How to steward a mission

In the previous video message on ministry mission, Pat talks about how a board might steward the mission. Among many possibilities, he highlights three in particular. Cultivating, protecting the mission, and monitoring and measuring progress. Let’s reflect on these ideas one at a time:

Take some time to reflect by answering the following questions based on the video you watched in the previous section.

1. To cultivate a mission is to ensure that mission-centered programs and activities are in place supporting mission progress. Well-known consultant and organisational philosopher, Peter Drucker would have told us that one of the primary tasks of the nonprofit manager is to convert the organisation’s mission into specifics, i.e., specific mission-centered programs and actions that will advance the mission. (Managing the Nonprofit Organization, Harper Business 1990)

Would the board and management team in your management agree with this idea? If not, why? If yes, are current and new programs (initiatives, strategies, etc.) tested for their alignment to mission? *

Overall, to what degree are the programs, activities, initiatives of your ministry in close alignment with you ministry mission? *

2. Protecting the mission could cover many things but the example here was one danger in particular: drift. One of the board’s most important responsibilities is to make sure the organisation does not unintentionally drift away or become disconnected from its intended mission/purpose. We were told that because drift happens so slowly, that the board and management are usually not even aware when it is happening. Protecting the mission from drift requires a lot of diligence from both the board and management.

Does the board and management team of your ministry pay diligent attention to possible mission drift? *

If not, why not?

Don’t even see it as a possibility and/or,

Didn’t see it as their responsibility

Not sure how to determine if there is drift

Other

If yes, how do they monitor mission alignment?

3. The final example of mission stewarding Pat put forth was that of measuring progress. He asks three questions:

What are the assets we’re investing (for example, governance, staff, leadership, strategy, hard work)?
How should we measure the return on these investments (e.g., lives touched, changed, churches planted, patients treated, refugees housed)? And how can these returns be measured and tracked over time?
Are we, the board and management, clear about activities, outputs, and outcomes of our various programs and initiatives? Are we clear about our part of the ministry and God’s part?

To what extent has your board (or management team) wrestled with these particular questions?

If you checked A, B, or C, why don’t they confront this issue more robustly? *

If you checked D or E, what have been the results or benefits from such discussions? *

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