The power of connection among people and with God is Village's strength. Ours is a family that welcomes all people and cultures and is committed to spreading the love of Jesus Christ beyond these walls. We are here to help people find God and equip them to serve Christ. Our worship services aim to connect people with God, while reflecting current issues, technology, and thinking, as well as the wisdom of over fifty years of ministry. Village is a place for personal spiritual development, for true fellowship, for Christ-centered worship. Our focus is wide ... but we believe we can do more.
Even as we reach out to people in other parts of the world, we see many needs to be met right here at home. How can we help by using our spiritual passion and love for others? How can we best direct our knowledge and skills? As our congregation grows larger and our Church grows stronger, we pray for the best path to take into the future. We seek guidance in God's purpose for the gifts He has given us. We invite every member of the Village family to join in shaping this vision and to help make it a reality.
Who are we? In order to move forward, we must know how our past defines our present situation. Decades of loving God together, praying together, and serving others together have built the set of values that Village represents. What are those values? What do we stand for, as a church? How do we strive to live our faith? When we stop and think about where our priorities lie, we begin to shape our future.
Our priorities are simple: Village begins with loving God. Because of His character and command, our second priority is loving people. We do this in both simple and profound ways.
Village is:
... not a one-size-fits-all Church but a diverse body reflecting the cultures found in Washington County.
... not a rigid Church but a grace-centered family investing in your personal relationship with God.
... not a predictable Church but a creative ministry that wishes to take Jesus' Word forward.
... not an insular Church but an adventurous one that seeks to make a great community and global impact.
Who can we become? If we are committed to helping people find God, how can we make the most of our growing human resources? How can we "branch out" and take the hope and life of Jesus even further? We want our momentum to carry us forward, not in circles. In order to achieve our future goals, we believe the work must be done on three levels:
In our hearts
In our community
In our world
Changing our hearts. Life is hard, and none of us is perfect. We may be afraid, along, and unable to see our way to God. How can we help other people? We must first find spiritual healing from God.
In seeking spiritual guidance and support at Village, a door opens. Each of our ministries welcomes you to step through that door, with all your failures and disappointments, and begin to build a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When we open our hearts to His love and forgiveness, when we encounter God through worship in a way that transcends every other life experience, we gain the power to demonstrate His grace to others. Village will remain committed to strengthening spiritual lives on an individual and corporate basis, forming confident, effective disciples.
Changing the community. By reaching out into the community and filling specific needs, we build a bridge over which to carry God's love. We extend a hand to our neighbors and invite them to experience the sense of family that Villagers enjoy and rely on. We also help make our area a better place to live.
For the future, we envision Village as a regional center open to the entire community. By creating a regional center, we create an environment where various local ministries can join forces, cross pollinating, exchanging ideas, and stewarding resources more effectively. It is here that the community is also impacted through programs in theatre arts, athletics, civic improvement, opportunities we have yet to discover. This is a radically different way of doing church.
Changing the world. But why stop at city, county, state, or national boundaries? With a clear purpose and growing resources, our efforts in Christ's name can be felt worldwide. Available technology lets us network with other people and ministries in our area and around the globe, taking the message of Christ to other cultures. We can continue our community-based work, in more strategic ways, in places around the world where the love of God has yet to be shown.
How will we do this? Again, we return to YOU, and Village's focus on people. Everyone has different passions and gifts - every "Villager" is a unique individual who is part of a larger family. We want to celebrate each person's God-given gifts and allow these to strengthen the group as a whole. Village encourages YOUR participation and is committed to unleashing each person to do powerful ministry. The efforts of a single person can become part of a force in the world for Christ. As we move into the future, our greatest hope and prayer is that every member of the Village family may make a significant contribution toward bringing the world closer to Jesus Christ. For the glory of God, this our dream.
