Why Every Church Needs One Excellent Mission

Part 1 of 6 Why Every Church Needs One Excellent Mission

Welcome to Week One of “One Excellent Mission: How Smaller Churches Find Clarity, Courage, and Kingdom Impact.”

Over the next six weeks, we’ll explore what it means to have a One Excellent Mission (OEM), how your church can discover its unique calling, and how to live it out for the greatest impact in God’s Kingdom.

The phrase One Excellent Mission was first introduced by Kennon L. Callahan in his book Small, Strong Congregations.[1] During my fourteen years serving as a small-church coordinator for my denomination, I saw firsthand how powerful this principle could be. I built on Callahan’s idea to help smaller congregations rediscover health and vitality and later shared these insights in my book Small Church—Big Opportunity.[2]

Here’s the reality: many smaller churches are full of faithful volunteers, yet their ministries are often spread too thin. Resources run short, people get burned out, and enthusiasm fades. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

God has uniquely shaped every congregation to accomplish a specific work in His Kingdom. When a church identifies its One Excellent Mission, everything changes. People serve with joy and energy, ministries are retooled or released as needed, and resources are focused with laser-like clarity. The result? A healthier, happier congregation that knows it is making a real difference for Christ.

The Pitfall of Trying to Do Too Much

It’s easy to believe that more activity equals more impact. Churches often try to do everything—launching multiple programs, running events, and maintaining traditions—because they want to reach everyone. But the truth is, when we try to do everything, we rarely do anything well.

The Apostle Paul reminds us:

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord… To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”(1 Corinthians 12:4–7)

When we operate outside of our Spirit-given strengths, we work harder but see little fruit. Volunteers feel drained rather than energized, and the church can slip into a cycle of busyness without Kingdom effectiveness.

Giving God Our Best

Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes in Matthew 14. That miracle reminds us that God can take our small offerings and do more than we imagine. But notice—He multiplied what was already in the hands of His people. They gave what they had, and He blessed it.

Likewise, God does not ask us to imitate other churches or stretch ourselves beyond what He has equipped us to do. He asks us to give Him our best—the unique gifts, passions, and callings He has already placed within our church body. When we do, He multiplies those offerings for His glory.

From Survival Mode to Kingdom Impact

Many small churches live in survival mode:

• Struggling to keep programs afloat.

• Stressed by limited resources.

• Worn down by volunteer fatigue.

But a church focused on its One Excellent Mission begins to thrive:

• Ministries align around a common purpose.

• Volunteers serve out of their gifts with joy.

• Resources are maximized for the greatest impact.

• The congregation experiences renewed hope and energy.

Jesus said, “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:2). Identifying and living out your One Excellent Mission is one of the most powerful ways God prunes His church—not to weaken it, but to make it flourish.

A Call to Clarity

The truth is, clarity brings courage. When a church knows what God has uniquely called it to do, it can stop wasting energy on things that no longer bear fruit and pour everything into the mission that matters most. That kind of focus turns a congregation from merely “keeping the doors open” into being a powerful witness of the Kingdom right where God has planted them.

This is why One Excellent Mission matters. It’s not just a strategy—it’s a way of aligning your church with the movement of the Holy Spirit.

Next week, we’ll take the first steps toward discovering what your church’s One Excellent Mission really is.

Reflection Questions

As you consider your church’s current ministries and activities, ask yourself:

1. Are we busy or fruitful?

   – Do our efforts produce Kingdom impact, or are we simply maintaining programs because we always have?

2. Are our people energized or exhausted?

   – Do our volunteers serve with joy in their God-given gifts, or are they stretched too thin trying to fill gaps?

3. Are our resources aligned or scattered?

   – Is our budget, time, and leadership focus centered on one clear mission, or spread across too many competing priorities?

4. Are we clear or confused?

   – Could every member of our church articulate our mission in one simple sentence, or would answers vary depending on who you ask?

5. Are we surviving or thriving?

   – Are we just keeping the doors open, or are we seeing lives transformed because we are living out our One Excellent Mission?

Next Step

If these questions stir something in you, you’re not alone. Many small churches discover they are doing a lot of good things but missing out on the one excellent thing God has uniquely called them to do.

I’d like to invite you to subscribe to my website and download the One Excellent Mission Reading Plan (PDF) so you can walk through this series step by step with your leadership team.

Subscribe and get the plan here: smallchurchcoaching.com

[1] Kennon L. Callahan, Small, Strong Congregations: Creating Strengths and Health for Your Congregation (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2000).

[2] Sam Peters, Small Church Big Opportunity (Wheelersburg, OH: Sampet Books 2015).