Family Mission Statements

I went to a homeschooling conference this weekend.  I was never going to be “that” mom, I wasn’t even convinced I was going to homeschool before I left, but God keeps bringing me closer to homeschooling for my future.  This is not what I was taught to do, in some ways it feels like I’m giving up my productiveness in society and closing off my children.  But in other ways it feels like this is the absolute most important thing that I could be doing.  One of the speakers said that he called homeschooling “parent-led discipleship”, I liked that.  That seems more like what I want to be doing.

I didn’t buy a curriculum yet for the kids, but one of the main ideas I came home with is that we need to have a family mission statement before we start.  We need to have a good reason established for ourselves and for our kids before we make a radical decision like taking them out of public schooling and have me give up a second income for several years.  The speaker’s mission was “To know, love and serve God so that we can know, love and serve others”.  I thought that was a pretty good family mission statement.  I think I’ll look up several and have my husband help decide this for us.  Mission statements are more his area than mine.  He is good at spiritual direction for our family, I’m more emotion-led.

I started thinking how a family mission statement would effect so much more in our lives than just homeschooling.  It would effect what purchases we made, our big decisions, our parenting.  Once I started thinking about it, it is kind of crazy how we have survived this long without one.  Also, I think it is important to post the mission statement in a central location where everyone can see it and be reminded often.

As soon as we have ours, I’ll comment back here and let you know what we decided.

Here are some sample mission statements that I found:

“To make a difference in the world, a single light, shining brightly in such a way that we keep Jesus our focus, listen closely to His voice & enjoy life. So that we can say at the end of the day, we’ve touched others & thrived.” from We Are That Family

Your father and I desire to create a family that:
Is supportive and encouraging of one another
Prays, sings and worships together at home
Is involved in our church and community
Enjoys family activities together
Displays affection physically with lots of hugs and kisses
Uplifts and supports each other in times of need
Gets together as a family, and extended family, once a quarter/month
Enjoys spending time together and looks forward to the next family get together
Celebrates each other’s events and achievements
Has a home where people feel safe, relaxed and welcome
Encourages relationships with extended family members
Has home of peace and tranquility
Has a home of traditions
Has a home where our children and their friends like to spend time
Serves others
Shares common hobbies and interests
Has the willingness to walk away from activities, entertainment and relationships which are inconsistent with these values
 from Eric Mack On-Line  and there’s more if you follow the link.

“Our mission is to be a family who passionately loves God and sacrificially loves people.”  from The Better Mom

Tagged: Family, Homeschooling, Jesus, mission statements