Values That Shape the Mission
Every organization loves a mission statement. You might even have one at work, or in your church, or perhaps you've crafted one for your own life. And that can be a good thing. Personally, I like to set midterm goals about five years out and then take some time to look back and reflect on the road I've traveled. There's something deeply helpful about knowing your destination.
But here's the thing—your values, whether clearly articulated or simply lived, will do far more to shape the kind of person you become than any mission statement ever could.
The Journey and the Compass
You’ve heard the saying: life is about the journey, not the destination. If that's true, then the values that guide each step of that journey matter immensely. They become the compass that directs not just where we go, but how we get there—and, more importantly, who we become along the way.
So while having goals is great, and mission statements can be helpful, our values deserve just as much—if not more—attention. Whether we’re talking about individual lives, workplaces, or communities of faith like Commons, values are what quietly but powerfully shape our direction.
What Guides Commons Church
At Commons, we don’t spend a lot of time crafting new mission statements. We know what the mission of the church is. It’s the same for every church, really:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I’ve commanded you." —Jesus (Matthew 28)
Dress it up however you want, that’s the call. But what truly shapes how we live that out are our values. At Commons, we aim to be:
Intellectually honest
Spiritually passionate
Jesus at the center
These values guide our decisions. They shape our teaching. They influence how we gather, how we serve, and how we respond to our neighbors. In practice, they form a pretty accurate reflection of who we are becoming.
One Mission, Many Expressions
While the mission remains constant, how we embody that mission has shifted dramatically throughout history. When untethered from the person of Jesus and his values, mission has sometimes looked like conquest, coercion, or politicization. It’s been about power, persuasion, and conversion—sometimes even manipulation.
But when Jesus is truly at the center, mission looks very different. It becomes about noticing resurrection—life breaking through in unexpected places. It’s about witnessing to the goodness of God that is already at work in the world and then choosing to live as if that goodness is real.
Resurrection as the Lens
Jesus tells his disciples that, because of what they've seen—because of resurrection—they will now carry that witness to the ends of the earth. Why? Because Easter changes everything. It changes how we see, how we live, and how we love.
So what’s our mission? It’s to change the world. And how does that happen? It begins when Easter becomes the lens through which we see our neighbor.
Maybe that sounds simple. Maybe even a little too easy. Don’t we need an altar call to really seal the deal? But I’d argue that what we’re creating here, together, is proof that our witness—the way we live out resurrection—has more power than we often give it credit for.
Because when Jesus is at the center of our values, grace has a way of finding its way into people’s lives. Gently. Unexpectedly. Beautifully.
Joining the Renewal
At Commons, we say this:
The Creator God is at work to heal and remake the whole world through Jesus. And our mission is to join with God in the renewal of all things.
That’s not just a statement. It’s an invitation—to live out values that lead us somewhere good, together.
