Vision and Values
Vision
What do we see?
a vibrant church
We see a church that is Jesus-centred, innovative, growing, serving, culture-shaping and sharing with other churches the new things that God is doing among us
changing lives
We see multitudes of people of all ages whose hearts and lives have been transformed by the love of God becoming joyful, passionate and committed disciples of Jesus.
transforming the area of Deal and beyond
We see the society around us transformed by the values of the Kingdom of God as we engage in loving service in our families, workplaces and communities.
Strategy
How are we going to make this happen?
Shaping a church which can keep on growing
We will develop the Missional Community (Cluster) model so that we become a church made up of many diverse Missional Communities, served by a central church base.
By developing Leaders
By providing effective support and training of the leaders of Missional Communities (Clusters) as they grow in vision, character, ministry and leadership skills.
By multiplying Clusters
By encouraging the formation of new Missional Communities (Clusters) around new visions for mission.
Clusters are mid-sized communities working together to engage with a particular group or network of people with the good news of Jesus.
By strengthening the ‘home base’
By maintaining and developing the central church ‘home base’ to support, resource and equip the life of Clusters.
The ‘home base’ will involve staff, volunteers, and members of Clusters offering their gifts to the whole church.
For those whose place of belonging and participation in mission is through the ‘home base’, we will establish home base Missional Communities, with cell groups.
The role of the ‘home base’ is to provide:
vibrant, relevant and refreshing ‘Celebration’ worship,
teaching and training,
a foundation of faithful and persistent prayer,
fun, vibrant and relevant children’s ministry,
support ministries of pastoral care and prayer ministry,
accountability and support for Cluster Leaders,
effective administration of financial resources, buildings and support staff,
running of regular Alpha courses.
By building on relationships with other pioneering churches
By taking opportunities to share the principles and story of missional communities with others, giving and receiving support from other churches as we continue to learn more about being a missionary church.
Values
A - All Involved
We believe that it is the calling of every Christian to be fully involved in the ministry of the church. The level of our involvement will differ depending on our commitments, but God imparts special gifts to each and every one of us to be used within the body of Christ.
B - Becoming Disciples
We not only believe the bible to be the inspired Word of God, but we believe in its relevance for our lives today. This means that we value the importance of helping each other to apply its message specifically and practically. It also means that we see ourselves as life-long learners, willing to be discipled and taught till the day we die.
C - Creating Community
The 2 greatest commandments centre on love. We therefore value the importance of relationships, along with all the skills and attitudes we need to live a life of love. Our Clusters and Cells are living communities where caring and fellowship become a 7 day a week experience. We believe that every Christian has a responsibility in this area.
D - Doing Evangelism
We believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is very good news to a broken world, and should14/05/10ble. Again, we understand that every Christian is called to do this, but in different ways and at different levels. Our Clusters are committed to building innumerable little bridges into people’s lives, creating the safest and simplest route for people on their journey into faith.
E - Encountering God
We are committed to providing every opportunity for each person to encounter God in a living and life-changing way. In doing this, we value both the importance of corporate worship and celebration, as well as the significance of meeting God in solitude and in small groups. |
