*Sara Shelton, January 15, 2026
When Heather Tuininga, Founder of 10|10 Strategies, was in her late twenties, she found herself grappling with some of life’s biggest questions.
What is God’s plan for my life?
Who does God want me to be in this world?
What is the mission I’m supposed to be living out?
“I knew the Bible called us to love God, love others, care for the poor, feed the hungry, loose the chains of injustice,” Heather says. “The list could go on and on. The problem was I just didn’t know how any of that related to my own mission in life.”
After a lot of prayer, listening, and searching, Heather ultimately found her answer in developing a mission statement – the barometer which guides all her decisions, giving included.
“I created my first mission statement when I was trying to figure out who I was and what God wanted me to do,” Heather says. “It has changed over the years, of course, but the crux of it is the same. It guides my major decisions, my everyday actions, and my giving.”
After experiencing the impact of her own mission statement, Heather now works to help others create the same for themselves.
“Your mission statement describes what you plan to do today to make the world a better place tomorrow. While a vision looks to the future, a mission outlines purpose and action in the present.”
Creating a mission statement
So many of NCF’s amazing givers are setting goals and looking to navigate their giving with clarity and confidence, Heather says. And she loves to help people find the purpose she did after creating her own.
“I like to help people create mission statements because it gives them clarity for their lives and their giving. It brings freedom, joy, and purpose to know you’re executing the mission God has given you in this life.”
If you’re looking for confidence about how you’re serving God with your time and your finances,
Heather suggests it’s important to note the makeup of a mission statement before you begin the work of crafting your own. A mission statement has three parts, Heather explains. “While it can look a lot of different ways, the three main parts are always the same.”
Part one: Action
The first step is to define the action your mission statement inspires you to take. In other words, how does it answer the question of what you want to do?
The action, like the mission itself, is specific to you. So, it can be as broad or as narrow as you’d like. For example, maybe your action is more of a blanket statement, like “to be used by God” or “to inspire change.” Or maybe it’s a little more specific, like “to invest in financial solutions” or “to be a resource or support system.”
Part two: Who/what
With your action defined, the next step is to declare who or what your action is intended to reach. Consider what the action is for or who will be impacted by it.
Again, this part of the statement should speak directly to the mission to which God has uniquely called you. Though you can keep the scope wide by directing your action broadly, like to “others,” “the vulnerable,” or “nonbelievers,” sometimes it’s helpful to get specific, like “a Christ-centered organization,” “families in my community,” or “children in one remote village in Africa.” The more specific you are, the clearer your statement will speak to your desired impact.
Part three: Why/how
Finally, the last step is to consider why or how your action will affect the who or what your mission statement calls you to serve.
Maybe your why is “so others grow in their knowledge of Christ.” Or maybe you have a big scope and are hoping for an impact like “to promote systemic change and social justice in my community.” Or perhaps you want to address how you’re going to execute your mission with something like, “by addressing the root causes of serious problems.”
Whatever the desired outcome, remember this is just for you and the mission God has planted in your heart.
Look at Heather’s own mission statement as an example.
“My mission is to be used by God for others’ eternal transformation and present flourishing,” she says.
Now, let’s break that down:
Action: To be used by God
Who/what: Others
Why/how: So they are eternally transformed and flourish in the present
Putting it together
Now, it’s time to put your own mission statement together.
Following Heather’s format, consider how you’d fill in the following:
My mission is to (action) for (who/what you want to impact) so/to/by/for
(why/how you want to make that impact).
If you took the time to complete that statement, now you get to do the fun part: Try it on! Write it out and put it in front of you so you’ll see it each day. See if it serves you well as a guide for both big decisions and everyday life. If it doesn’t, adjust it until it feels like it serves your specific calling.
As Heather suggests, this will give you more clarity and confidence on what to say yes or no to based on the mission to which God has called you. If the question is, “Do I want to give my time, resources, etc. to this specific cause or organization?” the answer will be clearer if you run it through the filter of your mission statement.
In this way, mission statements are also very helpful in narrowing the focus of your generosity. When presented with opportunities to give, if your answer too often is yes, your mission statement may be too broad. And in the inverse, if the answer too often is no, it may be too narrow. The goal is to make sure you’ve crafted a mission statement that zeroes in on what you value and how you can make an impact in that area of your generosity.
“I get such joy from living my life on mission,” Heather explains. “I get to partner with the King to accomplish the unique calling given just to me. I get to help people know Jesus and find the hope of eternal transformation, but I also get to do the work God has called me to do to see them flourish in the here and now. It’s an honor to be invited to join him on that mission in my life and in my giving.” Was this content helpful or inspiring to you?
*Sara is a freelance writer and editor working on NCF’s marketing team, writing articles and helping curate content for our Saturday 7. She has a background in children’s curriculum and in working with authors to help them develop, write, and publish their stories.
My action point here is to start with her three point and put them on paper, and then come up with a mission statement for my giving in 2026.
What about you?
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