Friday, August 05, 2005
I've been reviewing the old version of the purpose statement for the college campus ministry I'm directing at UW. I'm thinking we need to just wipe the slate clean on all this stuff, but in considering what should be included in a new statement, I have to wonder if a mission/purpose statement is all that important. I can't say I know very many people who can say they were drawn to a company or a cause based on the attractiveness of the organization's mission statement. But then again, as I was considering it, I remembered reading the statement for one of my favorite Seattle coffee places,
Caffe Ladro. Here's what they say they're out to do:
To provide coffee and stuff that goes with coffee to the Seattle public. Actually, when we say "coffee", it includes espresso drinks, like lattes and those cappuccino thingys. And by "stuff" we mean desserts and baked goods, which isn't easy because flour and eggs are kinda messy. And when we say the Seattle public, we don't mean the entire Seattle public. At least not all at once. Not with only seven stores. That would be a heck of a long line. But we could get everyone to come in at different times. Maybe have some kind of lottery system, or you know, kinda stagger it . . . or whatever. Then we could handle it. Then everyone in the whole city could say "hi" to each other. It would be one big happy Seattle, synchronized perfectly with Ladro coffee and stuff. Heck, with Seattle being so important and all, maybe the whole world would be happier. Yeah. That would be cool.
That actually does make me want to drink their coffee. I like it because it's irreverent to mission statement junkies.
