The Mission/Vision Team met for the first time on Wednesday, April 1st. We discussed what we hoped to get out of this process which included things like:
- Safety to bring someone to church
- God's real plan for our church
- Community within the church
- Growth
- Spirit-led, Walking with Christ Church
- Outward Focus
- Personal Growth in Christ
- Single, Guided Vision
- The variety within the church pulled together
Then we talked about our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Barriers. These are the top 4 in each category: (not in order of preferences)
Strengths
- Message
- Children's ministries
- Committed People
- Facility
Weaknesses
- Lack of discipleship process
- Worship
- Lack of community
- Debt
Opportunities
- Growing Community/Searching Community
- Evangelistic Attitude of Church
- Former SDAs
- Personal Growth
Barriers
- Stewardship and ownership wtih the church is low
- Misunderstanding of the Message
- Resistance to Change
- Spectators
Our next meeting will be on April 8 at 6:30 pm. Please keep us in your prayers as we seek to understand our church, understand our community, and set a direction that God has already planned for us. And stay abreast here, as we'll keep you updated through the process!
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One of the biggest barriers facing our church and all Adventist churches in North America is the public's misunderstanding of who we are and what our message is.
ReplyDeleteIn a 2003 national survey people were asked the question, "What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the name Seventh-day Adventist?" The third most frequent response to this question associated Seventh-day Adventist with the Mormon faith.
Only 17% of the population associate the Adventist Church with it's core beliefs. According to independent researchers, the public is more likely to think of Adventists as a cult or sect than as a Christian, Christ-centered denomination.