Vision Statement

St. John's will be part of the Body of Christ, serving as a regional church inclusive in nature and open to all. Our emphasis will be upon discipleship more than membership. St. John's will reach out to the unchurched recognizing the different needs of our community and nurturing persons to become committed growing disciples. We believe that God will bless us with growth. We will establish small groups for nurture and accountability to one another. The church will be based upon ministry teams with everyone challenged to be involved. St. John's will offer a variety of opportunities for persons to serve in Christ's mission through financial support and hands-on assistance locally, nationally and inter-nationally. The church will help persons to discover their spiritual gifts and their talents and utilize them in Christ's ministry. Stewardship will be a central part of our faith with an emphasis placed upon the Biblical admonition to tithe. Worship in various forms will be the primary means by which we glorify God. All that we do will be supported with prayer, as we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We, as a congregation, are committed to these values, which are not in any order of priority, but are to be reflective of all age groups - children, youth and adults.

VALUE STATEMENTS

1. A Commitment to the Body of Christ: We are committed to join together networks of autonomous people and groups, in ways that support and encourage active and meaningful participation in the life of our congregation so that all people are empowered to work as part of the Body of Christ.

2. A Commitment to Inclusiveness: We are committed to embracing all of God's people, as we were commissioned by Jesus Christ to love one another, irrespective of race, gender, economic status, personal histories or being differently-abled. We recognize that we are on different points in our spiritual journey. We are also committed to handling all conflicts, arising out of differing interpretations or viewpoints, with God's love.

3. A Commitment to Discipleship: We are committed to invite persons to Christian discipleship, which is more than membership in the Church. We are committed to active discipleship in all its forms. We believe discipleship requires a commitment to Christ, which involves sharing our faith and leading by example.

4. A Commitment to Outreach: We are committed to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the churched and the unchurched of our community and our world, to invite others to a personal relationship with Christ. We will reach out to the community with Christ-centered programming.

5. A Commitment to Growth: We are committed to aiding our members and friends to grow spiritually and individually through worship and all other ministry opportunities. We believe our church membership will grow as a result of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

6. A Commitment to Christian Education: We are committed to teaching God's people of all ages about the Bible and the lessons embodied therein, in an effort to fully develop true disciples of Jesus Christ. We will seek new and innovative ways to bring the Bible to life for all members.

7. A Commitment to Small Group Ministry: We are committed to establishing more small groups for nurture, spiritual growth and sharing as well as for outreach. Small groups can help us as a larger church to connect personally with each other and with God. We believe small groups provide a vehicle for individuals to become actively involved in the life of the Church.

8. A Commitment to Mission: We are committed to be an effective force in the local, national and international mission field. We will support missions with time, talent and resources to serve Christ in our community and throughout the world. We believe God has richly blessed us to be a blessing to a world in need.

9. A Commitment to Stewardship: We are committed to being faithful stewards of God's gifts to us. We believe that our time, talents, and treasure have been given to us as a trust to use wisely and to share with others. We believe that tithing our treasure ought to be a minimal goal for good stewardship.

10. A Commitment to Worship: We are committed to worship as the primary means by which we glorify God. We will aid persons in living as Christians by teaching and preaching Biblical lessons which relate to their everyday lives. We are committed to providing a variety of worship experiences to meet the different needs of people. Regular attendance at worship services is encouraged and helps promote active involvement in the church.

11. A Commitment to Prayer: We are committed to prayer because we believe that Jesus' life and ministry was based on a close relationship with God grounded in prayer. We believe that through prayer we will develop a closer relationship with God.

12. A Commitment to Excellence: We are committed to excellence because we believe God deserves the best that we can give and do. We will strive for the highest standards for all of our ministries so that all persons involved will experience the Holy Spirit.