Our Mission

Our Mission Statement
 

We are a Christ-centered, Bible-based church called to exemplify the love of our Father revealed and experienced in His Son, Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit seeking and spreading the good news of God’s love and salvation for all through:
 

* Love
* Varied Worship Experiences
* Prayer
* Faith
* Healing
* Education
* Youth Ministries
* Mission Work

Purposes and Directions

An explanation of the points within the Mission Statement:

Love
We are called to love one another as Jesus loved us and we will nuture and witness to all those who enter this church.

Varied Worship Experiences
We recognize that each person's experience and relationship with God is valuable and unique. We will praise God and in all things be true to the scriptures while creating a welcoming atmosphere to all who seek to encounter Him.

Prayer
We as a body believe in the power of prayer and that God hears and answers the prayers of His people. We will continually pray and seek the understanding of God's will for all of us and will continue to promote a lifelong conversation with God.

Faith
Faith is trusting that God is in control, knowing that all we have is given to us by God. We will encourage a bold trust in the all powerful God and further our complete reliance on the Holy Spirit.

Healing
We believe the healing power of God restores us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We will provide multiple prayer ministries to pray with and for all, believing God will answer.

Education
An understanding of the Bible and its teachings is essential to all who seek our Lord and Savior. Our church is committed to encouraging spiritual growth by providing Biblical studies, Sunday School classes, small group studies, and a variety of educational programs for all ages.

Youth Ministries
We believe our youth need a firm foundation in Christian faith. We will provide an environment that emphasizes these fundamentals through education, fellowship, and clear personal examples of living a Christian life.

Mission Work
The greatest mission work we can do is go forth and make disciples of all. We will strive to carry the gospel into our community and throughout the world by serving those in need.

 

Mission Statement Banners:

We chose to make these banners green, so they would be hung during the liturgical season, which represents a time of growth, learning and regeneration.

Through this explanation the Mission Statement will be written in italics. The bulleted points are the symbolism represented on the banner for each italic word/phrase preceding it.

We are a Christ-centered
• The mast of the ship is a cross, placed prominently on the banner, creating a focal point.

Bible-based
• The waves at the base of the banner are an open Bible. It is open to symbolize wisdom and learning. The ship is placed on the waves of the open Bible to show “Bible-based”.

Church
• The church is the ship. Historically a ship has been used to symbolize the church. “The world is a sea in which the Church, like a ship, is beaten by the waves, but not submerged”. (St. Hippolytus)
The ship also symbolizes the church as a place of rescue and salvation.

Called to exemplify the love of our Father
• The circle represents Eternal God. The color yellow symbolizes divinity. It surrounds the essence of the ship and encompasses the cross and sail, representing the Trinity. In this banner the circle is the sun, our earthly life-giving source of light, heat, and energy. Our God is our spiritual life-giving source.

Revealed and experienced in His Son, Jesus Christ
• Represented by the cross.

And by the power of the Holy Spirit
• The sail (the power) of the ship (the church) is shaped as a white dove representing the Holy Spirit. The flames coming out of the yellow circle also represents the Holy Spirit (flames appeared above the heads of the Apostles during Pentecost).

Seeking
• Represented by the ship on a purposeful voyage

And spreading
• Represented by a tree spreading its branches. The tree is healthy and producing green leaves. It is rooted in several layers of brown. Brown represents humility; to symbolize our realization that all we do and are comes from God, and the many people who have come before us.

The Good News of God’s love and salvation for all through:
• The words “love and salvation” are emphasized on the sides of the ship banner.
• The words “Spreading Good News” are emphasized on the sides of the tree banner.

Love
• Each leaf is heart-shaped representing love as the basis of all we do. Green symbolizes spiritual growth, showing our missions not only help others, but encourages spiritual growth in others and in ourselves.

Varied worship experiences
• This leaf is created with a variety of fabrics and shades of green to represent diversity.

Prayer
• The leaf with the praying hands.

Faith
• The colors white and gold symbolize faith, so this leaf is has been created in those colors and placed at the top of the tree to emphasize its importance.

Healing
• Represented on the leaf with hands reaching to God.

Education
• Symbolized by an open Bible on the leaf. Open Bibles symbolize learning, wisdom, and illumination.

Youth ministries
• Represented on the leaf that shows youth in various stages of growth connected by joined hands.

Mission Work
• Represented by the leaf with the fish. It represents feeding the hungry and meeting the needs of those who are needy, but it also reminds us that Christ called us to be “fishers of men”.

Color symbolism for these banners:
Blue: spiritual love, truth. Brown: humility
Green: hope, regeneration, victory. White: purity, joy, faith, glory
Yellow or gold: God, divinity, divine intelligence, faith, illuminated truth

Banner Design Participants:
Dee Dykstra, Marsha Malsack, Becky Young, Julie Burdsall, Stacey Butera, Sheila McMeen, Doris Leffler, Mary Krejci, Sandy Poots, Maureen Mirabilio, Suzanne Blecker, Flossie Meyer, and Doris Schwint.