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Sincerely,
Russell Keppner
TJEdRefers generally to the concepts presented in the book A Thomas Jefferson Education, written by Dr. Oliver DeMille. We also have an Introduction to Thomas Jefferson Education available elsewhere on this site..org Administrator
Mission Statements
Thank you all for sharing your mission statements and thoughts. I went through an interesting process to get to what I have now as my misson statement.
At first, I extracted (ok, plagarized) many excerpts from various sources (other mission statements, scripture, quotes, etc.). The result was a very "scripted" and formal sounding document that had all the right words, but sounded like a textbook. Of course, what else could I expect since it wasn't my own words. Then a kind, honest friend told me that now that I had done all the "work" to compile this information, let it go and write stream of conciousness style from my heart. I did that and it was bland. My words never seem to be the right ones or as eloquent. As you can tell by this story I'm sharing here, I am not in the habit of writing. TJ EdRefers generally to the concepts presented in the book A Thomas Jefferson Education, written by Dr. Oliver DeMille. We also have an Introduction to Thomas Jefferson Education available elsewhere on this site. has set that in motion for me. Anyway, after my dull attempt, I put the assignment away and let it go for a day or two. Then, one day I sat down at my computer and decided I did not have the time to continue to dwell on this. I was ready to move forward. I pushed my perfectionist nature aside, began writing the mission statement and gave myself permission to revisit it and tweak it as needed over the years. I told myself it did not need to be perfect right now. Then, I completed it. I really like it and I WILL visit it over the years and make changes, if needed, but I really like it.
• Our purpose in homeschooling is to provide our children with an education that is geared toward their learning styles and gifts, to develop their spiritual as well as academic potential and to preserve their love of learning.
• Our belief is that education is a lifelong adventure that begins with the knowledge and love of God, and the development of spiritual qualities followed by education in other branches of knowledge.
• Our goal is for our children to discover their passions and interests, to be confident in who they are, self-disciplined in their actions, knowledgeable and wise, spiritually perceptive, have the ability to express their thoughts and beliefs and to live as individuals of high integrity.
• Our plan is to set an example of scholarship, to provide challenging growth opportunities in a supportive environment, give choice and freedom by structuring time, not content; to assist them in their development of a personalized study program and the understanding of options and various paths available in life.
• Our hope is for our children to be inspired to take charge of their own education, to realize their God-given talents, to be familiar with and conversant in the great ideas of humanity, to know how to think, how to lead and to be devoted to the service of all mankind.
So that's what I came up with. I have found it to be very personal and precious. It is slightly difficult to share and there is a feeling of vulnerability with sharing it somehow. I guess that is good?
Valarie in TX
Mission Statement
I understand the feeling of vulnerability. Declaring what you stand for and what your goals are means letting others see the real you, and then hearing, seeing, reading their reactions, positive or negative.
I like your mission statement. You've obviously put a lot of thought and prayer into making it complete and specific. Reading it gives me a good feeling about my own children, as well, because my 16yods who has been giving me grief is a fine upstanding boy who has many of these qualities. I need to remember that he's accomplishing good character advances, though he's not perfect.
Personal or Family Mission?
My family's "mission statement" is in the form of a family crest. (If you're interested, you can see in in the article archives.)
My personal mission statement is very dear to my heart, and it came to me through lots of prayer and inspiration from God. It's short, sweet, and applies to lots of things, but it really fits me, and what I know I should be doing. It's simply: "To Lift the Hands that Hang Down." What we do here with this website is a big part of that mission. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to help TJEdRefers generally to the concepts presented in the book A Thomas Jefferson Education, written by Dr. Oliver DeMille. We also have an Introduction to Thomas Jefferson Education available elsewhere on this site. families here!
If you are studying personal mission, and are searching for your own, I strongly recommend you listen to Dr. DeMille's Keynote address on "Depth Phase" from the 2006 TJEdRefers generally to the concepts presented in the book A Thomas Jefferson Education, written by Dr. Oliver DeMille. We also have an Introduction to Thomas Jefferson Education available elsewhere on this site. Forum in Salt Lake, to learn more about personal missions. They are available at the AYLI website here: www.ayli.org
I hope this helps you in your own quest for mission! :-)
Rachel Keppner
"ASPIRE to INSPIRE before you EXPIRE!"
Brooke Family Mission Statement and Vision
Here's ours. It took me a while to fine-tune it! I plan to print it out fancy and frame it up and hang it somewhere prominent in our home. I'm thinking about re-wording the bit about gender and traditional responsibilities...but not sure what to do just yet. :)
THE BROOKE FAMILY
Est. 2002
Mission:
• Our family provides the opportunity for physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual progression for each family member.
• We encourage each other in the pursuit of truth and in our desires to live the teachings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
• We aim to be responsible, patriotic and industrious citizens, increasing in love for each other and for our neighbors.
• We stress the importance of righteous living, missionary work and temple marriage in order to realize our ultimate goal of exaltation as a complete family unit.
Vision:
• We seek to provide a clean, safe and wholesome environment that inspires each family member to grow and excel.
• We recognize the inherent differences between male and female and aim to promote appreciation for the skills traditionally associated with each gender.
• We work to increase our intelligence through diligent study and application of principles learned.
• We work together, play together and enjoy each other's company.
• Our strength lies within our unity and love for each other and we strive to promote these attributes through enriching activities and service.
Let us see yours when you get it written up!
More Than Rubies
Mission Statement
I don't have a long and involved mission statement, but it is all-encompassing. I plan to go to the celestial kingdom to live with God the Father and Jesus Christ, with my dear husband and my children (who will hopefully do what's required to go there, too).
It boils down to: I want to go to heaven.
My religion has amazingly complete and specific instructions on how to prepare for heaven, covering all aspects of life. The list of items is quite long; it amounts to a distinctly different culture. The two most basic tenets are:
1) As we are His children, God gives each of us a body and responsibility to learn how to use and care for it (which includes family relationships as well).
2) We are each given the ability to choose from the choices before us, without being forced one way or the other. The only force involved here is the law of consequences, which means we choose what we do, but we do not choose what follows our choices. The consequences are up to God.
Thomas Jefferson Education fits this really well, because of "Inspire, not require" (no force, just consequences), and the need to know and follow my core classic (scriptures).
Having said that, though, my actual action plan (which is what I think you mean when you say "mission statement") is taken from an exercise in _The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People_. It has my longest term goal (stated above), followed by a list of my roles, with long and short term goals for each. I go back over my roles and goals every six months or so, though I don't follow a regular schedule. Circumstances change every few months anyway, especially with small children.