The Little Aviators
The importance of a mission statement becomes even more evident when there are children in the family. Now you have people who need to have a sense of belonging, who need to be taught and trained – people who will be influenced in many different ways through their growing-up years. Without some unifying sense of vision and values, they may well be bouncing off the walls with no sense of family identity or purpose. So, again, a family mission statement becomes supremely important.
When children are young, they generally love to be included in the process of creating the mission statement. They love sharing their ideas and helping to create something that gives them a sense of family identity.
“Every New Year’s Eve we sit down and work on our mission statement and write out goals for the coming year.”
What a wonderful experience for children – to know that their ideas and feelings are valued and that they are a vital part of making their family all that it can be!
Now, when teenagers are involved, the effort to create a family mission statement may be a little more complex. In fact, you may even initially meet with some resistance. Some older children may not be interested at first. They may want to hurry and get it over with quickly. They may not see the reason for taking so much time to talk about such serious things. The key is to find ways to lighten it up and to keep coming back to it. In time, their interest in it will grow.
Some tips to follow during the discussion:
As you discuss these questions, you will probably hear a variety of responses. Remember that everybody in the family is important. Everybody’s ideas are important. You may have to deal with all kinds of positive and negative expressions. Don’t judge them. Respect them. Let them be expressed freely. Don’t try to resolve everything. All you’re doing at this point is preparing minds and hearts to think reflectively. In a sense you’re preparing the ground and beginning to sow a few seeds.
“No involvement, no commitment”
If nothing else were gained from this process, the mere act of spending the time, of listening to one another, and of relating on such a deep level would have tremendous benefits alone.
The process can also be very enjoyable. Initially, it may feel a little uncomfortable. It may throw people a little out of their comfort zone because they’ve never become involved with others in such a deep, reflective discussion. The key is to press on knowing that as they do become involved, a kind of excitement begins to develop.
The communication becomes very authentic and the bonding becomes very deep. Slowly, almost imperceptibly perhaps, within the hearts and minds of family members, the substance of the mission statement itself begins to come into focus.
Questions that you can ask your family
What is the purpose of our family?
What kind of family do we want to be?
What kinds of things do we want to do?
What kind of relationships do we want to have with one another?
How do we want to treat one another and speak to one another?
What things are truly important to us as a family?
What are the unique talents, gifts, and abilities of family members?
What are our responsibilities as family members?
What families inspire us and why do we admire them?
How can we serve others as a family?