God’s Vision for Christ UMC
The Vision:
Christ UMC - Where Everybody GROWS
God First
Relationships Matter
Onward to Maturity
Witnessing about Jesus
Serving Others
Core Values that Drive the Vision:
We Believe:
· God calls each of us to grow to spiritual maturity.
o 2 Peter 3:18 – “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
· Change is good, and we’re always willing to try new things.
o John 3:6b, 8 – “The Spirit gives birth to spirit. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
· People must surrender their lives to Jesus to be saved and transformed.
o John 14:6 – “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
· The Bible is our standard and authority for all areas of life.
o Hebrews 4:12 –“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
· Prayer is essential to everything we do.
o Philippians 4:6 – “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”
· Worshiping God together in a Spirit-filled, passionate way is fundamental.
o John 4:24 – “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
· Each of us is given gifts by the Holy Spirit in order to serve others.
o 1 Corinthians 12:7 – “A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.”
· We all need authentic relationships in order to challenge, nurture, and encourage each other.
o Romans 12:5b – “And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.”
· Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ is the mission of each one of us.
o 2 Corinthians 5:20 – “We are…Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”
· The whole person matters to God and to us.
o Isaiah 58:10 – “Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be a bright a day.”
· God desires and deserves our best efforts in all we attempt in his name
o Colossians 3:17a – “And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus.”
· Empowering and building up other ministries around us is one of Christ UMC’s unique gifts.
o Philemon 7b – “You . . . have refreshed the hearts of God’s people.”
· Helping children and youth know, love, and follow Jesus Christ is another of Christ UMC’s unique gifts.
o Matthew 19:14, “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me . . . for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’”
Snapshot of the Vision:
Christ United Methodist is a church where everybody grows. We are committed to nothing less than the transformation of the world, starting with Olean and moving beyond. We are especially gifted and called in two areas: helping children and youth grow to know, love, and follow Jesus, and intentionally seeking innovative ways to raise up and build up other churches and ministries around us. We are doing whatever it takes to grow fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, by creating a new culture of passion for God and people. Our goal is wholeness, authenticity, health, and growth, and we are willing to risk and sacrifice for it. When we hook onto the unstoppable power of God, there are unlimited possibilities.