The Big Picture and The Bottom Line
As has been said before, the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!
When beginning a new year I think that it is good to set out again the fundamental bases of any organization. Getting back to fundamentals reminds us of what our main tasks are and helps to keep us on track for the coming year. I want to look at the fundamentals of World Missions and Evangelism along 2 lines: The Big Picture and The Bottom Line.
2 things that every leader must keep in mind are the Big Picture and the Bottom Line. By Big Picture, I mean the ultimate business or mission that the organization or group is engaged in. In the military we hear of "mission creep". I think this means an subtle moving from the original mission to some other mission or missions that can ultimately subvert the original mission. This is to be avoided.
I am a history buff in my spare time, and the history of America's wars (especially the Revolution, the Civil War, and World War II) is my special interest. One thing that can be discerned by studying the great leaders of these conflicts is the ability to selflessly focus on the critical point....the correct mission. That is what separates the winners from the losers in warfare. But that is not just a lesson for military leadership. The father of modern management, Peter Drucker, viewed the military model of leadership as the correct model for business as well according to William A. Cohen in his new book, "Drucker On Leadership". Cohen points out that Drucker was not advocating a "business as war" philosophy but was rather dealing with the leadership development process.
The point that I am making here is that a Big Picture understanding of the mission is critical for leaders in every field. That is true whether we are considering the military, the government, business, or the mission of the Kingdom of God. What is our big picture, what are we here to do? WME must answer that question and keep it in view every day.
The second thing that every leader must have a grip on is The Bottom Line. By that I am not talking about the finances of the organization, although that is what a lot of people would think. By the Bottom Line, I am refering to the fundamental operating principle of a thing. The fundamental principle, the Bottom Line makes a thing what it is. It is the DNA of a thing.
To give a Biblical example, Jesus gave a Great Commission (Big Picture) and a Great Commandment (Bottom Line).
So how can WME express it's Big Picture and it's Bottom Line as we start this new year. 2010 is here and with it we want to move forward. We thank God for all He has done in the past (see the last 2 blog articles for 2009). But now, as Paul said to the Phillipians, "Brothers I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus". (NIV)
THE BIG PICTURE
Mission: WME's mission is to obey the following words of Jesus Christ:
"And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." " (Matthew 28:18-20, English Standard Version)
Vision: WME's vision is to see the fulfillment of the following words of Jesus Christ:
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14, ESV)
Goal: WME's goal is a result of sensing an assignment from the Lord. Although worldwide in scope, it seeks to operate in the spirit that the Apostle Paul spoke of when he told of his assignment in 2 Corinthians 10:13-16 where he says, "But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area of influence." (ESV)
In the spirit of this passage of scripture we state our goal as an organization.
WME's goal is to facilitate church planting movements worldwide with special emphasis in Latin America and among an unreached people group in the far east. Specifically our goal is to plant 100,000 reproducing churches and reach the assigned people group (name kept private for security reasons) by the year 2030.
That is our mission and on that Big Picture we will keep our eyes as we move forward into 2010. In the 2nd Blog for 2010, I will consider the Bottom Line.
When beginning a new year I think that it is good to set out again the fundamental bases of any organization. Getting back to fundamentals reminds us of what our main tasks are and helps to keep us on track for the coming year. I want to look at the fundamentals of World Missions and Evangelism along 2 lines: The Big Picture and The Bottom Line.
2 things that every leader must keep in mind are the Big Picture and the Bottom Line. By Big Picture, I mean the ultimate business or mission that the organization or group is engaged in. In the military we hear of "mission creep". I think this means an subtle moving from the original mission to some other mission or missions that can ultimately subvert the original mission. This is to be avoided.
I am a history buff in my spare time, and the history of America's wars (especially the Revolution, the Civil War, and World War II) is my special interest. One thing that can be discerned by studying the great leaders of these conflicts is the ability to selflessly focus on the critical point....the correct mission. That is what separates the winners from the losers in warfare. But that is not just a lesson for military leadership. The father of modern management, Peter Drucker, viewed the military model of leadership as the correct model for business as well according to William A. Cohen in his new book, "Drucker On Leadership". Cohen points out that Drucker was not advocating a "business as war" philosophy but was rather dealing with the leadership development process.
The point that I am making here is that a Big Picture understanding of the mission is critical for leaders in every field. That is true whether we are considering the military, the government, business, or the mission of the Kingdom of God. What is our big picture, what are we here to do? WME must answer that question and keep it in view every day.
The second thing that every leader must have a grip on is The Bottom Line. By that I am not talking about the finances of the organization, although that is what a lot of people would think. By the Bottom Line, I am refering to the fundamental operating principle of a thing. The fundamental principle, the Bottom Line makes a thing what it is. It is the DNA of a thing.
To give a Biblical example, Jesus gave a Great Commission (Big Picture) and a Great Commandment (Bottom Line).
So how can WME express it's Big Picture and it's Bottom Line as we start this new year. 2010 is here and with it we want to move forward. We thank God for all He has done in the past (see the last 2 blog articles for 2009). But now, as Paul said to the Phillipians, "Brothers I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus". (NIV)
THE BIG PICTURE
Mission: WME's mission is to obey the following words of Jesus Christ:
"And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." " (Matthew 28:18-20, English Standard Version)
Vision: WME's vision is to see the fulfillment of the following words of Jesus Christ:
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14, ESV)
Goal: WME's goal is a result of sensing an assignment from the Lord. Although worldwide in scope, it seeks to operate in the spirit that the Apostle Paul spoke of when he told of his assignment in 2 Corinthians 10:13-16 where he says, "But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area of influence." (ESV)
In the spirit of this passage of scripture we state our goal as an organization.
WME's goal is to facilitate church planting movements worldwide with special emphasis in Latin America and among an unreached people group in the far east. Specifically our goal is to plant 100,000 reproducing churches and reach the assigned people group (name kept private for security reasons) by the year 2030.
That is our mission and on that Big Picture we will keep our eyes as we move forward into 2010. In the 2nd Blog for 2010, I will consider the Bottom Line.
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