We Value the Vulnerable...
Mission, Vision, Values, Culture To know who we are, we need to know where we’re going. To know where we’re going, we need to know what we’re going to do to get there. To know what we’re going to do to get there, we need to know who we’re going to be doing it with. And to know who we’re going to be doing it with, we need to know what we’re doing. We need a clear understanding of our mission – given by Jesus Himself. We need a rallying vision – a picture of a preferred future that keeps us rooted in the mission. We need a known set of values – the things that we choose to high-center on that will hold us high-and-tight to our vision. We need a culture – an established code that defines the hills we’re willing to die on that will drive our values, help us accomplish our vision, and will keep us on mission. We need a Firm Foundation. Mission >>> We are called to awaken the hearts of the hopeless, the helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' love for all people and His perfect plan for our lives. Hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritual homelessness present differently depending on where you are looking, but these three realities are the norm of the human condition. We have all been there. Some of us may be there now, experiencing a version of one or all three of these conditions. Regardless of our current situation, Jesus is always the answer. Jesus has sent The Spirit to be a Help. Jesus is the Hope of The World. And The Father sent Jesus to lay the foundation for how He desires a Spiritual Home – His Church – to be built. Bring Hope: Jesus is the Hope of the World and He has chosen His Church to be the vehicle He uses to bring hope to those who are at the end of their rope and don’t know their next steps. Sometimes people just need a little hand-up to help them get back on their feet, and we are here to serve. Hope can be restored when real needs are met; and, when real needs are met, doors can open to real spiritual conversations about The Hope that Jesus provides. (Psalm 41:1-2) We exceed the need. Be a Help: We are called to be a help to those who don’t have the resources they need to thrive (James 1). Jesus promised His followers that He would send The Spirit to be a Help for His people (another Helper). When we walk with Jesus, we are guided by The Spirit, gifted by The Spirit, and empowered by The Spirit. And when the Spirit Guides, Gifts (1 Cor 12), and Empowers (Gal 5) it is always for building up and growing The Church and putting Jesus on display. When we step into these Good Works, we honor The Father in the process (Matthew 5). We value the vulnerable. Build a Family: We are called to be a safe space - a spiritual home - for those who need Jesus and a Church Family. The Church has been built to honor The Father. He sent Jesus to establish a new covenant with His people and to bring us into His flock. This is not easy work. And for this work to be accomplished in a God-honoring way, we must build families that are not only strong, but resilient. Families who consistently show-up. Families who serve out of an overflow. Families who give sacrificially and generously and radically. Families who bend, but don’t break. Families who get back up again. Families with thick skin and soft hearts. Families who learn and grow and shine like Jesus. We build resilient families. Multiply the Mission: We understand that it can’t end with us. God has given each of us a part in this Body, and He desires for His Body to grow and multiply. As we respond to His call for His Church, we believe we will see a multiplication of ministry efforts that look and sound and feel like Venture. Ministry efforts that are born of our DNA and are committed to replicating it here, near, and far. This looks like localized ministry efforts. This looks like new-to-the-world Parachurch Organizations that see the need and meet it, find a hurt and heal it, see a problem and fix it. This looks like new church plants that take this beautiful