I was recently in Orlando and wanted to get a good Cuban sandwich, so I launched Google Maps, searched “Cuban Sandwich,” chose a restaurant, opted to bypass tolls (they’re everywhere in Orlando!), and set off. Twenty minutes later, I was feasting on a glorious Cuban sandwich.

What I did that day is a model for what we are to do in ministry. (No, not eat Cuban sandwiches, although clearly, I’m not against that.) I did four key things: (1) I knew my purpose—a Cuban sandwich, (2) I knew my destination—the restaurant, (3) I knew my values—no tolls, and (4) I knew my route—how to get there. These are the four steps we need to take to develop a Ministry Map.

A Ministry Map is made up of four guiding documents that give clarity and direction to our ministry. Just as I’d have had no clue where to get a Cuban sandwich without Google Maps, we can do some good things but miss out on the best things in ministry without a Ministry Map.

Creating a Ministry Map is essential for us to do, but it’s just as essential that we don’t create one alone. It might be tempting (and easier) to create one on your own, but it shouldn’t be your Map; it should be our Map. It belongs to the church, not the leader. Remember, staff come and go, but the church stays. So, pull in as many key leaders and staff colleagues as possible. Walk the balance of leading the process while valuing the team. Include them. Defer to them at times. Guide them at other times. In the end, you’ll have a much stronger Ministry Map that leads to a much stronger ministry.

1. Know Our Purpose: The Ministry Mission Statement

This is where it all begins. What are we trying to do? My purpose was eating a Cuban sandwich, so that shaped everything I did. The next day, I had a different purpose—to go to Cru’s world headquarters—and that put me on a very different path.

It’s even more essential to have a clear understanding of our ministry purpose. A purpose of entertaining kids will lead in a much different direction than a purpose of discipling kids. A purpose of growing a crowd is much different than growing a faith family.

When it comes to crafting a Mission Statement, be biblical, be specific, and be brief. Most good Mission Statements are a single catchy and memorable sentence, something like this: We exist to partner with parents to help each child trust in Jesus, love Jesus, and live like Jesus.

2. Know Our Destination: The Ministry Vision Statement

What we’re trying to do naturally leads us to imagine what success looks like. In Orlando, my purpose led to a vision of me eating an amazing Cuban sandwich in one particular restaurant. This is what it means to create a Vision Statement—we turn our abstract purpose into something tangible.

Needless to say, the Vision Statement must be anchored to the Mission Statement. There should be no question about how they fit together. Start with the Mission and then look into the future to see what God is calling the ministry to be like. Imagine a kid who goes through your ministry. What does he or she look like? How about their families? How about the community?

Using our Mission Statement above, our Vision Statement would picture a ministry that walks side-by-side with parents, and moves kids along to know Jesus, trust in him for salvation, and love him. But it wouldn’t stop there; it would also include how our kids would live differently as they follow Jesus. And that would affect their classmates, friends, and others. This vision, fleshed out more, would become the target destination for all we do.

3. Know Our Values: The Ministry Philosophy

Because I wanted to avoid the hassle of going through tolls in a rental car, avoiding tolls was a non-negotiable that shaped my journey in Orlando. Of all the routes I could have taken, that value eliminated many. This is what clarifying a Ministry Philosophy does for us.

Look at your Mission Statement and Vision Statement, and brainstorm as many core values undergirding them as possible. This might include theological, social, mental, emotional, socio-economic, and other factors. Be careful; in most contexts, there are both spoken and unspoken values and expectations. Neglecting the latter ones often causes the greatest problems.

Returning to our example, our Ministry Philosophy would surely include a church and home partnership, teaching all the Bible with Jesus in mind, and gospel transformation rather than moralism. But it would certainly include other aspects, perhaps like being a safe-haven for every child and family, for leaders displaying the character of Jesus, and for the kids ministry to be equal with all other church ministries.

4. Know Our Route: The Ministry Plan

Imagine if, when I was in Orlando, I just hopped in my car and drove randomly, hoping to stumble upon a Cuban sandwich. Pretty absurd, right? But that’s what we can do if we don’t tether our Ministry Plan—the nuts and bolts of what we do day-in and day-out to the rest of our Ministry Map.

Take the curriculum we use, for example. Based on our example, we wouldn’t just use any curriculum out there; we’d need to use one that helps kids see Jesus and know how to live like Him. It would also need to have a parent component. If we couldn’t find one to use out of the box like that, we’d have to add the missing elements. The same would be true of everything else we do, such as events and midweek activities. Everything we do—from big to small—should clearly connect to our values, our destination, and our purpose. If something doesn’t, we either stop doing it or we change it. Nothing should fall off our Map.

Brian Dembowczyk (PhD, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the associate publisher at Thomas Nelson Bibles. He previously served as managing editor of The Gospel Project and in full-time ministry. He is the author of Faith Foundations (IVP), Family Discipleship that Works (IVP), and Gospel Centered Kids Ministry (B&H).