Perhaps I’m beginning to see how easily the line between “mission” and “organization” gets so gray it is hard to see. I’m thinking about the church. It can be defined both as a mission driven movement and as an institution. I believe individual Christian faith is best lived out in an organized, corporate context (often called the institutional church). But the church (as an institution) is not the mission. It is merely a tool. At times I’ve been guilty of placing too much importance on the institution. It’s safe to say that the best businesses and organizations are the ones that are driven and guided by their mission. Last night I heard a report from an organization and strategy study group for the Friends churches in the Northwest. It looks like an exciting proposal that will move boards and committees into a setting where they serve the unified mission of the church with less of the entrapments of maintaining programs and positions.