CORE VALUES
GOSPEL-CENTERED
PRAYER DEPENDENT
BIBLICALLY FOCUSED
AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY
SERVICE ORIENTED
EVERYONE A MINISTER
MISSION (based in the Great Commission -Matthew 28:18-20)
Helping people find their way back to God and grow in their relationship with God and others.
REVIEW OF PROCESS (SO FAR) TO ARRIVE AT THE PRESENT VISION
The Church took the following assessments and surveys:
NCD survey
General discerning of present and desired core values
Compiled themes from church SWOT
Vision Template survey results
MAIN TEMPLATES
Spiritual Formation
Obedient Anticipation
SECONDARY
Institutional Renovation
Geographic Saturation
TERTIARY
Leadership Multiplication
2. The deacons and pastor took the information from the assessments (and individual conversations) and prayerfully studied them searching for indications where God may be moving and where the church’s passions, resources and potential may coincide. A basic vision was composed taking in consideration all the results, core values and mission of the church. The deacon’s met again to refine the vision to make it more clear, compelling and God-sized. The proposed vision was brought to the congregation for discussion and feedback.
PROPOSED VISION
We believe God is calling us to deeply impact our church family with a greater understanding of God’s Word and its practical application, motivating us to introduce Jesus to our communities by authentic love and service without strings attached.
Expanded MEANING:
…to deeply impact our church family with a greater understanding of God’s Word
At WDCC you will learn the Scriptures well if you desire. We will formulate a process so that everyone, at every level of spiritual maturity, who chooses to invest the time will understand:
The contents of Bible
Interpretive methods
The historical context of the Bible and Christian History
We will also focus on
Multiplying teachers and potential leaders
And help everyone develop a comprehensive Christian worldview
…it’s practical application,
We will hold each other accountable in what we have learned.
We will seek inner transformation never outward conformation.
We seek to model Christ in these main areas – our personal lives, our families, in our workplaces/schools and in our communities. This presupposes that we will proactively seek and develop relationships in all these areas.
motivating us to introduce Jesus to our communities
We will begin to focus our ministries outside of the church property and into the communities we live in.
We will always make sure what we do has an outward missional focus.
Hardship, difficulties and being uncomfortable will never dissuade us.
by authentic love and service without strings attached.
Our main avenue in sharing Jesus will be to truly love and serve those that are far from God.
We will proactively seek out ways to do acts of kindness in our communities.
We will train ourselves to effectively share Jesus when God provides an opportunity to share the hope we have.
We will invest in long-term relationships with lost people and literally follow the command to “go” to where they are.
NEXT STEPS
Further clarifying of Vision (if any)
Development of Strategies, processes and programs to move toward realizing the vision
Refining church structures (communication, bylaws, ministry structure, accountability pathways, etc) to aid in fulfilling mission and vision
Reassess and adjust vision regularly
CORE VALUES EXPANDED
GOSPEL-CENTERED
We are committed to intentionally living out the gospel with our lives. We believe in pastoring one another and sharing the gospel with unbelievers. We challenge one another to be sacrificial, servant-hearted, risk-taking and flexible because the Gospel has priority over our comfort, preferences, security and traditions.
PRAYER DEPENDENT
Recognizing that God is sovereign and the main driver of mission, we view prayer not only as an intimate conversation with God but as a missionary activity. We will pray for unbelieving friends and neighbors. Prayer must be both a regular community discipline and an impromptu response to the needs and opportunities around us. We will not assume that we are in control of anything but bring everything to God in prayer that he may receive the glory.
BIBLICALLY FOCUSED
We want our lives and life together to be formed in shaped by the Bible’s story of redemption. We believe the Bible to be the reliable, authoritative and sufficient Word of God and therefore, we are committed to learning the Scriptures and applying what we learn to our lives effectively. We will not act on the basis of tradition or habit without reflecting on what the Bible has to say. We will not see Bible teaching as an end in itself, but as that which must shape our thinking and action.
AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY
We are committed to communicating the gospel message in the context of a gospel community. We want people to experience church as a network of relationships rather than a meeting you attend or a place that you enter. Buildings are not the main focus of a missional community. We are also committed to sharing our lives in Christian community, by caring for one another, discipling one another, loving one another and resolving conflict. We will not let any conflict continue unresolved.
SERVICE ORIENTED
We are committed to welcoming broken people and making church accessible to unbelievers. We want to offer a sense of belonging, and be a community of grace in which people can be open and vulnerable, seeking God without coercion. We will never let our welcome and acceptance be dependent on adherence to cultural norms nor standards not demanded by the gospel. We will serve people without strings attached in order that they may see a visible manifestation of the love of Jesus. We will see all people as those created in the image of God, loved by God and thus having great worth.
EVERYONE A MINISTER
We are committed to every Christian seeing themselves as a missionary and exercising gospel ministry in every aspect of their lives regardless of their level of spiritual maturity or physical age. We will proactively seek to develop deep relationships and share the gospel with unbelievers in accordance with our spiritual gifts and passions. We believe leadership is important but leaders are facilitators and equippers of the gospel ministry rather than those who exercise control over ministry.