What We See: Big Picture
Our Vision Statement is “to see communities transformed by the active presence of Jesus Christ in His Church”. That is as big a local vision a church can have. Maybe we could have something more global in mind to truly show that we believe that God can do far above all that we can ask or imagine. We know He can, will, and has done wondrous things through His Church on a global scale. We will partner with those called to Kingdom work all over the world. However, we are confident in our call specifically to the people and place of Cincinnati.
So, what does it mean when we say we want to see communities transformed? We mean that, straight up. We are so confident in the Church of Jesus Christ that we believe whole communities can become “leavened”, to allude to a parable of Jesus (Matthew 13:33). We believe this because each believer is a carrier of the presence of God, therefore capable of changing any environment they enter. When believers gather together for Kingdom purpose, the potential is amazing.
To give you a brief picture of what we see, let’s break down that Vision Statement a little. We say “communities” because our desire is to be a multiplying church, planting community churches throughout the Cincinnati area. I used to say it this way: “I want to build 10 churches of 300 people more than I want to build a church of 3000”. This requires the development and recruitment of leaders, in addition to a culture that releases the members of church to do ministry in light of Ephesians 4:11-16.
The second part of the statement says “by the active presence of Jesus Christ in His Church.” We chose the verbiage purposefully to emphasize “active” and “presence”. I have already alluded to the truth that each believer being a presence-carrier. Jesus made it clear that He is present when believers are gathered (Matthew 18:20). We see a church that is presence oriented: aware of God’s presence in our daily lives, focused on His presence in our gatherings, and personally present in our homes and communities. I will explain this more fully in a coming blog post, but I will say it again, when we are fully present and aware of God’s presence our activity changes whatever environment we find ourselves in!
More nuance to our vision will come through in future blog posts, but here are some big-picture things we have on our hearts:
- A boutique (read “elevated experience”) where families in need can shop for their children, free of charge
- Beautification and improvement of public spaces and recreation areas
- Bold generosity (we believe we will be able to give away cars, help fill financial gaps for people, etc.)
- Mentorship and life-skills coaching for teens and young adults
- And much, much more!
There is so much we want to do to serve the communities of Cincinnati. More than anything, we desire to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and create a loving community of growth. This is some of what we see in the big picture, so for the sake of brevity I will just let you know that the next post is about our current context: What do we see right in front of us? Until then, God bless.