MISSION AND YOUNG PEOPLE

ASHLEY R CAIN1

“TO BRING PEOPLE INTO THE SAVING KNOWLEDGE OF THE LOVE OF GOD
AND FOSTER THEIR FULL DEVELOPMENT AS CHILDREN OF GOD”

INTRODUCTION

Jesus said “I am come that you may have life abundantly”. As we reflect on these words of Jesus and
look at the challenges we face in our daily lives we can't help but wonder, Is abundant life a real thing?

Jesus lived and died and completed his mission to redeem mankind to a right relationship with God.
As he left the earth he gave a mission to the young men and women who walked with him, and who
were revived by his resurrection from the dead. The mission was to go into all the earth and make
disciples of all men so that men and women will have new life options and lives. Since then he
continues to call men and women of all ages, creeds and races to this mission. He asks his disciples,
even today, to call people to seek and to find new life, a new quality of living, new possibilities
through faith .

Here today at Mt Coke, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Jesus is calling Methodist youth and others to
share with him the mission of restoring people of all races, creeds and conditions to a right relationship
with God through faith in Jesus the Son of God. From Today he is inviting each of us discover the
abundant and fruitful way of living which he came to offer to all mankind. Are you ready for such an
adventure, both to live it and to share its rich possibilities with others? If your answer is YES, then let
us explore further this subject of mission and young people.

One Famous writer , Stephen Covey, suggests, in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,
that we must “Live, Love and Leave a Legacy”. What therefore should be the legacy that lives after
us? Will it be good enough for us to gain eternal life through faith in Jesus? For Jesus his enduring
legacy is living and dying for love of mankind. This was the purpose for which he came. It has become
his legacy and the hope for mankind.

People come to a saving knowledge of Jesus at various stages of their lives. Some, like the criminal /
thief who hung with him on the cross, come to Salvation at death's door. Some come to salvation at
times of crisis and challenge. Some come as middle aged family people. Others, like many of you, are
lucky to come to Jesus' saving knowledge as children or young people. They have a lifetime of living
and learning about the way of the cross and salvation. For such persons it can be an exciting journey
to live and to serve in what is the most important work for any human being – coming to and helping
others to come into the saving knowledge of Christ Jesus. God especially likes us to share his work and
be part of his mission when we are young and have the energy, the drive, the fire to live and die in the
service of God and our fellowman.

My question to you is this: when we have a mission or are on a mission what is involved? What is it all
about? Let me share with you my ideas on what mission is all about. Let's see if you agree with me.
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PRESENTATION TO METHODIST YOUTH LEADERS' TRAINING SEMINAR, MT COKE CHRISTIAN
EDUCATION CENTRE 7TH MARCH 2009

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We will first focus on Jesus as an example of man and mission. We will then look at businesses and
how they look at mission. Finally we will look at some tools that may help in organising for and
dealing with one's mission, whether as individuals or church.

I) JESUS AS AN EXAMPLE OF MISSION

a) Begin mission with a Purpose, Goal, Objective, Understand or establish clearly what you wish
to achieve or accomplish. Start with the end result in your mind. To put it another way “Begin with the
end in sight”. Your purpose, goal, or objective then becomes the measure of whether or not you succeed
or fail.

What was the mission that Jesus he kept his focus on even as a twelve year old in the temple?

b) Prepare carefully and well for mission and success

i) Jesus birth and early up bringing was not left to chance. It was foretold in
the scriptures. He came from a lineage that went far back to kings and men of
great faith who walked with God..
ii) Pay attention to the real physical emotional and spiritual needs of yourself
and others. A mission for God is not an excuse nor reason to neglect the real
physical and emotional needs of our lives today. Jesus often fed or provided
food for people when they came to him for spiritual nourishment and support.
When others would condemn people who fell into sin, Jesus did not condone the
sin but with love and tenderness helped them to live better. We should not allow
however, our physical and emotional needs to get in the way or throw us off
from the mission we have set ourselves. Very early in Jesus' mission, he was
tempted by the devil (at a time when he was hungry and exhausted) to use his
God given power to satisfy his physical needs. Jesus used scripture (the word of
God) to guide him in dealing with temptations and challenges of the flesh and
spirit.

c) Take action, towards the goal, that is focused and consistent with what is required
to achieve the goal.

Jesus did not just preach. He took action to teach his disciples and to prepare them to carry on his
work after his death and resurrection. Even after his resurrection, he reached to Peter who thought
that after denying Jesus he had lost his place in God's scheme. Instead of condemning Peter Jesus
asked him to act. Peter do you love me - Feed my sheep. Jesus reminded Peter that he was to
become the rock on which Christ would build the church that would carry God's mission of
redeeming man. Jesus took action that was focused and consistent with what was required to ensure
that the church would be established and grow.

d) Be steadfast and steady in carrying out one's mission and ministry. (even saying to
Satan “Get thee Hence” when distracting voices threaten to distract us from mission)

What does it mean to be steady and steadfast in mission? It means the following:

i) Fixed or secure in one's position

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 ii) Like a soldier in battle, maintaining your ground, despite fear or danger
iii) Unshakable in belief, purpose or affection
iv) Resolute
v) Firmly settled
vi) Established and unchangeable in purpose
vii) Have one's sight steadily directed and focused on the object or goal
viii) Firm
ix) Disciplined
x) Self controlled
xi) Not easily diverted
xii) Not given to dissipation nor looseness in conduct

e) Be supported by and strong in Faith

Faith is shown in the Bible to be a mysterious and mystical power which brings into
being or makes real what one “wills to happen or bring into being”. The New
Testament is filled with instances where miracles were achieved because of the faith
people had; faith that what they wished for can become real in their lives. Where faith
was absent the Bible tells that even Jesus was unable to do much in those
circumstances.

f) Understand the Importance and Power of Will

In the New Testament, Faith was always linked with a will. Before Jesus healed he
often asked, “what do you will that I do for you”? “That I may receive my sight”. In
each of these cases, the person's focus on what he or she willed be done resulted in the
thing being done. Jesus himself assures us that what we bind on earth will be bound in
heaven

g) Follow through on plans, take action and work in a way that is

Purposeful
Consistent

h) Faith Without Work is Death and Dead

i) Embrace the Power of Prayer for

i) Focus
ii) Review of our mission
iii) Regeneration of physical and spiritual strength
iv) Rebalancing of our focus and perspectives on life
v) Strength for the labour
vi) Evaluation of where we are and our purpose
vii) Regular and consistent consultation with God and Jesus the Lord of the
Mission

j) Take time to trim and prune dead branches off the vine to allow newer more
productive branches to grow and bear more fruit.
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 Know which branches (habits, ways, thinking) have outlived their usefulness and prune
them for the benefit of the whole. Jesus refers to the cutting off the arm that offends you
in order to save the body.

As we can see, the Bible and the life of Jesus has many lessons to teach us about how we approach our
life and mission.

I now invite you to complete the following your personal Mission Statement

********************************************************************************

MY PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT:

If I ( ) live to be seventy years old, when I am about to die, I see myself as: (Fill in the Blanks)

…..................................................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................

In order for this to happen I will that I : (Fill in the Blanks)

I hereby purpose in my heart that I will:

NAME DATE PLACE

…........................................... …..................... …........….....................................

Signature ….......................................................................................................................................

II) BUSINESSES AS REAL LIFE EXAMPLES OF HAVING AND PURSUING

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A MISSION

Many of you have your own visions for the future, either as individuals or church. You wonder how
you can make these real for yourselves, the church and the community. There is much that we can learn
from successful businesses which we can apply in our own lives and in the work of the church. Our
success as young persons and church may depend on how we use the wisdom and knowledge of today
in our personal and church work. As young leaders, you have an opportunity today to serve the Lord
better by understanding the ways of the modern business world and using them to advance yourself and
the work of God through his church. This is my challenge to you

A Company's Mission Statement

Thriving businesses today do not leave their success to chance. They first have a vision of what they
want to achieve in their businesses. They then create Mission Statements as a first step in developing
their businesses. A company's Mission Statement is a constant reminder to its employees of why the
company exists and what the founders envisioned when they put their fame and fortune at risk to
breathe life into their dreams. The company that loses sight of its Mission Statement has taken the first
step on the slippery slope to failure.

The Mission Statements set out in a concise and focused way what the business is seeking to achieve
and how it intends to go about achieving its vision. The Mission Statement then becomes a short
reminder to Employees and Directors of why the business exists and what the founders envisioned
when they first established the business. By having a clear statement of vision and mission, the
business can examine how it is performing and what changes it needs to make in order to achieve the
company's vision. The Directors and Employees can then take action on their plans and examine how
they are performing against their Mission Statements.

Let us look at mission statements from three successful international companies - Avon, Ashland and
Barnes and Noble. As you review them, ask yourself this question. What we can learn from them to
improve our church work and our own private lives. As you study the sample mission statements,
consider and make notes of the following:

 What does the company want to be or become by doing what?

 What the Company says it is and what it wants to do to get there
Please write down also, what you have learnt about using such tools to improve your own work and life
and that of our church.

i) Avon Products, INC

Avon Products is a direct selling company that distributes both cosmetics and other beauty items.

Slogan/Motto: The company for women

Mission Statement
“The Global Beauty Leader We will build a unique portfolio of Beauty and related brands, striv-
ing to surpass our competitors in quality, innovation and value, and elevating our image to become
the Beauty company most women turn to worldwide. The Women's Choice for Buying We will
become the destination store for women, offering the convenience of multiple brands and channels,

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 and providing a personal high touch shopping experience that helps create lifelong customer rela-
tionships. The Premier Direct Seller We will expand our presence in direct selling and lead the re-
invention of the channel, offering an entrepreneurial opportunity that delivers superior earnings, re-
cognition, service and support, making it easy and rewarding to be affiliated with Avon and elevat-
ing the image of our industry. The Best Place to Work We will be known for our leadership edge,
through our passion for high standards, our respect for diversity and our commitment to create ex-
ceptional opportunities for professional growth so that associates can fulfill their highest potential.
The Largest Women's Foundation We will be a committed global champion for the health and
well-being of women through philanthropic efforts that eliminate breast cancer from the face of the
earth, and that empower women to achieve economic independence. The Most Admired Company
We will deliver superior returns to our shareholders by tirelessly pursuing new growth opportunit-
ies while continually improving our profitability, a socially responsible, ethical company that is
watched and emulated as a model of success.”

ii) Ashland
Originally a regional petroleum refiner, Ashland Inc. is a company that deals with chemical and trans-
portation construction while providing innovative products, services and solutions. Operating in more
than 120 countries worldwide, Ashland comprises four divisions: Ashland Paving and Construction
(APAC(r)), Ashland Distribution, Ashland Specialty Chemical, and Valvoline.

Mission Statement
“We are a market-focused, process-centered organization that develops and delivers innovative
solutions to our customers, consistently outperforms our peers, produces predictable earnings
for our shareholders, and provides a dynamic and challenging environment for our employees.”

iii) Barnes & Nobles, Inc

Barnes & Nobles, Inc is one of the major bookstores in the USA with over 665 branches all over 49
states. Aside from this, Barnes & Nobles also sells DVDs and videos, music CDs, magazines, etc. and
has distribution rights to nearly 10,000 publications.
Mission Statement
“Our mission is to operate the best specialty retail business in America, regardless of the
product we sell. Because the product we sell is books, our aspirations must be consistent with the
promise and the ideals of the volumes which line our shelves. To say that our mission exists inde-
pendent of the product we sell is to demean the importance and the distinction of being booksellers.
As booksellers we are determined to be the very best in our business, regardless of the size, pedi-
gree or inclinations of our competitors. We will continue to bring our industry nuances of style and
approaches to bookselling which are consistent with our evolving aspirations. Above all, we expect
to be a credit to the communities we serve, a valuable resource to our customers, and a place
where our dedicated booksellers can grow and prosper. Toward this end we will not only listen to
our customers and booksellers but embrace the idea that the Company is at their service.”

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 III) REVISE YOUR PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT AFTER STUDYING THE
MISSION STATEMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES.

After you have studied the mission statements of these three companies, I invite you to review and
revise the personal mission statement which you completed above. As you review revise your
personal mission statement please consider the following guide questions.

1) How do you see yourself at the end of your life?

Think of this as the long term goal or vision of what you hope to achieve during or by the end of
our life.

2) In order for you to achieve this (these) vision(s) What do you will yourself to do?

3) What do you purpose/decide/agree to do in order to reach the state that you are seeking (i.e. the
long term goal or vision for your life.

The exercise that you have just done is one which forces you to revise your mission in the light of new
information or insight. From time to time one has to look back at one's mission to ensure one can
continue to succeed and go in the direction that one has set for oneself over the long term.

This process of reviewing your mission may be compared to the pruning of dead branches from your
life tree as explained before. It can literally give new life and focus to your efforts. As you grow older,
circumstances may force you to review drastically, your mission and business to remain relevant to the
changing circumstances of your life and time. This is as true for our personal lives as well as the life of
our church.

IV) OTHER TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR PLANNING AND EXECUTING ONE'S
MISSION

Whether it is our personal mission or that of the church or group that you are working with, many tools
exist or are being developed to help with the planning and execution of one's mission. These tools help
to focus your thinking and your planning. Many people also provide professional services to help
individuals and groups develop their mission statements. Resources are also available on the Internet
to aid this process.

The following two generic worksheets may be used for personal or church / group planning. In both
instances the key considerations are:
• what opportunities and needs exist ,
• what are you going to do to address the needs
• and what values or principles will guide your work. (I trust that the principles will be consistent
with what we discussed in this Section of this paper.)

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( A ) PERSONAL PLANNING WORKSHEET

WHAT WHEN COMMENTS /

NOTES

Purpose
(Opportunities or needs to be
addressed)

Business of the Church

(What am I going to do to ad-
dress the needs)

Values of the Organisation

(What principles or beliefs will
guide my work)

( B) CHURCH OR GROUP PLANNING WORKSHEET

WHAT WHEN WHO

Purpose

(Opportunities or needs to be
addressed)

Business of the Church

(What are we going to do to

address the needs)

Values of the Church

(What principles or beliefs will

guide our work)

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 I look forward to following your progress as young Methodist leaders as we go forward to serve the
present age and please continue

TO BRING PEOPLE INTO THE SAVING KNOWLEDGE OF THE LOVE OF GOD AND
FOSTER THEIR FULL DEVELOPMENT AS CHILDREN OF GOD

Ashley R Cain Youth Worker in the Vineyard

For further guidance and follow up ashleyrcain@gmailcom Tel 784 5282089