Buzzword: a word or phrase, often sounding authoritative or technical that is a vogue term in a particular profession, field of study, popular culture. (ref)
How do you prevent an important word from becoming a mere “buzzword?” In other words, how do churches prevent important words and concepts from becoming prevalent in speech but extinct in practice?
I’ll give three suggestions using a word that is continually emphasized here in our context at Emmaus: Mission.
Define: If a word is essential to an organization then it better be understood. This is best done by leadership through clear definition and frequent articulation. When we talk about mission we realize that people may automatically default toward the business world and think of mission statements–or if they are thinking in religious terms they think of foreign missionaries. Neither of these frameworks are necessarily wrong, they are just incomplete. Mission is essential to our church’s identity and purpose; and it does spread wide into foreign missions. However, it is better articulated at it simplest level: mission is the making and training of disciples.
Connect: This mission is connected to the big picture in two ways, what God is doing and what we are doing.
God is a God who is on mission for his own glory. He sent his Son to accomplish redemption for his people and his Holy Spirit to apply that redemption (Jn. 3:16; 20:21; Gal. 4.4-7). God is now working in and through his people by the Holy Spirit to accomplish his eternal mission of promoting his own glory.
As Christians we realize that we are a sent people (Jn. 20.21). More specifically that sending involves the priority of glorifying God by making and training disciples (1 Cor. 10.31; Matt. 28.19-21). Therefore everything we do as a church we do for the purpose of making and training disciples. Mission will not become a buzzword when individual lives and ministries are connected to the church’s purpose which is then connected to the great divine agenda. Whether we are talking about teaching children, hospitality, training classes, Sunday morning service, giving, building clean-up, workplace evangelism, gospel-communities, family devotions, or whatever the church does…everything pivots on this priority of making and training disciples.
Do: At this point there is little to say other than, if a church is not doing what it continues to emphasize as important then they will eventually find themselves tossing around buzzwords. We must be doing what we are emphasizing otherwise we need to emphasize something else. This is the task of leadership. Leaders must identify what is important and compel others to get on board and likewise work for the mission.
This does not mean that there can’t be room for improvement. In our context we are far from where we want to be in 5 years concerning mission. However, we are further along the path than we were 6-12 months ago. As a church we are putting all of our resources (time, money and energy) into making and training disciples. It’s a process, but it is a process that is a priority.
Conclusion
Fads come and go with new ideas and new words. But if something is ingrained in the DNA of a church then it cannot and will not fade. It will continue to leave footprints as it is articulated, connected and practiced.
