Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends (Quakers)

The work we do together as Friends in NWYM is centered on a few important themes. When asked to summarize them I usually say this: We seek to know and obey Jesus, love and support each other, and carry out God’s mission in the world. These are, in large part, how God is at work in the world in and through us on both a local and on a yearly meeting level.

The actual mission statement of NWYM actually states it this way:
NWYM is a covenantal community of evangelical Friends churches that make Jesus Christ known by:

Figuring out what that looks like on a daily and annual basis, however, has more to do with our “vision statement.” That is the document we crafted together in 2006 during our organizational overhaul. In case you have forgotten what it says, you can find it on our website .

A useful vision statement is sort of like a star to steer by. In the absence of a clearly illuminated path or an easy-to-read road map, a brightly lit star can keep us heading in the right direction. In ministry, when so many options are available to us and so many needs crying for attention, we need some sort of direction to help us stay focused on the work God called us to do. When we live in harmony with our stated vision, we not only see good results—we wind up moving forward together.

A vision statement is sort of an artist’s rendering of what we would really look like if we faithfully lived out our mission. You might think of it as God’s intended future for us, as we have worked together to discern it.

A vision statement, however, never fully defines us. In fact, part of its central function is to keep moving us forward. Clear vision about who we hope to become challenges us to live with greater integrity, until what we say about ourselves is matched by our actions.

Over the past few months, I have listened to several groups reflect on how well we are living up to and into our stated vision. In the fall, the NWYM staff spent much of our retreat together on this theme. Soon after, the group whose task it is to be sure we are in alignment with our vision—the NWYM Administrative Council—began a similar discussion. At Midyear Boards, we heard a bit from your representatives on this topic. Clerks of our boards were encouraged to discuss this with other members of their working groups.

It was heartening to hear and see three things come out of this discussion.

• First, many affirmed that this vision statement really is a picture of who we want to be. Rather than a blueprint we made up and now have to build on our own, it seems more like an image we are drawn toward — something God is calling us to live into by faith.
• Second, we agree that we are not yet living out this vision. In fact, this was the point of the exercise, to better identify those areas where we are seeing fruit and those areas that need much more work. We are not “there” yet, so part of the challenge for boards, staff, and churches is to consider ways that will help us better live in harmony with who God is calling us to be.
• Finally, and maybe most heartening to me, I have been seeing folks rise to this challenge to begin to address, in creative and effective ways, those areas that need more attention.

I hope all of you are paying attention to these matters of integrity. Integrity, of course, is one of those core Quaker testimonies—an application of the spiritual life that springs out of our experience of Christ and the clear teaching of Scripture. Having integrity, however, is not simply something for individuals. As the people of God, a particular community of faith, our life together is supposed to reflect what we claim. That is, we are to possess in our common life what we profess about ourselves, to ourselves, and to a watching world.

We will continue this conversation about how well we are living up to our vision as NWYM Friends. In the meantime, I am glad our boards and staff are working hard to address critical areas needing further help, like discernment training, our Friends identity, encouraging women in ministry, evangelism, educational resources, and practical peace and justice ministries.
No, we are not there yet. But with God’s grace and all of our willingness to work together, we can get one step closer. Hope to see you at Yearly Meeting sessions!

Queries:

• As an individual, how well does your life reflect what you believe?
• In your local church, what are you doing to encourage and support a vision of integrity among the Friends who gather and serve there?
• In what areas do you feel NWYM is aligned and misaligned with our stated vision? What ideas and resources can you suggest to help us have a better sense of integrity as a community?