Dummies 2 - Mission

By Pastor Christian on 6/22/09

This Sunday continued our cool summer series – “Canyon Creek Church for Dummies.” Over the next couple of months, we are taking the major “what” and “why” questions of church and boiling them down into entertaining and informative 35-minute messages. Taken all together these messages will form THE definitive guide to Canyon Creek Church. Individually, each message will be great resources for the life of Canyon Creek. If you miss any part or just want to send one to a friend, visit our sermon archive page and click on Canyon Creek for Dummies.

If this series were being bound into a book, we’d consider last week’s message “What does it mean to be a Christian” to be the appropriate prologue to everything.  As I said last time, every other “chapter” assumes that foundational relationship.

Well, in the same way these next three messages form the foundation for everything we DO at Canyon Creek. From this Sunday to next, we will cover the Mission, Purposes, and Core Values of Canyon Creek Church. You should understand that these central commitments steer the course of the entire organization. So if you have ever wondered what we are about – now is the time to pay attention :)

WEEK ONE: THE MISSION

The mission of an organization is its objective. It is that thing or position it must achieve to be successful. For example, if the “Mission to Mars” does not make it to Mars – it failed – plain and simple. It that way, the mission acts like a compass, steering an organization away from danger, folly, and probably most perilously. . .distraction. The mission always tells you which direction you should be going.

As an example of intense focus on mission, Brandon offered 17-year old Zac Sunderland. This “kid” decided at the age of 14 that he was going to be the youngest person in the world to sail solo around the world. Check out his website at http://www.zacsunderland.com/. Since that time he has been focused on meeting this objective. Think of everything that could have distracted a 15, 16, 17-year old boy?  – dances, girls, cars, girls, sports, girls, clothes/popularity, and girls. It would have been easy for this young man to loose his way and only his adoring parents would have been any wiser. But, he maintained a laser like focus on his mission, and NOW BECAUSE OF THAT COMMITMENT HE IS SEEING HIS MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. I can only imagine that his life will never be the same and that he has developed capacities that most humans will never reach because of his discipline to his MISSION.

Now, should we expect anything less from the church? Will we be shown-up by a teenager with a mission for adventure and a world record? No! That is why we must hold our mission with zealous commitment.

At Canyon Creek, it is our MISSION to:
      *Live by Faith
      *Be Known by Love
      *Be a Voice of Hope

As you read those memorable short lines, you must insert everything that they embody - All of the work; all of the discipline; all of the love and sacrifice; all of the joy; all of the beauty; all of the community; all of the justice. Not sure what I mean, listen to the sermon again.

Then with our heads full of knowledge, our hearts full of courage, and our faces set like flint – we must focus on this mission until Jesus returns or this organization is gone.

Yesterday, Brandon said, “that if you don’t know where you re going, how will you know if you ever get there.” I don’t think you have to worry about it. If WE don’t know where WE are going, we will NEVER get there.

This is our mission. It’s worth it. Are you on board?

Comments? Question?

Next week – PURPOSES. Our Mission may tell us where we are going, Purpose tells us why we exist and how we are going to get there :) No journey is complete without a map.

See you Sunday.

Christian

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