The Principle
Found this, thanks to Hamo, at Backyard Missionary

The Central Organising Principle

Gordon Crosby once said that in all his years of service he has never (and he emphasized ‘never’) seen a group go from community to mission. Rather, he said one should organize around mission and community will follow.

As I have talked about before, this is one of the secrets of success of the AA 12-step movement. AA, they say, has but one primary purpose, that of helping the alcoholic who still suffers. AA's traditions make sure that other things like money, power, prestige, personal ego, etc. get in the way. Once you build a community, if that is your first stage, you lose the willingness to admit new people. But if you bring people together in common mission, the community will, if it is a viable and meaningful mission, follow.