Focus Theme for 2024 is:
“God’s Love in Our Mess”

Our Purpose and Vision

The Purpose Statement

“Growing Together in Christ, Upward and Outward”

This statement describes who we are as a community of God’s people.

First, Christ is central. He appears in the centre of the statement so that who we are and what we do centres on Christ and pivots around him. We are all about Jesus. Ephesians 1:9-10

Second, we are together in Christ. This emphasises that we are community brought together through the redemption that we have in Jesus. His love ties us together that we might love one another.
Ephesians 2:19-22

Third, we are growing together in Christ. We are not yet where we need to be. We are not static but are moving towards a goal. We are being changed, transformed and matured. It is a growth that is in Jesus, becoming more like him. Ephesians 4:11-16

Fourth, we are growing together in Christ, upward and outward. Our growth in Jesus has direction: it is upward towards God, growing in our relationship with him as we love and worship him, and as we trust and obey him; it is outward towards others, growing in our relationships with each other and those in the world around us – families, friends, neighbours, workmates, teachers, etc – as we love and encourage one another, as we proclaim Christ and strengthen each other in Christ. Ephesians 5:18-21

OUR VISION

To be a loving and worshiping community of God’s people that builds His kingdom in the power of the Spirit by training, equipping and mobilising its members to be disciples of Jesus who make disciples.

The vision statement shows where we want to be as a community. It is what we are moving towards and should shape what we do together as a community. It is what guides our strategies and how we structure our church programs and activities. It recognises that we are not yet there.

The vision statement is drawn from the Bible. As such, it is God’s own purposes in Christ that drive the vision statement. Those purposes are expressed through worship and discipleship.

The vision statement begins with what we are striving to become.

To be a loving and worshiping community that builds God’s kingdom in the power of the Spirit…

What to see:

  1. We are called to love God and one another (Mark 12:29-31). We are to be a community marked by love (John 13:34-35).
  2. We are called to worship God (Romans 12:1-2), not only as individuals but together,
    as part of a community response to God (Psalm 100, Hebrews 10:25).
  3. God shares his mission with us to build his kingdom and so we participate in God’s mission, praying for the kingdom (Matthew 6:9-10), trusting and obeying the king of the kingdom (Mark 1:15) and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom (Luke 24:46-47).
  4. Ultimately, it is God who builds his kingdom as the Spirit works in us and through us to make Christ known and as people trust in him. (John 15:26, 16:7-13)

The vision statement continues with how we get there.

…by training, equipping and mobilising God’s people to be disciples of Jesus who make disciples.

What to see:

  1. Scripture encourages us to engage in a process of discipleship where Christians pass on the faith, making new disciples and teaching them to live for Christ (Matthew 28:19).
  2. To be faithful in this task, it is important that we are intentional about how we do this and think carefully about it, not only helping people towards knowing the content of the faith and the Bible, but helping them towards obedience and applying God’s truth (Hebrews 10:23-24).
  3. This means training people in God’s truth and equipping them with resources that will help them live as disciples (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
  4. It means mobilising disciples to fulfil God’s mission in Christ by identifying opportunities where they can serve the cause of the gospel (Colossians 4:2-6).
  5. As disciples of Jesus we then will look at how we can be involved in making new disciples, by proclaiming the good news and teaching others to trust and obey Jesus (Matthew 4:19, 28:19).

The Vision Pictured

A lot of us find visuals very useful as a way of more easily understanding how to implement a strategy or an idea.
This visual has been put together to help us.

It is understood by moving from the centre outwards.

  1. Christ stands at the centre of who we are and everything we do.
  2. Our devotion to Christ and the way we share in his mission are expressed through worship and discipleship (key ideas expressed in Scripture and in the Vision Statement).
  3. What we are called together to do as a church is driven by these two things. We worship God and disciple others:
    1. as we pray;
    2. as we go and tell others about him;
    3. as we learn from his word and from the proclamation of the gospel; and,
    4. as we gather together as God’s people on Sundays and in all that we do throughout the week.

There are four key focus areas that make up our Strategic Plan:

PRAY…

“To relate to almighty God and seek the growth of his kingdom through prayer.”

Goals:

  • To understand, treasure, and make use of the privilege of prayer as a united
    community of believers.
  • To build a strong and healthy culture of prayer across all ministries and activities
    of our church.
  • To encourage and equip everyone in our church to pray constantly –  privately,
    with their families and with one another.

GATHER…

“To meet together as a family of God and encourage one another as we worship, pray and study his Word.”

Goals:

  • To demonstrate God’s love as we reach out, supporting and caring for each other.
  • To join together in fellowship as we rejoice and enjoy life as God’s people.
  • To develop our skills and support each other as we serve our God, his people
    and the wider community.

LEARN…

“To grow in godliness through Biblical teaching and the regular study of
His Word as we strive to obey God’s Word and demonstrate our faith in action.”

Goals:

  • To have regular preaching of God’s word to the whole people of God.
  • To have teaching ministries appropriate for everyone in our church.
  • To equip and encourage God’s people to explore and apply God’s Word
    to their lives.

GO…

“To win the lost by reclaiming God’s love in Christ, locally and globally.”

Goals:

  • To work in the broader community for God’s mission by challenging people and culture with the Gospel.
  • To act globally for God’s mission by partnering with other ministries in prayer, support and active participation.
  • To train Christians to share the good news of Jesus with others, graciously and faithfully.