Our Vision Statement Tom Swartz, Elder of WPC 27 January 2002 We will be selecting and installing a permanent pastor in a year or so.  This will clearly be an opportunity for our congregation to evaluate our roles and objectives for this church.  As many of you know, we have initiated this evaluation and objective setting with a collaborative exchange of thoughts and ideas.  So that we would have a unified set of objectives, expressed in one voice, we are crafting a vision statement.  It is not only required for our pastoral search, but it is a fundamental proclamation of our forecast and fulfillment of our churches needs and our response to those needs. Your elders and deacons have completed the final editing of this statement, which is borne of your contributions of thoughts and ideas.  I am pleased to read this vision statement to you today.      We are a Christ-centered church that nourishes members, friends, and families; promotes spiritual        growth; and spreads His teachings throughout our communities to grow His church in the world. I would like to take a moment to focus on the salient pieces of our vision statement, to try to indicate what this statement means to me, and hopefully to all of us.  We  ... This is an inclusive word that states our vision in one voice. We are a church ... We are a group of God's believers. We are a Christ-centered church  ... We are a group that proclaims that Jesus Christ is at the center of our church and our lives. We nourish  ... Nourishing is providing for or sustaining; it is the essence of fulfilling needs for survival. We nourish members, friends, and families ... Those that are, and those that would be; our friends would be those that we are called to support; there would not seem to be any limits on whom Jesus would befriend. We promote  ... To promote is to support, and it is also to raise in priority. We promote spiritual growth ... We desire to support spiritual growth, and we also desire to increase its importance. We spread  ... We distribute, we cover, we give notice of. We spread teachings ... We offer the evidence of teachings; we speak of    teachings; we teach. We spread His teachings  ... We proclaim the Gospel of Jesus. Throughout our communities  ... Those places where we live, work, and play. To grow His church  ... We want more people to come to have a personal relationship with Christ.  We can help to save souls by introducing people to Christ. To grow His church in the world ... This world.  A world of many communities. Communities will interact with other communities.  This is the world connecting with itself.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, the community will become virtual.  But it starts with us, with you and me, with We. With this vision statement, we are on our way to fulfilling objectives in a new era, but one that continues to be rooted in our tradition, in our spirituality, and in our confidence and trust that God is the same God yesterday as He is today and continues to be tomorrow.  Let us pray: Almighty God, we are so grateful that you continue to provide for us.  We ask your continued blessing on our congregation, on the work of the elders and deacons, on the Pastor Nominating Committee we will be electing today, and on the pastor that we eventually install to lead our church, according to the vision you have helped us to articulate.  Help us to fulfill the vision of Westminster as we give thanks to you today and each day of our lives.  Amen. Return to Home Page