Our church’s vision statement is an essential tool that keeps us anchored to what we believe the bible calls us to be about. As a church, we strive to be guided by this statement in a continuing process of evaluating, adjusting, planning, and implementing the things that we do. An elaboration of the four components of our vision statement follows:
Know God – begins with knowing about God. As such we strive to make known what the Bible reveals about who God is; what he is like; what he demands; what he promises (good and consequential); and what he has done through His Son for mankind. We believe as people begin to know the truth about God, (especially how God has loved us through the sacrificial gift of his Son Jesus) they will long to know God in a more personal, intimate way. Our goal is not to simply help people to know about God, but to know Him personally.
Love God – We believe that to know God is to Love God. But love is not just a feeling. When love is real, it is always expressed. Loving God is about being in a relationship with God and giving expression to our love for Him through such avenues as worship, prayer, reading and studying God’s Word, faith and trust, obedience, stewardship, etc. Our goal here is to provide instruction about these expressions of love to God and to give our people various avenues and opportunities to exercise them.
Loving Others - Loving God must lead to loving others. Loving others involves loving everyone within our church community (including the wider church), and those outside the church community. Loving others in the church primarily means being together in community, the pursuit of unity, and the continuing effort of sacrificial service to the church and one another. Our love for the world around us primarily means to love as God loves the world: unconditionally and “involved” - through tangible expressions of love and compassion. Because the Bible has much to say about loving those in our own personal families, we also purpose to teach and encourage love for family that glorifies God and is reflective of his love.
Make Disciples – There is merit in loving the world around us simply because God loves the world around us. But our love for the world also involves concern about the ultimate, and spiritual welfare of all people. Therefore the major objective of our love for the world, (as it was for Jesus) is to share the saving message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our goal therefore is to call as many men, women, and children who will, into a saving relationship with Christ and then help them to grow into mature disciples of Christ.