Session 4: Mission and Vision

Owned by David Hina
Last updated: Feb 24, 2017
  1. CONTEXT:  Ephesians 5: 25 – 27; Ephesians 1:1, 4-10; Ephesians 3:8-11
  2. OBJECTIVE:  To introduce and begin the process toward a written Providence Presbyterian Church mission statement and vision statement.
  3. IMPORTANCE:  The purpose of written mission and vision statements is to serve as a ministry guide and to provide ministry parameters to the church, its officers and members. A good mission statement “reduces frustration, and provides a defense against each person following his or her own counsel.  It helps the church to stay focused on what God would have us do…”
  4. TERMS:
    1. MISSION =’s the church’s purpose… what the church believes it is to “do” for God’s glory.

    2. VISION =’s what the mission will look like as it is unfolds and is accomplished. It includes more of the “how” than the “what”.

  5. THE PROVIDENCE MISSION:

    1. Biblical priorities
    2. Cultural context
    3. The mission statement 

  6. THE PROVIDENCE VISION

    1. The pastor
    2. The session
    3. The members 


Additional Considerations 

MISSION

  • Mission-shaping questions:
    1. Who are we?  Providence Presbyterian Church - a reformed, confessional, evangelical church
    2. What do we do?  Worship and reach people for Christ
    3. Where do we do this?  Cherokee county
    4. How do we do this?  By equipping Christians
      1. Question:  Do we believe our primary task is to get people into our building to hear the gospel, or is our primary task to take Christ out to where the people are?
    5. Why do we do this?  For God's glory.

VISION:  What is God calling us (a particular people in Cherokee County, NC) to do:

  • Individuals within the church:
    • Mary Yount:  Mary is bursting with a desire to connect with young women who are struggling in some way (w/ great sorrow, pain, addiction, etc.).  She wants to connect with them, pray with them, empathize with them, and give them spiritual direction.
    • Terry Carver:  Terry wants to come alongside those who are homeless.  He understands that many are jaded, and hardhearted, but he still wants to serve them materially in order to serve them spiritually.  Terry has a great deal of time available every day, and needs to be using it (even if it's purely volunteer).
    • Carol Sutton:  Carol has compassion for young women who are hurting or in need.  She is outstanding with sewing virtually anything.  She has a great deal of time on her hands, and wants to be involved in helping people.
    • Roddy, Zack, Wil, Andy, Kellie (public schools) / Daphne, Amy M., & Amy H. (CC/homeschool):  note the following comment from the Pastor who was instrumental in Rosaria Butterworth's conversion - "Our church in Syracuse had prayed for years for the university. Rosaria is one of God’s gracious answers!"  We need to be praying for involvement with students - public school systems, homeschooling.
    • Roddy, Amy M., Andy - involvement with community soccer teams.

  • Opportunities (assets & resources) - How can God use these to advance His Kingdom?
    • Finances -  $50K in the bank, everything paid off, expectation of increased giving in the future
    • Facility - room available throughout the week
    • Location - Good visibility from highway, location on a hill, requires "commitment" to get into parking lot
    • Connection w/ people - 3 teachers connected to students
    • Connection with Pregnancy Centers
  • Characteristics of the community:
    • Bible belt - many are "churched," but are largely biblically illiterate, fail to understand grace (legalism is a problem)
    • Large percentage of "half-timers"
    • Drug use is a huge problem in the surrounding community
    • Casino
    • Neighborhoods around the church
    • Largely white, although diversity seems to be increasing
    • Immediate area - failing golf course, 30% houses empty during winter/spring, largely middle class in immediate vicinity, apartments in golf course area
    • Numerous churches in the area, but almost none that are solidly reformed (important, because it may set the scope of who we need to serve)
    • Rural area, with people widely spread out, very few concentrated population areas (need to discuss the challenges this poses, and be prepare to seek solutions to those challenges)