Purpose + Passion =

This afternoon I was enjoying some time in one of our fine local coffee establishments. At a table next to me was a man and a woman obviously discussing the finer points of this business. The man was the regional manager of sorts and the woman was the new hiree. My ears perked up when I heard the man say our mission is to... he proceeded to read in a monotone voice the mission of this company. I perked up again when I heard him say our passion is to... again he read nothing more than the words printed on a corporate manual. And then it hit me. He didn't BELIEVE it. This mission was not a part of his DNA. This passion did not drive his decisions.

Recently I heard Bill Hybels on a podcast say, "vision is a picture of the future that produces passion in people". "If the picture doesn't produce passion or excite people there is a problem". If you cut yourself you bleed your values.

I am sure there are some skeptics that want to defend the regional manager, but he didn't even have the mission of the company memorized. I mean really how much of a corporate mission is it if you don't even know it? The girl across from him had more interest sparked by the incentives offered. I would not be very convinced by someone that hardly even knows the mission that supposedly drives this company.

Maybe it is too much to ask of this guy? Maybe not? Is it too much to ask to have the mission memorized? Should it consume him more? If not maybe it shouldn't be called a mission statement?

There is no doubt that the words "mission", "values", "purpose", and "passion" are overused and therefore now cheapened.

Does the mission of the Church, not just your church consume you? Does the vision of the future produce passion in you? Does the vision of the future of your church produce passion in you? Do you bleed the values of the DNA of your church?

Just one more good thing about spending time at a coffee shop.