“Marketing” can sound like a terrible thing, especially when it comes to schools of supernatural ministry and churches. But the reality is, if people don’t know what you do, they can’t support you. Today, we’re going to take some time to talk about the importance of mission statements and “elevator pitches.”
Mission Statements
Your “why” gives explanation for your purpose, the motivation, and the heart behind what you do. It is extremely important to develop your “why” when you are creating, changing, or teaching culture. In order to inspire leaders and organizations, you have to start from the inside out.
Your school’s mission will give your school leaders and students a unifying sense of purpose. It will guide the future of your school as you grow and develop.
When you have a clear mission statement, your student body will be motivated and empowered, and your leaders will have clear direction.
These factors all play into your school’s success.
In order to discover your school’s “why,” take a look at the mission of your church or leadership covering. It is important to remember that if your school is under a church, your school’s mission should align with your church’s mission statement. Just as Bethel’s mission is “revival – the personal, regional, and global expansion of God’s kingdom through His manifest presence,” BSSM’s mission is “to equip and deploy revivalists who passionately pursue the worldwide transformation in their God-given spheres of influence.” BSSM’s mission fulfills Bethel’s mission.
To discover the “why” of your school, take a look at the prophetic words that have been given about your church and/or school. Ask yourself, “What geographical region, sphere of influence, or sector of society is your church and/or school called to influence?” As you discover the areas you are called to influence, you will be able to shape your “why” to guide your school.
Communicating Vision
Effectively communicating and supporting your school’s mission and vision is crucial. If people don’t know what you are planning to do, they can’t get behind you, so it’s important you convey the mission with passion and clarity! You want to be able to cast vision in a way that is clear and inspires your school and community to pursue it. Habakkuk 2:2-3 says:
And the Lord answered me:
“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”
To empower your leaders and students to pursue your school’s mission and vision, spend some time writing your mission and vision statements. Invite the Holy Spirit into the process and hear what He has to say about the vision of your school. Share your mission and vision statement with your school’s leaders and students, and then support the mission and vision statement with action. Have them in a visible place so you and your team are accountable to them.
Elevator Pitches
An elevator pitch is a one to two minute description of your school or ministry and is a great way to communicate your mission. The original intent of an elevator pitch was to describe your business as succinctly as you could while riding an elevator with someone. Your elevator pitch is what you will share with people about your school in passing. If you’ve ever had those quick conversations after church or during an open house, you know the importance of being able to share your mission and vision quickly.
The elevator pitch for BSSM School Planting would be:
We exist to provide resources and support for leaders of schools of supernatural ministry around the world. There are over 700 schools who have used our curriculum in the past, and we want to champion and support these schools as best we can. We do this through frequently updated curriculum from BSSM Redding, written resources, local gatherings, ministry trips to schools, online coaching calls, and connection groups.
Everyone on your team should be able to share some form of your ministry’s elevator pitch. Sit down with your team and ask them what they think your mission and vision is, and then have them each read it out loud to the team. Don’t be afraid to invite the Holy Spirit into this process, it is His school after all! Ask the Lord what His vision, mission, and dream for your school is.
The beautiful thing about having your team share their versions of your mission and vision is that you will get different perspectives on what your ministry is called to do, and you may find one person’s wording works better than others. Another great question to ask your team members is what they perceive their role in the mission and vision to be, and how they execute their role. This will help get team members on the same page about what everyone does, and will help identify areas where the mission and vision isn’t quite clear with some of your team members.
We highly suggest that your team sits down at least twice a year and reviews your mission statement, the vision of your school, and their version of an elevator pitch. The more you can reiterate amongst yourselves what your mission and vision are and ways to share it, the more ingrained it will become on your team.
We bless you as you develop a mission statement. May it bring clarity to your vision, and draw people into your ministry!
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