See Ministry Vision Plan below or download a MS Word version here.
EPHESIANS 4:11-16
11And he gave
the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to
equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until
we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so
that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried
about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful
schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up
in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom
the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is
equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it
builds itself up in love.
Introduction
Presently our church has been going through some struggles and
challenges due to some conflicts in our leadership and confusion over the
future of our church. This has been painful for some of you and for others you
might be wondering what’s actually going on.
As a church, we are going through a trial of faith. However, the Scriptures teach that trials
comes to test the genuineness of our faith which then results in praise and
glory to God (1 Peter 1:6-7). Therefore, let’s trust God to accomplish His
purpose and will in 2008.
When the body of Christ works together in love there is no
force on earth or in hell that can stop the Church from accomplishing God’s
purposes by God’s grace. Let’s join
hands and hearts in prayer so that we can be what God has called us to be --
the Church, God’s people, “a people belonging to God that you may declare the
praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light” (1
Peter 2:9).
Pastor Billy
OUR PURPOSE (Who we are to be)
by becoming, by God’s grace
a biblical community of kingdom-minded disciples
OUR
Our mission is to build up the church
so that every member,
both children and adults,
grow to be mature disciples of Christ.
Our mission is also to extend the
by word and deed motivated by grace,
by being salt and light in the world,
to our families, friends, neighbors,
and even to the ends of the world.
Build up the Church
> > > Extend the Kingdom of Christ
GROWING together
leading to SERVING together
OUR VISION (What we want to see)
Being a
biblical community of kingdom-minded disciples who are:
|
B U I L D U P T H E C H U R C H ê E X T E N D T H E K I N G D O M |
Ø GROWING in knowledge, understanding, obedience to, and
love of God’s Word and God-centered worship, being transformed in our
mind-set to a biblical world and life-view in which there is no sphere of
life where Christ is not Lord. Ø GROWING in commitment to biblical community through
corporate worship, membership, small groups, and team ministry involvement. Ø GROWING in submission to the authority of God’s
Word and, under its authority, the shepherding ministry of the elders of the
church. Ø GROWING as faithful stewards of our time, talent
and treasure for the extension of the kingdom. Ø
SERVING our neighbor and community through deeds of compassion and mercy. Ø
SHARING the gospel to our families, friends, neighbors and even to the
ends of the world. Ø
BEING used of God as
change agents in the
world, seeing people’s lives transformed by the Gospel of Christ. |
“a biblical
community of kingdom-minded disciples”
HOW DO WE GET THERE?
PREFACE
WE MUST FIRST RECOGNIZE THAT ALL DEPENDS ON
GOD WORKING IN AND THROUGH US BY GRACE, THROUGH FAITH, THROUGH PRAYER &
PERSISTENCE & PATIENCE.
A
biblical community of kingdom-minded disciples cannot be programmed but is the
living product of God’s grace working in the lives of His people. “Grace” is an awesome word that means
“unmerited favor”, a gift which we did not deserve or earn. The best blessings from God are gifts,
freely given by grace. Being in God’s grace
does not mean that there is no human activity.
God’s grace works in us to produce faith, hope and love in Christ. God’s grace motivates us to prayer - asking,
seeking, knocking - to our heavenly
Father who cares for us. God’s grace keeps us from falling and gives us the
persistence and endurance to continue to fight the good fight of faith. God’s grace helps us to be patient when the
results don’t come so quickly. God’s
grace, working through faith, prayer, persistence and patience, is how a biblical
community of kingdom-minded disciples is formed.
Do
you trust him to work in you and in our church?
Are you praying for God’s power to be at work in us and in our church --
opening hearts and minds, and transforming lives? Are you ready to give up, or are you heeding
the words God gave Joshua, “Be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:5-9) and to
What does this mean in terms of
specifics for our church life?
Sounds simple, but it all begins with
prayer because it all begins with God. We
need to pray! We need to pray in
private. We need to pray together in
community.
·
Revitalize our Prayer bulletin insert as our weekly
sources of communication and exhortation on prayer
·
Hold more organized prayer meetings for both leaders and
the whole church, both periodic and regular.
1. BIBLICAL TEACHING and LEARNING
We cannot be a biblical community of
kingdom-minded disciples without sound biblical teaching. “God’s Word is God’s chosen instrument to
create, convict, convert, and conform His people. God’s Word creates God’s
people. God’s Word convicts, converts and conforms God’s people to make them
disciples of Christ” (Mark Dever). God’s
people respond to God’s Word in faith and obedience.
Therefore, biblical teaching and
learning should be our primary focus in our worship and ministry. We need to be a people who are hungry to
learn God’s Word, not only to understand it, but to love it and obey it.
What does this mean in terms of
specifics for our church life?
·
Revitalize our Sunday Worship and Preaching - this is the
center piece of our ministry, so we cannot miss the mark here.
·
Sunday School - Adults, Youth and Children
·
Special Seminars (one time or short series)
·
Teaching Conference with Guest Speaker
2. COVENANT COMMUNITY
The
church is Christ’s covenant community.
An understanding of the covenant is vital to our understanding of what
is a biblical community. First of all,
biblical covenants show the importance of God’s initiative and
sovereignty. The biblical community is
not formed on our own terms but on God’s terms and initiative. Secondly, the covenant community, is to
include the believers and their children, for God said that the covenant
promises are “for you and for your children” (Gen. 17:7-10, Acts 2:39). Thirdly, the covenant community includes a
diversity of people (Acts 2:39 - “all who are far off”).
We
need to strengthen our corporate worship and community life, moving beyond the
individualism that pervades our culture.
We need to strengthen our covenant marriages and families, and seek to
include singles as vital members of our covenant community.
What does this mean in terms of
specifics for our church life?
·
Covenantal Worship - 1st Sunday of the month
·
Renewal of our Membership Covenant, embracing it more fully
in our church life.
·
Weekly Small Groups and Quarterly Community Groups
·
Retreats - Church Family, Women’s, Men’s
·
Periodic Fellowship Activities as Church (Picnics), Men,
Women, Singles, Couples, Children, Youth, College.
3. KINGDOM MIND-SET
Many churches primarily focus
inwardly rather than outwardly. The
church that is focused inwardly is mainly concerned about its own people,
programs, and needs. It is important to
focus inwardly so that we can be built up in maturity and community, however,
if we are only focused inwardly and not also outwardly we become an ingrown
church. True maturity and biblical community includes having a wider vision of
the Kingdom. Here’s how
The
Our church needs to develop a biblical
world and life-view in which there is no sphere of life - our church, our
homes, our work, and our communities -- where Christ is not Lord.
We are to be in the world but not of the
world. We are to be salt and light
(Matthew 5:13-16) - preservatives and change agents in the world.
We must strengthen our Mercy Ministries,
and our Missions Committee. Our outreach
of the Gospel both near and far has been lacking. Let us repent of this, pray for God’s
forgiveness and help, and step out in faith to improve in these vital areas.
What does this mean in terms of
specifics for our church life?
·
Develop a strategic and focused Mercy Ministries
·
Restructure Missions Committee - plan a summer missions
trip
·
Evangelism training
·
4. LIFE OF DISCIPLESHIP
Our
vision is to be a biblical community of kingdom-minded disciples who are
growing, serving, sharing and being used of God as change agents in the
world. This is the call to be a true
fellowship of disciples of Christ. Too
many Christians today do not live like disciples - not taking seriously their call to follow
Jesus, not so eager to learn and be trained, and unwilling to be ready to serve
and ready to mobilize when called upon.
Let this not be said of
Let
us view our whole lives as discipleship, developing specific pathways for
growth towards maturity in Christ. We need
to provide discipleship training, both in large group and small group settings,
and by building one-on-one discipling relationship.
Disciple-making
is the essential command of the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations…”
(Matthew 28:19).
What does this mean in terms of
specifics for our church life?
·
Incorporate a “discipleship mentality” into current small
groups.
·
Develop a Basic Discipleship curriculum
·
Train up disciple makers
·
Coordinate one-on-one discipleship
·
Discipleship begins in the home - so train up the parents
·
Discipleship starts with children - so strengthen our
children’s ministry
·
We need to develop our youth ministry more fully to meet
the needs of our youth now and for the future.
As
you can see, there is a lot of work for us to do in fleshing out what is
presented here. Please pray for our
leadership and pray how you may help our church develop and strengthen these
areas.
We
need prayerful planning and faithful implementation so that Open Door will
become more and more a biblical community of kingdom-minded disciples. Let’s get moving for the Lord. Soli Deo
Gloria.
SUMMARY: HOW DO WE
GET THERE?
WE MUST FIRST RECOGNIZE THAT ALL DEPENDS ON GOD WORKING IN AND THROUGH US,
BY GRACE, THROUGH FAITH, THROUGH PRAYER, PERSISTENCE & PATIENCE.
1. BIBLICAL
TEACHING AND LEARNING
2. COVENANT
COMMUNITY
3. KINGDOM
MIND-SET
4. LIFE OF
DISCIPLESHIP
SUNDAY MEETINGS
ADULT
SUNDAY SCHOOL Sun 10:00 AM
SUNDAY
WORSHIP Sun 11:00 AM
1st Sunday: Covenantal
(with children) and Communion
CHILDREN’S
WORSHIP & CLASS Sun 11:00 AM
YOUTH
CLASS (Begin Worship with Adults) Sun 11:30
AM
FELLOWSHIP Sun 12:30
AM
WEEKLY SMALL GROUPS
Wednesday
(mostly) Singles Small Group Wed 7:00 PM
Thursday
Women's Small Group Thu 10:00 AM
Friday
Men's Small Group Fri 7:00 PM
Saturday
Women's Small Group Sat 9:00 AM
Saturday
Men's Small Group Sat
PERIODIC EVENTS / ACTIVITIES
·
Prayer Meetings (monthly)
·
Special Seminars (quarterly)
·
Community Groups (quarterly)
·
Fellowship Activities (quarterly - Men, Women, Children, Youth)
·
Church Family Retreat (in May or June)
·
·
Teaching Conference (in Oct or Nov)
·
Church Picnic (Spring, Fall)
·
Mercy Projects (CIA, ShoeBox, Angel Tree, etc)
·
·
Celebrations: Anniversary (Jan), Mother’s Day, Father’s Day,
Thanksgiving Sunday (Nov.), Christmas Eve (Dec). New Year’s Eve
·
Good Friday Service, Easter