Our Mission and Vision

LOVE GOD

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”
Mark 12:29-30

We love God with all our hearts when we love Him exclusively.
We love God with all our soul when we find our satisfaction in Him above all.
We love God with all our mind when we make decisions to obey Him.
We love God with all our strength when we persevere.

LOVE PEOPLE

“The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:31

We love people when we recognize it is not about Christians’ “dos” but about Christ’s “done,” when we possess a second mile attitude, an intentional loving character, and a teachable spirit!

MAKE DISCIPLES

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20

A disciple intentionally chooses to follow Jesus, abides in Christ by accepting Him and His teaching without objection, and uses his/her gifts to bear fruit by the presence of His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit.

FOLLOW

And He said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Matthew 4:19

I respond to the call of Jesus by intentionally choosing to commit my life to Him, follow His example and obey His commands by faith, that I might be holy as He is holy.

ABIDE

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love.”
John 15:4-9

The act of receiving and trusting all that God is for us in Christ, remaining in fellowship with Him, and allowing the Word to shape and sanctify us for the glory of the Lord.

BEAR FRUIT

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:5-8

To experience and express love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, by following the will of the Father, abiding, in the presence of the Son, and bearing out the love of the Holy Spirit.

ENCOURAGE DISCIPLESHIP

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:1-2

The aspect of discipleship we will be focused on within this vision will be about growing in our restored relationship with the Lord. There are two elements to growing in our restored relationship with the Lord: Who God is and how God desires for us to see the world and things in the world. In biblical terms this is called sanctification! Sanctification is the process of becoming and thinking more like Christ.

EQUIP LEADERSHIP

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Romans 12:3-8

Most of us do not think of ourselves as leaders but in this context we all should. We are responsible to lead ourselves. The focus of equipping leadership is stewardship! Stewardship is the responsibility of each person to guide and lead their lives in the way God intended. Everything we are and posses is because of God’s provision. It is our responsibility to steward the time, gifts and resources God has provided for us.

ENGAGE COMMUNITY

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Romans 12:9-13

In God’s reconciliation we are restored to our relationship with others. To engage a community is to not simply create a volunteer organization but to engage people with our hearts, heads and hands. This is about how we love each other within the walls of the church and love the community outside the walls.