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Live, model and imitate Him in serving others and loving one anotherMISSION STATEMENT: (What is our purpose, why we exist, why are we here, our unique expression of the Great Commission.)
Matthew 28:16-20 and Mark 16:15
Our God designed, Spirit sustained mission is to be ALIVE in Christ!
V Acknowledge and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ
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Live, model and imitate Him in serving others and loving one another
V Invite all to know Christ and have a living relationship with Him
V Value outreach and mission as we share Christ’s Spirit with others
V Enhance our biblical and experiential knowledge and worship of God
CORE VALUES: (Our attitudes, beliefs, expectations, and principles that guide us in prioritizing our decision making, and how we conduct business and interact with one another.)
We value:
1) Faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8-10)
Through faith in Jesus Christ and by His grace, we are saved and called to new life.
2) Trust in the authority of God’s Word (II Timothy 3:16; John 17:14-17; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12)
The Bible is God’s Word, authoritative and applicable to all parts of our lives. We study, teach and follow scripture as our guidebook for life.
3) Worship (Jeremiah 7:1-7; John 4:23-24; Romans 12:1; Ps. 150:6)
We are intentional, enthusiastic and joyful in our commitment to worshiping God according to God’s Word. We express our love of God through inspirational worship that challenges the mind, touches the heart and lifts the spirit. Our purpose in worship is to glorify God with our very lives.
4) Prayer (I Thess. 5:17; Eph. 6:18; Gal. 6:2)
God calls us to a life of prayer that is vital to our sense of community. Through prayer, we actively seek the Holy Spirit’s direction and empowerment.
5) Sharing the Gospel and spreading God’s love (Mark 16:15, Philemon 1:6)
We are committed to spreading God’s love, empowering people to express their faith confidently and naturally.
6) A kingdom mindset (Romans 14:17-18; Mark 1:15; Galatians 5:16)
God has a significant role for us as a church in the development of God’s kingdom. We are committed to having the greatest possible impact for Christ, which will require a constant stretching of our vision and the taking of faith based risks. Recognizing that all we have belongs to God, we are committed to being good stewards of the resources of time, money and abilities God has given us.
7) Servanthood as a way of life (John 15:16; Phil 2:3-8; Matthew 20:25-28; John 13:1-17)
We are called to serve, to live out the reality of putting others first. We will practice genuine humility as it is the mark of God taking hold in our hearts. We are committed to serving God and God’s people everywhere as active participants.
8) Spiritual growth, both individually and as a community (Romans 8:6, Philippians 1:8-11)
We are committed to grow spiritually through worship, prayer, education, fellowship and service.
9) Unity forged by unconditional, loving relationships (John 13:35; John 17:20-23; Ephesians 4:15; Phil 2:1-2; James 5:16)
God longs for us to be united in spirit and purpose. The Lord intends for us to live life honestly, being truthful and kind to one another. Unity is created and preserved when we are not afraid to admit our flaws and fears and when we are willing to speak the truth in love. We are committed to building one another up in the body of Christ.
10) Fellowship (John 10:16; James 2:8)
We are committed to loving our neighbor and to welcoming everyone into fellowship with us.
11) Excellence with integrity (Ps. 78:72; Colossians 3:17, 23; Proverbs 17:17)
God’s work demands our best. Anything less does not honor God. Regular evaluation and review is an essential part of excellence.
12) Teamwork (Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:1-16; I Peter 4:8-11)
God gives vital spiritual gifts to every believer. The discovery, development and exercise of these gifts are the primary instruments of Christ to minister to His body. We are committed to helping people serve each other according to their spiritual gifts so that all might become mature in Christ. We work together as one team to fulfill our mission.
VISION STATEMENT: (What we want to become, birthed by the leaders and owned by the congregation; stretches and challenges us; sets expectations; defines priorities. To be reviewed every 3 – 5 years as progress towards the vision is made.)
Seeking to be faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our Mission Statement, with the Holy Spirit’s leading, SPC will:
· Worship God in everything we do and welcome all to praise and glorify God
· Transform individuals into empowered disciples of Jesus Christ by helping them identify, develop and utilize their God given spiritual gifts to serve and glorify God
· Effectively train, equip and develop staff and lay leadership
· Serve God by actively serving with others in the community doing God’s work and directly serving those who are in need
· Be a faithful community of believers who hunger for spiritual growth through prayer, instruction, experiential action and small groups and exude a vibrant and contagious spirituality
· Be inclusive, flexible, embrace change and take faith based risks to meet the changing needs of our church and community without compromising our core values or our heritage
· Be responsible stewards of God’s blessings, recognizing that ALL we have is God’s. We will commit to financially support the ministry with our tithes and spiritual gifts as well as our labors of love, time and talent
· Evaluate our current ministries and programs in relationship to our stated core values and establish a holistic organizational framework. We will attempt great things for God that are built on our strengths and resources.
· Evaluate and coordinate establishing facilities designed to support our mission and ministries.
Approved by Session June 12, 2006.