Church Planting Part 2

"We want to be a church where un-churched people fall in love with Jesus"

I've learned that having a good vision statement is important for any organization because it gives people a snapshot of what your organization is all about. When Apple started their vision statement was "to make a computer anyone can use" and that is what they've tried to do ever since. A vision statement should help your organization stay on track to what is was originally created for and when things start to get crazy and expand it brings you back to the fundamental purpose for its being.

There are a few things I've learned about what a vision statement should be and should not be that I'd like to share. The first thing is that you want your vision statement to be big and something that might always seem beyond reach because it is striving for the ultimate. Secondly, your vision statement should be easily remembered so that it is transferable to as many people as possible, the longer the statement the less amount of people that will remember it and make it part of their thinking. Thirdly, the vision statement should not answer all your questions and might even bring up more questions.

Let me try to breakdown the vision statement I've written and explain to you why I worded it like I did because if you really are paying attention it could seem contradictory.

"We"- even though I wrote the vision statement it is a statement that you want all of the people of your organization to embrace as their own. Any organization is about more than one person and even more than its founder.

"want to be"- this vision statement is an aspiration that will hopefully happen in the future but will more than likely always continue to be a want. Having a big dream I think is important because if it is easily attainable I think people get bored or complacent.

"a church"- there are many different types of organizations in this world and almost all of them have vision statements but what I'm talking about here isn't just any organization but "a church". The church is made up of men, women, boys, and girls who have placed their faith in the saving work of Jesus and have become God's earthly hands and feet. The church isn't some building or piece of property but the people who have come to drink deeply from the spring of eternal life. A church is a unique body of people called by Christ for a purpose and that is what we will be.

"where un-churched people"- I believe that the church has the best thing to offer any person in Jesus Himself. I believe that for far too long churches have done everything possible to avoid contact with un-churched people in a religous context. I believe that Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost and that we need to open our doors and invite un-churched friends into the church so that they can hear and experience the love of God. If we have a bunker mentality that only is inward focused we will continue to decline in our influence with the world and therefore draw even deeper divisions. Although the church is called to stand firm in the truth of Scripture and what it says may be uncomfortable, I believe that the church doesn't have to be boring or happen in a way that would make someone feel totally uncomfortable by how we do things. I want to have a church where people come in and their experience is so wonderful that when they walk out they may say "I don't necessarily agree with what they said today but because of the love I saw I'm going to keep listening." When you have a church like that we have done all we can to set the stage for the Holy Spirit to do His thing. The Gospel is a stumbling block enough so we don't need to add stumbling blocks by our unwillingness to love on the un-churched.

"fall in love with Jesus"- this is the ultimate goal for several reasons. 1)in order for people to fall in love the must hear the truth about that person, at this church we will un-ashamedly preach the facts of the Gospel of Jesus; 2) you must acknowledge the truth of that person, so we will tell people that you need to acknowledge the truth of Scripture in what it teaches about Jesus; 3) you must trust that person, so we will tell people that you need to trust in what Scripture says Jesus did and live your life for Him. When you fall in love with someone you do things for them, not because you feel guilty or because you don't want them to punish you for not doing things but because you love them and want to show them your love. When you love Jesus you do things for Him, His church, and the world because you love Him. We want people to pray for this church, give of their time and money, and invite new people not out of guilt or to avoid scorn but because they love Jesus. We want people to want to serve and grow in the relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit because they are in love. Feelings come and go but true love lasts through the good and bad and that is what we want for people.

As you can see this vision statement isn't just some nice little sentence but a bold leap of faith because what we are hoping to see is a church where people, who are against God, coming and not only tolerating being their but learning to fall in love with Jesus. This is scary because it means you have to get outside of your comfort zone and reach out to people you might never have before because you really believe that God the Holy Spirit can change lives. Going from un-churched to falling in love with Jesus is a big mission but I believe it is the mission of any church and especially should be ingrained in a new church plants DNA.