Developing a Vision

I have been working now for a while to help crystallize a vision and mission statement for BT -the Fellowship of Joy.

Here are some of my most recent notes for us to toss around:

Mission/Purpose:
Our mission is the transformation of individuals, families, and communities through the whole gospel of the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ.

Goals
  • Call and equip individuals, families, and communities to a life of significance and commitment to Jesus Christ.
  • Equip followers of Jesus Christ to engage in passion based ministries through the gifts that God has given them.
  • Develop and cultivate a culture of awe, wonder, and joy.
  • Birth and encourage bold initiatives and community collaboratives for the Kingdom of God.
  • Integrate local and global awareness, prayer, and action for the Kingdom of God.
Strategy
  • Nurture the faith family at the core of this ministry and promulgate a culture of awe, wonder, joy, love, and mission through warm and relevant worship, fellowship, and teaching.
  • Be a catalyst for collaborative efforts, partnerships, and strategic relationships that bring together human and material resources for the sake of multiplying influence, effectiveness, and impact in the community.
  • Practice stewardship of the facilities owned by the church so that they receive maximum effective use in kingdom building and supporting efforts.
  • Develop multiple congregations in one locations and multiple locations for the central congregation.
  • Serve as an incubator for fresh ideas, entrepreneurial initiatives, and bold ventures for wholistic (spelled this way intentionally) gospel ministry and proclamation.
  • Engage in community development wherever we have a location.
  • Use Internet technology to build and nurture communities online and in real time.
  • Train and coach "home-grown" pastoral leadership for ministry expansion and church planting.
Unique Values
  • We value the holiness of the ordinary.
  • We value the uniqueness of every person in the image of God.
  • We value spontaneity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
  • We value the poor and wounded and seek to provide a place for them at the table.
  • We value the interaction of many cultures and peoples in a fellowship of grace and acceptance where our differences are honored and our oneness is celebrated.
  • We value joy, laughter, and human warmth.
  • We value the insights God gives to each member of the Body individually and in groups as we gather around the scriptures and seek God together.
Core Beliefs
  • We are Baptists in faith and practice and those beliefs that are historically common to Baptists are ours as well.
  • We confess Jesus Christ as Lord, who is the second Person of the Holy Trinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit, who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died for our sins of His own volition, was raised from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and is coming again in glory to reign forever and ever.
  • We believe in the message of salvation by grace through faith, regeneration by the power of the Holy Spirit, and sanctification as we become more Christlike in the step by step process of holiness.
  • We believe that salvation is accompanied by turning from a life of sin to one of following Jesus Christ and is demonstrated through believer's baptism by immersion and celebrated regularly through the Lord's Supper.
  • We believe that church membership is a willing covenant relationship between members of the Body of Christ in a local place.
  • We believe that the Bible is our authority in matters of faith, that Jesus Christ is the interpreter of the scriptures, and that every believer in Christ is competent to consult the Bible as a priest to God and to others.
  • We believe that the local church is autonomous and under the direct Lordship of Jesus Christ who calls His under-shepherds to provide leadership and care for its members as they care for each other and reach out to a world in need with His gospel of grace.
  • We believe that the core message of the gospel is the Kingdom of God and that God's Kingdom is the reign of love, grace, and peace through Jesus Christ.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Changes

The Fellowship of Joy has entered into a new partnership ministry with Darryl Curry, one of our members and pastor of the Grafitti ministry. His New Hope Ministries will be incorporated into ours with a board of our members and others and we are in the process of opening a men's home for discipleship and recovery through Jesus Christ. lately, we have reassessed our sponsorship of Set Free Ministries and have prayerfully and carefully come to the conclusion that we will be helping them launch out on their own and removing ourselves from responsibility and oversight over them. Below is the letter I wrote to them this week and they receieved graciously: Baptist Temple – The Fellowship of Joy 4141 N Fresno St., Fresno, CA. 93619 www.fresnojoy.com 559-229-9379 From the Desk of Tom Sims, Senior Pastor www.pastortomsims.com tomsims1@compuserve.com Set Free Ministries – Fresno 4141 N. Fresno St. Fresno, CA. 93726 Attention: Pastor David Zamora March 8, 200...
Read more

STEP UP DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS for February 16-22

Monday, February 16 - (Jeremiah 10:23 ) " O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." - We like to think we are in charge of everything in our lives. In reality, we are only in charge of our choices, our beliefs, and our attitudes. Our task is to seek God through everything else, to be open to Him and to be ready to be obedient to the vision that He plants in our hearts . Tuesday, February 17 - (Romans 4:12) … who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham …. " The promises of God transcend time and lineage and are extended to all come to Him in faith. What God offered Abraham in terms of a vision of significance for His life, is available for us. We can be blessed to be a blessing to others. In your seeking and visioning this day, are you saving room for the great things God wants to do in and through you? Wednesday, February18 - (I Peter 2:21 ) " For even hereunto were ye cal...
Read more

Salvation Through Christ: A Matter of FAITH

I post this for two purposes: (1) To share my faith. (2) to help you share yours. Salvation Through Christ: A Matter of FAITH What do you think it takes for someone to get to heaven? Is it luck? Good deeds? Nothing at all? Or is there something more? The Bible has the real answer to this question. It's a matter of FAITH. F stands for FORGIVENESS. We cannot have eternal life without God's forgiveness. Ephesians 1:7a says, "In Him (Jesus Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins." A is for AVAILABLE. Forgiveness is available for all. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." But forgiveness is not automatic. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven," says Matthew 7:21a. I is for IMPOSSIBLE. It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven because of who He...
Read more