Finding your Family's Mission
/CARISSA PLUTA
When we were newly married, a more seasoned couple offered us advice on creating a family mission statement.
PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURA AND MATTHEW
Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People writes: “A family mission statement is a combined, unified expression from all family members of what your family is all about — what it is you really want to do and be — and the principles you choose to govern your family life.”
We followed their advice, asked questions, spent some time in prayer, and carefully crafted a mission statement that we recall daily in our work and prayer even now four and a half years later.
The effects of a family mission statement on our marriage and home life have been profound.
Forming a family mission statement helped my husband and I sort out our priorities, make decisions, and see more clearly who God was calling us to be as a couple, as a family, and as Christians.
It grounds us in our identities as a daughter and son of God, unites us, and orders our life toward heaven.
Read more: How to Create, and Live By, a Family Mission + Motto
We began the process of creating a family mission statement by asking ourselves several questions:
What are our strengths?
Take some time to determine your gifts and talents, both as individuals and as a family. Maybe it's hospitality or maybe it's a heart for serving others in your community.
God has given each of us qualities, talents, and virtues to build up His kingdom both in our homes and in the world. What has He blessed you with and how do you think He wants you to use them for His glory?
What do we value?
Values are the principles that give our lives meaning and help us in making decisions. Make a list of the values that are at the core of your family.
This isn’t the time to be idealistic. Focus on those values and principles that truly resonate and inspire every member of your family, not what you think you’re “supposed” to value.
How do we imagine our family in 10+ years?
A mission statement is meant to help you grow and succeed, but to do that you have to have your goals in mind when you write one.
What does our home look like? What are our dreams? What are some adjectives we would like people to use to describe us and our home? What kind of relationships do we want to have with one another?
Discuss how you might cultivate the soil now for those hopes to flourish in the future.
It’s never too late (or too early) to write your own mission statement and it even makes a great date night activity.
Surrender the notion that the first draft has to be perfect; just like your family will grow and change over the years, so too can your mission statement.
Answering these questions can help you come to a better understanding of who you are and who God made you to be, and writing a family mission statement can give you the tools to get there.
