Vision Part I

Recently in a staff meeting, we were talking about vision. We agreed that it is important to be clear about who we are as a church and where we are aimed. I firmly believe – if you aim at nothing, you are bound to hit it!

Do you know the vision of our church? Do you know what where we are aimed as a church? How important is it that our members are able to articulate the vision of their church?

At North Point Community Church, in Atlanta, GA, the vision of the church is to create a church that unchurched people love to attend. Their vision is pretty clear and easy to remember. They weigh everything they do in light of their vision. They are a seeker friendly church. That does not mean they do not mature the saints, or have a full cycle discipleship plan, but their focus is to create an environment where unchurched people will feel comfortable and will want to return. They do not do all things, yet they try to do the things they do well!

A vision statement not only gives the church as a whole a target to aim toward, a yardstick to use for measurement, but it also presents to the community a glimpse of who the church desires to be. Using North Point Community Church as an example – people in the community would be right to assume they are not church as usual.

The Great Commission points us toward the goal of every church – to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:19-20 – 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

If we are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ, we must be about bringing folks to Christ (reaching the unchurched or unsaved), building them up (discipling or equipping the saints) in the faith, and sending them out (outreach or being a disciple) to DO the ministry of Christ.

Currently our vision statement is Living as Disciples of Jesus Christ. How many of you knew that? It comes straight from the Great Commission.

Our current mission or plan to live out our vision is by: Introducing people to Jesus Christ, Developing relationships in Jesus Christ, Making mature disciples of Jesus Christ. You can find these on our website by clicking the link on the lower left that reads: Our Vision and Mission – www.mtoak.org.

Good stuff for sure. Introducing people to Christ is all about reaching the unchurched, the unsaved. Developing relationships in Christ is all about growing disciples, maturing the saints. Making mature disciples of Christ is about taking what we have learned and doing the work of Christ. It is supposed to be circular. We bring people to Christ, build them up in Christ, and send them out to be Christ to a world that needs Christ.

Some of the questions the staff has been wrestling with and will ask other leaders to wrestle with are as follows. Is our vision and mission descriptive of who we are or who we want to be? Is it easy to remember? Is it easy to explain? Is it a useful tool for the church leadership and membership alike?

Would you pray with me as we seek discernment on our focus? God is not through with us yet!

How well are we doing?

Our vision and mission can be found on our web page - http://www.mtoak.org/Documents/The Plan.pdf

† Mt. Oak’s Vision Statement
___o Living as disciples of Jesus Christ!
† Mt. Oak’s Mission Statement
___o Introducing people to Jesus Christ
___o Developing relationships in Jesus Christ
___o Making mature disciples of Jesus Christ

A year after adopting this vision and mission as a church – how are we doing? It is neat to have a vision and mission – and put it on the website – but if it doesn’t change anything about how we do church – what good is it?

Praying for God's Direction

I'm praying this week about new ways to reach people for Jesus. Tweaking our worship won't reach new people. It will reach the people who are here and folks that will come to "regular church".

My son-in-law is on staff of a church that does video worship in movie theaters and coffee houses. Maybe a coffee house in Bowie? What about video taping our worship and setting up a worship setting in a place at the Town Center on a Saturday night or another day/time?

What about setting up a tent and sending a team to the Bowie Soccer Fields on Sunday mornings?

How about some Saturday night street ministry at "The Pond" or at the Bowie Town Center?

What about a tent revival service during StreetReach or throughout the summer?

I wish it were clear where God would have us walk...

Any thoughts?

Vision

This week I am writing about vision in my daily message. I’ve been reading the book Visioneering written by Andy Stanley. It is about vision of course. How does God speak to us and how do we respond? From the Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary – vision is experiences similar to dreams through which supernatural insight or awareness is given by revelation. But the difference between a dream and a vision is that dreams occur only during sleep, while visions can happen while a person is awake.

Andy Stanley wrote that vision weaves four things into the fabric of our daily experience. Four things that we need to drive us to accomplish the vision God lays before us. Today I wrote about the second item weaved into our lives through walking out the vision God gives us; motivation. Remembering the example I used from Andy’s book I wrote; filling dirt bags isn’t very motivating, unless your vision is to save a town from a flood. When there is a vision, motivation is weaved into the very fabric of the vision.

Many of the tough things we tackle in life is because we have a vision of accomplishing something. Staying in school when the course work is demanding takes motivation; but the vision of a degree is before us. Working extra jobs or long hours to make ends meet is grueling; but the vision of providing for our family or being able to buy our own home is before us. Vision motivates us. When we can see the light at the end of the tunnel; the vision being accomplished, we will do most anything.

John was motivated to endure hardships for the Gospel because he had a vision of serving God, to follow the testimony of Jesus, to be like Him.

Revelation 1:9 – I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Motivation is what keeps us going when we tackle a vision from God that seems impossible. A vision that seems too hard to face, but we are motivated to endure, to accomplish, to do the will of our heavenly Father.

Just something to think about today as you go on your way. How about some discussion on vision and how God uses that to motivate us as individual followers of Christ?

Vision or Purpose of the Church

How would you define vision?

What vision has God given you?

What vision do you believe God is giving your church?

What is Your Focus and the Focus of your Church?

Yesterday I asked what you were passionate about? I then asked what your church was passionate about? No answers yet.

Today I want to ask, what is your focus as a Christian? What is the focus of your church? This may be different than your passion. We cannot be focused on all things, all areas. If we are not focused on all things, we might not be focused on what you are passionate about.

Can you support a church that is not focused on what you are passionate about? What should a church be focused on?

Our vision is to make or live as Disciples of Jesus Christ. We have a clear mission statement. It says we will go about making and living as disciples of Jesus Christ through Introducing people to Jesus Christ, Developing relationships in Jesus Christ, Making mature disciples of Jesus Christ.

Everything we do, everything we fund, everything should be focused on this vision and mission. That needs to be our focus. Superficial programs and activities that do not conform to this focus should not be supported.

What is your focus? And what is the focus of your church?

What are you passionate about?

First question - what is it you are passionate about? Search your schedule for where you spend your time or your checkbook for where your money goes. What is it that you are passionate about? Share with me!

Second question - is what you are passionate about something that God is passionate about? As a church we need to be clear that if God isn't passionate about what we are passionate about we need to change our passions!

We can start every program or hold every imaginable committee meeting known to man or woman; but if we are not using them to do what God is passionate about - we are WASTING our time and money and energy.

What do you think?

Our Vision and Mission

Mt. Oak’s Vision Statement
Living as disciples of Jesus Christ!

Mt. Oak’s Mission Statement
Introducing people to Jesus Christ
Developing relationships in Jesus Christ
Making mature disciples of Jesus Christ

Mt. Oak’s Strategy
Being inviting and welcoming (foyer)
Being intentional about growing disciples (living room)
Being a servant of Jesus Christ (kitchen)

We will have an intentional strategy to move people from the foyer to the living room to the kitchen in their Christian Development. Every ministry we support with resources of time, talent and money will have to be a step to help someone move from a non-believer/visitor to the place of being a believer to the place of being a Disciple of Jesus and a servant leader.

Events are merely opportunities to target one step! Few if any events will concentrate on more than one step. We should not try to mix steps if at all possible.

Too many churches spend resources on meeting needs and when the need is met, persons move on but what have they gained? They may have been ministered to as a divorced person, but have they grown as a Disciple of Jesus Christ? Are they a better Disciple, or have we simply helped them through a difficult season in their life? We can do both!

Time Table
† December through February – planning team meets (and will continue)
† February 23rd to end of April – ministry leaders give feedback and design goals (action points) for their ministries in line with the vision, mission and strategy points
† April to June – prepare for Ministry Fair (date still unset)
† June to September – prepare for roll out of new and redesigned ministries

What are your thoughts and comments

Vision/Purpose of the Church & What is a Disciple

What should the vision or purpose of a church be?

Of Mt. Oak?

How would you define these?

How would you define a Disciple (of Jesus Christ)?

Use Scripture to support your thoughts when possible.

What Should Our Target Be?

What should the target of our ministry be? Should we have a target or should we do ministry with the shot gun approach?

If we were to focus on a target in our vision planning, which should it be?

If we target geography, that would mean we would target areas like Mitchellville, Bowie, Crofton as our primary target area(s).

If we were to target age groups that would mean we would focus on reaching children, youth, young adults, or older adults.

If we were to target a segment of our society we might reach out to young couples, divorced persons, families with children, seniors or others.

What do you think we should do?