The surprising and most important target of your mission and vision!
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24
Every Christian organization I know spends a great deal of time crafting, publicizing, and communicating its mission and vision. This work is critical. The prevailing thinking is that the mission and vision need to be succinct, clear, and compelling so that a potential donor or volunteer, for example, is convinced that this organization, above all others, is worthy of their time and financial support.
All of that is true.
But is this really the primary audience for an organization’s efforts on its mission and vision? Will a church, charity, or school reap the greatest rewards when external stakeholders can easily recall these statements? Research and experience suggest there may be a different – and more important – audience. And that audience is the reason organizations need to be clear about what I call the 'majesty of the mission.' That audience? The staff and the board.
Why?
For one reason, it is hard to work in a nonprofit environment. Generally speaking, compensation is lower, benefits are smaller, and hours are longer compared to similar for-profit roles. This combination can be almost lethal. A YMCA Workwell report published by Carleton University in 2025 found that 58% of nonprofit employees and 71% of nonprofit leaders are experiencing burnout. So why does anyone choose to work in the nonprofit world? Because of what we call 'the majestic mission.'
Especially in Christian circles, we see the nearly heroic value placed on the faith-based good that happens in Christian schools, churches, and charities. Many people are motivated to forgo higher pay and better benefits offered in similar jobs elsewhere in order to be part of something far bigger and more beautiful than their own well-being.
Here is the point: if there is any single audience that needs to be continually convinced of the mission and vision of your school, or of the good being accomplished in addressing food insecurity, poverty, child welfare, or the propagation of faith, it is the staff. The staff must be persuaded, again and again, that the effort they invest is truly leading to the good described in the 'majestic mission' and vision of the non-profit they give so much of their time toward.
The implications of this truth are multifold. Here are just a few examples of what it means to keep the staff as the primary missional audience:
- Mission reminder sessions or retreats with staff are essential. Bring people together and help them remember how their work makes a difference. At the same time, invite them to speak into whether the mission or vision needs to be adapted – or how their work could be better aligned to accomplish it. This is a two-way street, after all.
- Give staff space to shape the form and direction of the organization. Ensure staff are included in strategic planning processes. Their proximity to the work gives them insight that is indispensable.
- Be intentional about how governing bodies communicate leadership decisions. Whether the issue is HR policies, pay scales, building changes, or other organizational shifts, help staff understand how these decisions support the mission and vision. Without that connection, decisions can feel arbitrary or confusing.
- Frame policies (including HR policies) through the lens of mission and vision. This helps staff see how both the joys and the struggles of nonprofit or charitable work are meaningful expressions of a mission-driven life, distinct from a me-first world.
I cannot adequately convey how much joy it brings to be part of organizational conversations where staff and shepherd leaders are reminded of, and reaffirmed in, the majesty of the mission. Those reminders do real good! For the staff, they increase flexibility, deepen resilience, and confirm for people that they are where God meant them to be. I have even seen it prevent staff members from leaving. So don’t hesitate to engage your mission and vision in fresh ways with your most important audience: the staff.
SHEPHERD'S SPOTLIGHT: King Christian School
A cold winter weekend in February, and what is believed to be the oldest Christian school in Ontario, is hosting a Strategic Planning retreat. Listening exercises and conversations with staff, teachers, and board members, all bathed in prayer and spiritual disciplines before, during, and after the weekend, led to a beautiful outcome: a deepened understanding of what God is forming in KCS’s next chapter.
Bonnie Noble, the school’s principal, noted with delight how engaging and fulsome the process was. Her steady leadership has been a gift to this growing community, which continues to expand within the broader Christian landscape, with more than 60 churches represented in the student body. Clearly, while the school may be old, the building, the school family, and the mission are not stuck in the past.
Combined with other forms of “deep listening” that accompanied the process, it was a joy to participate with this remarkable group of people in the Holland Landing–Newmarket area. If you are a Christian leader serving in a charity, school, or church context, don’t hesitate to reach out for support like that which KCS has recently experienced.
If you are a Christian leader in a charity, school, or church setting, don't hesitate to reach out for support such as KCS has recently experienced.
Rev. Dr. Darren Roorda (Founder and Principal Consultant) has served in Nonprofit Leadership for over 23 years. He is proud to work with a wonderful group of associates. His roles as Executive Director, International Liaison, Project Manager, Pastor, and even Official Lobbyist have helped hone his education in Leadership, Governance, and Theology.
D. Min., Pro Dir, Partner of The Alliance for Board Effectiveness. Professional Member of the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities
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