Your group’s statement of faith or purpose is a critical part of your group’s identity. These documents give the “why” for your group’s existence and establish the foundational principles of your group.

While an organization may choose to have both a statement of faith and a statement of purpose, religious groups generally will have a statement of faith while secular/inclusive groups will have a statement of purpose.

Like any document, statements of purpose and statements of faith can be written well or poorly. So let’s discuss some basic ideas to craft a good one!

Statements of Faith

If you are a faith-based group, a cohesive statement of faith helps create unity among your members. It gives you an opportunity to clarify religious issues and related expectations for conduct.

This becomes critical in the everyday situations your group faces. If a teacher starts using a resource that doesn’t align with your statement of faith, you have a clear way to address and correct the issue. If a student’s behavior doesn’t comply with your statement, you have grounds to discuss their actions and lovingly correct them.

Many faith-based groups require families to sign some sort of acknowledgement of the statement of faith for participation. This could be a loose agreement to not violate or openly disagree with the statement while participating in the group’s activities, but it could also be a binding requirement to explicitly agree with each point laid out in the statement. You get to choose how closely aligned every family in your group must be with the statement of faith!

Note: If your group will be operating under the umbrella of a larger organization, such as a church or a statewide homeschool group, it may be helpful for your group to adopt their statement of faith (with their permission).

It’s also important to consider your non-negotiables. Essentially, if a belief is so important to your group that a contrary belief will cause issues, put it in your statement of faith! So, what are your group’s non-negotiables?

Statements of Purpose

For groups that are not specifically faith-based, a statement of purpose lays out the reason for your group and what you’re striving for.

Will it be a co-op focused on academics, a group that organizes field trips and events, or something even more unique to the needs of your community? Making your purpose clear in a document limits the chance of confusion and helps potential members get an idea of what your group offers.

Your statement of purpose may include your mission or vision, the reason you exist, or your intent and purpose. Though it’s certainly not required, you can have participants sign a written agreement to your statement of purpose. This tends to help with group unity because you know that all members have agreed to the same mission and vision.

While a statement of purpose can be designed in any manner you choose, here’s a simple outline that has worked for many groups:

  1. A statement of who you serve and how you intend to serve them.
  2. A statement of what your group will provide.
  3. Your intent for what your group will accomplish.
  4. Any supporting information.

Conclusion

Although it takes time to carefully write a statement of faith or statement of purpose, that time is a wise investment—down the road, it will lead to less confusion, greater unity, and a clear path for resolving potentially difficult situations.

Next, we will discuss how to form your group’s articles of incorporation and bylaws!