connecting
mission
vision
By Dr. Allison Bearden
and
practice
WHEN TAKING A ROAD TRIP,
the driver must first know a
destination before he can em-
bark on the journey. Without a clear route, he is sure to run into many detours that could have been avoidable had
his sights been set on the destination from the beginning. These detours could result in additional travel time due
to recalculating, possible danger, fewer hours to enjoy his destination, and a waste of gasoline and tread on his tires.
Just like a road trip, intentionally pursuing your school’s
destination, or vision, involves planning the way you will
progress through the journey mile by mile, year after year.
Your school’s mission statement is the route you plan to
travel while steadily pursuing the vision. Families choose
Christian education for their children for many reasons, but
one overarching reason is the shared beliefs and values. It is
our responsibility as school leaders to be vision and mission
minded in all our decision making to honor the integrity in
which those families chose to partner with us in the build-
ing of their child’s spiritual and academic foundation. In our
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current culture that constantly promotes a secular world-
view, along with the rapid rate of Christian schools closing
each year, this pursuit of vision and mission fulfillment is
perhaps more important than ever to the sustainability of
Christian schools.
The Destination
“Begin with the end in mind” was Dr. Stephen Covey’s
second habit in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People. 1 Christian schools’ vision and mission statements
are most often the very reason families choose to sacrifice