Vision 2012

As the new year begins I'm casting new vision for the church. Vision is one of those things my professors talked about, my mentor has emphasized, and at the same time it's one of those things that no one tells you how to do. That's really because no one can tell you how to do it. I've learned in the past two years that you don't walk into a place with a specific vision for it. If you do, it's most likely your vision for what you want to happen.

Vision is something that comes once you've observed the environment and the people. Its something that you have to know the people and that community before you can begin to cast it. I've been here just over eight months, and in that time I've observed and reflected on a lot. Over the last few months this is where God has lead me, and so today we cast vision 2012.

Love God, Love Others, Love the World.

LOVE GOD:

Jesus said in Matthew that the greatest commandment is to love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind. In Mark He adds strength to the list. We love God with our heart be spending time with Him in prayer. By communicating with Him and deepening the relationship we have with Him. We love God with our soul by worshiping Him, both individually in every aspect of our lives, and corporately in a worship service. We love God with our mind by learning about Him. We study His word, we memorize it, we share it with others. We love God with our strength by serving Him. He has given all of us a gift, we find a place to use it for His glory.

This year, the goal is for everyone at the church to spend daily time with God in prayer and Bible study, to memorize one Bible verse a week, to be at Sunday service weekly, and to find a place to serve (we'll talk more about this one in the next two). Love God.

LOVE OTHERS:

We weren't created to be alone, God made us to be relational. But studies show that you can only have deep personal relationships with about 5-7 people. You can really only manage a group of about 12 people. You can be acquainted with about 150 people. That being said, you can't have deep relationships with everyone in a church unless the church is a group of up to 12 people. So we have the small group. Hebrews 10.23-25, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."

How can you really encourage someone you are only acquainted with? How can you challenge someone to go deeper with God if you don't have that type of relationship with them? How can you really pray for someone if you don't know really what they are going through? How can you know that without a deep relationship with them? There is no way for us to know everyone on the same level. Jesus Himself grabbed 12 men and poured Himself deeply into them. We need those deep personal relationships. We need those people who know us, who are there for us, who we can call at 2 AM if needed.

The goal is for everyone at the church to be involved in a small group environment, right now we only have Sunday School classes, but it's that small group where they can begin to develop these deep relationships.

Secondly, loving others involves service. Jesus said in Matthew that the second greatest commandment is to love others. Loving involves serving. We love others within the church, we serve others in the church. We must find a ministry to be involved with, a place to exercise our God given gifts.

The goal is for everyone at the church to be involved in ministry within the church. Serving in some capacity to build the body of Christ.

LOVE THE WORLD:

Jesus said in Acts 1.8, "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." Our Jerusalem is the local community. How will we serve the community? What are ways we can reach out and impact it for the Kingdom?

In the fall we did Trunk-or-Treat. This year we're looking at doing that, as well as a "Drive in" movie night this summer, possible three of them. We're exploring different ways to help the elderly, as well as ways to reach out to the poorer families in the community. But it says to serve the remotest parts of the earth. Many people feel that you have to go on an overseas missions trip to do this. If you can great, but many of the people I'm working with are older and physically can't. Many don't have the money to be able to go. What can we do?

This year we are going to be sponsoring children through World Vision. It's only about a dollar a day to feed, educate, and care for the child. But the great thing about World Vision is that they work to transform the entire village where that child lives. They work on bringing lasting change to a group of people.

You can also pray. There is something called "The Joshua Project", you can see a link to it on the right. It provides information on every people group in the world that has not heard the Gospel of Jesus. What you can do is "adopt" a people group. Pick one group, anywhere in the world, maybe somewhere you've always wanted to go. Pray for them. Pray for missionaries that might be there. Eventually look at ways you could possibly go and work with them.

The goal, is for everyone in the church to aid in sponsoring children around the world. To pray for our people group daily. To be involved in serving our community as we fulfill the last command of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. Love the World.

Vision is crucial, because vision is the thing that unites us together. So let our vision be to love. Let love be the thing that unites us.

Colossians 3.12-17, "So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."

Love God, Love Others, Love the World.

Peace be with you