Vision

Our Biblical Purpose

Last August our key leaders revisited the question, “According to the Bible, why do we as a church exist?” After studying various passages of scripture and brainstorming in small groups, they proposed the following statement as foundational to the process. Pulse groups confirmed this.

“We exist to love God, love others and share Jesus Christ.”

 

Our Mission Focus

Whom has God called us to reach?

We believe God has given us the following people groups to reach:

Group A: People we are already reaching

Most of these are two parent families with children although there are singles and seniors. The majority of these individuals are in the upper middle class and have high school graduation. Many have post-secondary training and
degrees.

Group B: People we could reach when we became intentional, prayerful and obedient

Given who we are, the connections we have and the make up of our community this group will be most likely composed of two parent families with school age children who are in the upper middle class. Likely they will be
double income homeowners, educated beyond high school, feeling the stresses of relationships, family and finances. They will be busy people, concerned for their image and their children.

This group of churched², unbelievers will also include in lesser numbers, older parents, seniors and young adults as we will be reaching out on the basis of our personal connections.

Group C: People we will not find easy to reach without a great deal of prayer and effort

With great effort (we would have to first overcome our discomfort) we could reach unchurched, unbelievers (and their families) and neglected or overlooked groups with whom we have no present connections such as street
kids, homeless individuals, overlooked seniors, ethnic groups and single parent families.

Overseas Missions have been, and will continue to be, a mission focus of our church to carry the gospel to the world.

We acknowledged that God has called us to passionately reach all three Mission Focus Groups.

 

Our Values

Who has God shaped us to be?

We asked, “What values would we need to have as a church if we were to reach the people in our Mission Focus?” We concluded the following:

• Dependency on God – We value God as our Creator and Sustainer. We are wholeheartedly dependent on Him for all that we are and do. Our dependency affirms that Jesus is at work in our world and we are committed to pray and to live out His purposes in surrender and obedience.

• Biblical Faithfulness – Culturally Relevant – We value the unchanging truth of God expressed in a relevant way because God’s word is relevant to all. We understand that God has called us to a specific time, place and culture. We communicate the timelessness of God’s word in such a way that there are no barriers to personal faith while allowing believers to grow in their relationship with the Lord.

• Authentic Relationships - We value individuals because we are all created in God’s image. Life transformation takes place through respectful, compassionate, accepting relationships, not just the imparting of information.
Therefore everything we do in ministry is done from a relational grace-filled core, not just as a program.

• We value ministry based on a vision of engaging people who do not know how much God loves them, introducing them to Him, and watching Him bring wholeness to their lives.

• Teamwork – We value working together in harmony and order with accountability because it is our deep conviction that by functioning interdependently we can have more of an impact for the Kingdom of God than
if each of us functions independently.

• Equipping – We value the empowering and equipping of believers to serve to their full potential as God calls them by His Spirit. This means we recognize gift based ministry and leadership styles that facilitate and empower.

• Integrity – We value honesty, authenticity and humility because without it we cannot be people of integrity who are salt and light in our world.

 

Our Vision

Where is God leading us in the future?

In five years we envision a growing church community of vibrant, caring, transparent people who are growing in their dependence on God, and teaming together with a passion to reach our friends,
neighbours and world for Him.

• We see dependence on God underlying everything we do especially expressed through prayer and obedience to His word.

• We see multiple worship services (some that are not on Sundays) that are joyful, accepting and relevant to life and sensitive to people seeking to connect with God.

• We see creative caring for the felt and spiritual needs of families/individuals in our church and in our community. We see people resolving their disagreements rather than avoiding situations and leaving. Our care will be lived out through the week as we personally engage with others.

• We see events and need oriented programs creatively and relevantly delivered as doorways to connect relationally with the people of our community and ultimately bring them to Christ.

• We see small groups of various kinds for care and ministry. We see many of these groups bridging to the community and serving God in their unique settings.

• We see leaders, teams and individuals being equipped, mentored and empowered as we live out God’s calling here and around the world.

• We see an environment where partnering and participating with other churches, organizations and mission agencies are encouraged in order to reach people together.

Ultimately people in this city will see us as a caring community, a spiritual home where Jesus is central, and a safe place of hope for the journey of life.

 

² A churched person is one who has had exposure to church services or functions i.e. Sunday School.