Director's View: Same mission, new statement

Over the past few months I’ve mentioned a number of ways we’re working to update CEM, from policies to procedures to facilities. Today I’m happy to announce another step forward and introduce our new mission and vision statements! The format is new, but the content is not: you’ll immediately recognize the same heart and focus behind our new formulations.

For over a year we’ve recognized the need to do this. Organizations have moved toward succinct mission and vision statements, with the benchmark being 3-22 words. This is a widely-held standard for a number of reasons, including ease in communicating these crucial ideas with external constituencies, as well as helping to maintain a precise, crystalized internal focus.

​For decades the Ranch has had a purpose document that has underpinned what we do as a ministry and why, and we’ve also had a motto. The purpose statement is useful for internal discussions and guiding the Board of Directors in making decisions, ​but it’s not suited for communicating the heart of CEM to the outside world. 

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Overcoming the cycles of brokenness, one story at a time

Our Board and staff leadership team began communicating about this back in January of 2017, while Chuck Boatman was the director of CEM. After over a year of working through the process--we deliberately moved slowly to give ourselves plenty of time for reflection--this spring the Board voted unanimously to approve the new statements.

Our new vision statement reflects what we hope to see in the world; our ultimate goal for humanity: “Broken lives restored in Christ, restored lives reaching the broken.” Mission statements bring vision close to home: they tell what an organization is working toward each day to accomplish their vision. CEM’s new mission statement is: “Overcoming the cycles of brokenness, one story at a time.” These two fit together, and they perfectly match the enduring focus of CEM. 

CEM’s long-held mission and vision are, if anything, even more critically needed today than when the ministry was founded. Staggering numbers of young people feel isolated, unloved, and hopeless. Substance abuse is rampant, hard drugs are more readily available and dangerous than ever, and it seems like we keep coming up with new ways to damage our souls.

​The vision given by God that launched the Ranch was not limited to addressing a problem during a particular cultural moment, but an ever-present need of humanity: brokenness is part of the human condition. But thanks be to God for opening a way for restoration! The Ranch will continue to offer this hope to each young person who steps on property.

Nate Boyd, Executive Director