The question, "What is your mission?" sends waves of panic through many Christian congregations and other institutions. Why? Do we not know what to do? Are we so confused by the rapid pace of change that even our basic purpose feels unsettled?

Many congregations are caught between finding meaning in the worship, study, ministry and missions that have sustained faith through several generations and addressing the concern that young people are not coming to church. We read about the rising number of people with no religious affiliation (the "nones"), and many of us realize that our grandchildren and their friends are not in church.

This situation leaves many with doubts about what our congregations are doing. We wonder whether the church down the road has things figured out.

The vocabulary also trips us up, with people using "mission," "purpose," "vision" and "strategy" to mean different things. The simplest approach defines "mission" as the completion of the sentence, "We exist to ..." Mission is action-oriented; purpose is more about being. The two are closely connected.

Another challenge is that a clear mission does not always result in a specific strategy. The mission of a congregation might be to "make disciples," using the phrase from Mathew 28's Great Commission. The statement is short, memorable and rooted in the Christian tradition. Unfortunately, it does not indicate to a congregation how or whereto do that work.

Seminaries also have this challenge. At one level, the mission of a seminary could be simple: "We exist to train pastors." A denominationally owned and operated seminary trains pastors for that denomination's congregations. The denomination wants the education to be accredited so that students can get federal loans. The accrediting agency determines the objectives of the curriculum through its standards. The seminary hires a faculty that meets the standards of both the denomination and the accrediting agency.

But what happens if congregations don't need as many pastors? What happens if congregations decide to train their own leaders? What happens if the cost of education is beyond the ability of the students and denomination to pay? In light of changing conditions, seminaries are revisiting their missions and strategies. Everything is getting reshaped.