The following post brings together the four significant parts of our strategic plan: Core Values, Mission, Vision, and Goals.
We have identified five Core Values: Discover, Experience, Relate, Serve, and Grow. I might talk about them in the following ways:
Discover: This value expresses our desire to be a church where everyone on the spectrum between unbeliever and mature believer has the opportunity to learn more about God and his power. The Bible and God’s Spirit lead us in the key discoveries possible in the Christian life. It implies that we wish to create a context where people are welcome wherever they are at to come as they are into our church.
Experience: We want for our church to be centered around experiencing God through the power of the Holy Spirit and by applying God’s Word to life. Experiencing God can also be known through serving God actively.
Relate: We’re looking for our congregation to be a community of relationships because we see relationships as the central expression of Christian truth and commitment.
Serve: We see serving God and others through ministry opportunities as key to personal transformation, as well as being a gateway to the four other core values listed here.
Grow: Because we believe it is the expected nature of God’s kingdom to grow, we will unrelentingly focus as a church on corporate and personal growth, transformation and expansion.
Next, we arrive at a Mission Statement that is nourished and informed by our Core Values:
To create a community where waves of people are transformed by the love of God.
Our scriptural basis for this is Matthew 10:7-8: “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”
Thirdly, we’ll list our Vision Statement:
- Missions – 50% involvement/participating in missions-related projects and trips annually by 2016
- Serving – An equivalent to 60% of adults in the sanctuary by December 2016
- 10% attendance growth on Sunday morning every year by 2016
- 80% of individuals attending First Assembly actively involved in Life Groups by December 2014
- Double the number of family units tithing and giving to missions by 2014
- 50% name recognition in Tippecanoe County by 2015
- 40% of the adult congregation experience leadership training/development by the end of 2014
- 20% of attendees participating in spiritual events (retreats) per year by 2016