By identifying 3-7 areas in which your organization will be involved, for example, coaching, consulting, networking, and training (see below* for further examples).
 
Once you’ve identified 3-7 areas, transform each area into a goal for each area, for example: Coaching—Provide the support, encouragement, and accountability Christian leaders need to pursue God’s calling. These 3-7 goals are the answer to the question “What’s it take to achieve our mission?”
 
Here’s how this plays out in a Christian school with a mission to equip students to impact the world for Christ. The school has determined that to achieve its God-given mission, the school must:

1. Have students who are achieving the student objectives (schoolwide learner outcomes)
2. Have an exemplary, sustainable, replicable Christ-centered educational program
3. Have an organizational culture, sensitive and responsive to current and changing demographics, which reflects the board-approved values (faithfulness, caring, collaboration, diversity, excellence, and stewardship)
4. Have qualified Christian staff working to achieve board ends
5. Have a sound financial base
6. Have a safe physical plant facilitating student learning

Focus on what it takes to achieve your organization’s God-given mission. Today.
 
*Sample areas
Administration
Age-group ministry
Board
Camping
Church planting
Coaching
Communications
Community development
Consulting
Counseling
Curriculum
Discipling
Education
Evangelism
Facilities
Finance
Fine arts
Fundraising
Leadership development
Member care
Mentoring
Music
Networking
Pastoral care
Personnel
Program development
Public relations
Publishing
Research and development
Resource management
Sports
Strategic planning
Technology
Training
Worship

You want to serve God more effectively. So do I. God has done great things for me, and out of gratitude, I want serve even more effectively.
 
One thing that helps me increase my effectiveness is focusing. Focusing on God, on what He’s calling me to do, on what’s going on, and on action steps I need to take so I can serve effectively.
 
Questions help me focus. Questions like:

1. What’s your organization’s God-given mission?
2. What’s it take to achieve your organization’s God-given mission?
3. How can you measure mission achievement?
4. How can you identify key performance indicators?
5. How can you use key performance indicators to achieve your mission?

To get started, how about discussing the above questions at a team meeting?
 
Get focused. Reflect on some questions. Today.

Tomorrow, you’re presenting a proposal to the Leadership Team. The proposal is about how to orient new staff better. You feel good about the proposal.
 
But something is bothering you.
 
Then you realize what is bothering you. When developing your proposal, you didn’t think about your organization’s mission. You didn’t ask yourself, “In terms of the mission, what do new staff need to understand, be able to do, and value?”
 
As you consider this question, other questions come to mind:

• How can we help new staff understand the mission?
• How can we help new staff understand where we are in terms of achieving our mission?
• How can we help staff understand how they contribute to the mission?
• How can I help the Leadership Team see how this proposal supports the mission?

Good news! The presentation isn’t until tomorrow. So, you have time to revise it. You have time to make clear how the proposal supports the mission.
 
Consider 4 questions:

1. What proposal are you working on?
2. What do you hope to accomplish through your proposal?
3. How does your proposal support the mission?
4. How will you help others understand how your proposal supports the mission?

Connect your proposals to your mission. Today.

You want to learn more about achieving your God-given mission. You want deepen your understanding of:

1. Your mission
2. What it takes to achieve your mission
3. How you’re doing on achieving your mission
4. How you can close the gap between the words of your mission and the reality of your situation

Question: How can you learn more about achieving your mission?

Answer: By exploring the following 4 questions. Read More...

You’re considering developing student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes). Before doing so, you’d like to get clear on the big picture. You’re wondering, “How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected? Is there a framework that connects these?”

Yes! The MOSAIC framework helps you connect mission, student objectives, and curriculum:

1. Mission 
2. Objectives 
3. Standards 
4. Assessments 
5. Instructional strategies 
6. Children

Read More...

You’re thinking about developing student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes). It’s going to take time and energy. You have limited amounts of these—so, you know that developing student objectives means other things won’t get done. Now you’re wondering, “What are some reasons for developing student objectives?” Good question.

Here are 5 reasons why you might want to you invest time and energy into developing student objectives. Read More...

You want to define your school’s mission in terms of student learning. So, you’re working to develop student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes).

Question: What makes good student objectives good? Read More...

Before developing student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes), do some reflection. I encourage you to reflect on the 8 questions below. Read More...

School Year 1: Panic—we started in a state of panic. And panic is not a good place to be. I sat in my office, looking Focus on Learning, the reaccreditation manual from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). I liked the title. I liked that the reaccreditation process had been boiled down to two questions: (1) “How are students doing with respect to the [student objectives]…?” and (2) “Is the school doing everything possible to support high achievement of these [student objectives] for all its students?” 
 
I didn’t like it that I couldn’t answer the questions. “Great!” I thought. “This reaccreditation process is predicated on student objectives. We don’t have them. What are they? I don’t get it.” At this point, I did an understandable thing—I panicked, got to work, and tried to unsettle everyone as little as possible.  Read More...

“There’s a gap.” Helen sits in her office, mulling over the gap between her school’s mission statement and the reality of her program. “This is a Christian school—Christian teachers, devotions, Bible class, chapel, a positive environment. These are good, but only take us so far in achieving our mission. We need more. I need more. I need an additional way to close the gap.”  Read More...

You’re working at a Christian school. Your school’s mission is to equip students to impact the world for Christ.

Question: How can you define what it takes to carry out your mission? How can you define what it takes to equip your students to impact the world for Christ?

Answer: By defining the “equipment” students will receive. In other words, by defining student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes). Read More...

You want your school to achieve its mission. You know you need to define what it takes to achieve your school’s mission. You’ve hear that developing student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes) might help. So, you want to learn more. Good.

Question: How can you learn more about developing student objectives?

Answer: By exploring the following 7 questions:

1. How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
2. Are student objectives right for you and your school?
3. What's developing student objectives look like?
4. What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
5. What makes good student objectives good?
6. What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
7. How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

Focus on your mission. Use student objectives to define the achievement of your mission. Today.

You developed a mission statement. You feel good about it. It reflects how God has been leading you.
 
Question: Now what? Read More...

Make sure you ask God for help, define mission achievement, measure mission achievement, and take action.

Want to achieve your God-given mission? Then focus on 3 things:

1. Your mission statement.
2. The results you need to achieve your mission.
3. The measures that tell you if you’ve achieved the desired results.

Read More...

I have a mission: Empowering Christian leaders and organizations to close the rhetoric/reality gap.

I have defined the achievement of my mission in terms of 5 measurable goals. Read More...

God has given you a mission. To achieve your mission, you know you must define what it takes to achieve it. To define your mission effectively, do 5 things Read More...

Your goal is to run fast. You want to achieve your goal. Any questions? Read More...

You: God has given me a mission. Knowing my mission is important. It gives me a goal. I don’t really want to define what it takes to achieve my mission. I just want to get at it. There’s so much work to do. And yet, I’m starting to wonder, “If I don’t define mission achievement, how effectively can I work?” Read More...

At Christian Academy in Japan, we define mission achievement in terms of achievement of our student objectives, accreditation standards, and core values. How has defining mission achievement helped us? Read More...