WHAT IS YOUR WHY?

 

            I was preaching recently, and the scripture was based on Ephesians 3, which was indicated by one of the commentaries I was studying as Paul’s Why I Am Statement.

            That reminded me of the video I have watched many times on Youtube (Michael Jr.’s Know Your Why). If you’ve seen it, you know that Michael Jr. is doing one of his stand up routines and talks to people in the audience. One of the persons he talked to was a man who said he was a music teacher. Michael Jr. asked him if he could sing and asked him to sing a verse of Amazing Grace. The man did a wonderful job, a truly beautiful rendition of that first verse. However, then Michael Jr. asked him to sing it as if he had just gotten out of jail and his uncle had been shot – do the “hood” version. That version was amazing. It brought people out of their seats on onto their feet. If you haven’t seen it, or it’s been awhile, I encourage you to go online and google Michael Jr. know your why and watch.

            What is our why? I’ve spoken with churches in the area of budgeting and asked them questions: what would be missing if you no longer existed? What is God calling this church to be at this time? Not what are you doing, what are you called to be?

            I think this is important work for us as individuals but also for our churches. How do you even start this? I’d start:

1.    By looking at your mission and vision statements. What does it say about your church? Is it based in the past or is in the future? Read the mission statement aloud and finish the last line with so that what???? What is it that that mission is going to accomplish in the world?

2.    Ask a lot of questions. Why are you even asking why right now? What are your (or the church’s) core values. As an individual, what fulfills you? As a church, what motivates people to encounter, follow and disciple?  

3.    Be patient and understanding as you try to figure out a mission or why statement that works for you. But be honest.

4.    As an individual, what motivates you? What do you enjoy? Why?

5.    As a church, what is the church known as? What is it called to be? Children? Older Adults? Mission? Other?

6.    How does your personal mission statement help you be a better leader for your team, a more caring provider for your family, and a more engaged citizen in your community? Your why should be able to touch every corner of your life and, by extension, every person in it, too.

7.    How does the church’s mission statement help it make disciples, grow disciples, change lives, transform the world?

8.    As an individual, work on habits that remind you of your why.

9.    As a church, work on policies and procedures that remind the church of their why. Maybe read and re-read the mission statement of the church at the beginning of every gathering, every meeting. But also discuss how that team, that committee is fulfilling that mission.

10. Review and revise.

 

 

            If you wish more information on anything you’ve been reading about, please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or sranousacctg@twcny.rr.com or susanranous@unyumc.org.  I’d be happy to help or answer any questions.