Vision Sunday: Looking in the Same Direction

We had a milestone morning at church on Sunday! We gathered together for part 2 of our Vision Sundays mini-series where we’ve been talking about the future, sharing the new vision, and praying for what’s to come. Yesterday Pastors Eric and Alexa shared our updated mission, vision, and cultural values for VFC and we can’t wait to see what God does in this new season!

Last week, Pastor Eric brought the word and reminded us of our purpose as a church and our role as believers to be the hands and feet of the body of Christ. In Houston, We Have a Problem, we were encouraged to be a rescue team, be image-bearers, and be a family as we study the concepts of evangelism, discipleship, and community.

This week, Pastors Eric and Alexa share all the details on what’s to come this year and the dreams for the next 7 years in Looking in the Same Direction. After building the framework last week for where we are and where our world is at as well as talking about the direction we can head in as a church, we’re now zeroing in even further. 

As we move forward in 2023, it’s important that we as a church are all looking in the same direction so that we’re in turn going in the same direction toward the future God has for our church.

Habbakuk 2:2 (NKJV) Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) Where there is no vision, the people perish.

Today, we’re focusing on sharing the new vision and how all of us can find our God-given place within our church. Let’s dive in! 

Looking In The Same Direction

In 1991, Valley Family Church was born and founded on a vision from God–a vision and a desire to serve God. The faith was authentic and the church was passionate. Vision has always been at the forefront, even as the verbiage has shifted and changed over the years, the core of our church has always been led by vision. 

As Pastors Eric and Alexa continue in their new roles as Lead Pastors, we’re getting clear on the vision for the future and considering how to bring that vision to life and put our mission, vision, and cultural values into practice. 

1. MISSION (why we exist)

For over 30 years, our  mission statement has always served to answer the question of why we exist. The mission statement does not define our goals or the things we want to accomplish; it helps define our purpose, our pursuit, our why. The verses below help shape the mission statement for our church: 

Philippians 3:7-11 (NIV) 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Paul was a man of great education and influence with esteemed social status. He has many awards and trophies and accomplished much throughout his life. However, he wants us to know that simply knowing Jesus is worth infinitely more than any earthly treasure, value, or possession. Paul’s entire goal is now to know Jesus and to be around him and strive to be like Him in every area of life. Paul’s mission statement wasn’t about acquiring or accomplishing worldly successes; his mission was about knowing Jesus fully and completely. 

There is more joy, more peace, more fulfillment, and more life in knowing Jesus than there is in our careers, our finances, our earthly treasures. Our calling is to know Him! 

Acts 4:13 (NKJV) Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

Similar to Peter and John, the prayer for our church is to know Jesus. We desire to be people who know Jesus and that relationship is evident in our lives. We want to look, walk, talk, and live as people who have been with Jesus personally. 

1 John 1:1-2 (NLT) We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.

When we know Jesus–when we walk with Him and talk with Him and work with Him and let Him change us and speak to us and let His word shape how we live as we pursue Him–the natural byproduct is to go and tell others about the very One we’ve experienced!

New Valley Family Church Mission Statement: To know Jesus and make Him known.

It is our mission to be passionately in love with and in pursuit of the One for whom all of life is about–our mission is focused fully and wholly on Jesus! 

Discussion:

How can we as church members bring the mission of VFC to life? 

What does it mean to know Jesus? 

What does it look like to make Jesus known to the world around us? 

2. VISION (what we see)

Last week, in Houston, We Have a Problem, Pastor Eric covered our 3 pillars of ministry–evangelism, discipleship, and community. We discussed 3 old solutions to the new problems we’re facing in our current cultural climate. Those 3 pathways in ministry have set up and shaped the framework to our vision statement. This is what we see–the goals we’re going after. 

New Valley Family Church Vision Statement:

We see a Jesus-centered church changing the world one person at a time through evangelism, discipleship and community. 

Colossians 1:15-18 (NKJV) 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, he firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Jesus is the head of our church. We are not a self-help-centered church, an emotionally-centered church, a politically-centered church–we are a Jesus-centered church. And with Jesus at the center, we gather and we worship, we minister to and love kids, we create space and room for the next generation to thrive. We give groceries to the needy, and we teach the whole counsel of God's Word. 

We view life and all of our ministries through the lens of Jesus and His finished work on the cross. All we do starts and ends with Him. In all we do, He gets the glory. That's what we mean when we say we are a Jesus centered Church. We’re changing the world, one person at a time. Just like we’re instructed to in Jesus’ final words to His church: 

Matthew 28:19 (NKJV) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

We are a church that is passionate about changing the world! How exactly do we change the world one person at a time? Through these 3 pathways: evangelism, discipleship, and community. 

Acts 2:46-47 (NKJV) 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

If we grow deep roots in evangelism, discipleship, and community, God will just continue to add to our church, those who are being saved. Here’s what those 3 pillars looks like for our church: 

Evangelism–Jesus is full of compassion for the world, and He is passionate about seeking and saving the lost. Following His example, we are committed to being a church full of people that daily give our all to help everyone, everywhere find salvation and life in Jesus. Our prayer is that His kingdom will come and His will will be done in our city, as it is in heaven. 

Discipleship–Jesus calls us to come and to follow Him. We’re passionate about walking the road of discipleship and being formed into the image of Christ, as we follow in the way of Jesus rather than in the way of the world. Our prayer is that we would learn to walk, talk, and look like Him in all that we do. Our prayer is that of the early disciples, that the dust of our Rabbi would be upon us. 

Community–Jesus invites us into relationship with Him and with one another. We believe that we’re not meant to live life alone, but we’re created for community. We can find joy, purpose, and meaning as we do life together and sacrificially love and serve one another. Our prayer is that we would be a generational church that people can find a family of faith in, that people can grow up in, and that people can grow old in.

We see a Jesus-centered church changing the world one person at a time through evangelism, discipleship, and community. Amen! 

Discussion:

How can we as individuals live out the principles of evangelism, discipleship, and community? 

How do we ensure that our church remains Jesus-centered as opposed to getting lost in cultural trends? 

How can each of us work toward bringing life to the VFC vision in our ordinary everyday lives? 

3. CULTURAL VALUES (who we are)

In the past, we’ve used language like our “codes” and, more recently, our “core values” to describe who we are as a church. We’re defining the goal of VFC through 8 values that will help define our culture as a church. 

Culture is simply your values, your assumptions, and your norms. It’s the spirit of which we do what we do. Culture is the spirit from which we change the world one person at a time. We will continuously work toward a culture that is healthy and will allow us to do ministry with success and with joy. These are the new 8 cultural values of Valley Family Church:

WORSHIP: That we would be people who reserve the greatest affections of our hearts for Jesus as we offer our whole lives to Him alone in worship and prioritize His presence in all we do. 

PURPOSE: That we would find purpose in joining God’s restorative work in the world as we sacrificially serve and give ourselves to loving God and loving our neighbor.

WORD: That we would be people who love the Word of God, believe in it in its fullness and allow the Bible to shape and frame our lives in every way as we follow Jesus.

SPIRIT: That we would learn to rely on and experience the Holy Spirit’s power at work in our lives and embrace all the gifts of the Spirit that are alive and active today. 

FAMILY: That we would build nuclear families and participate in the family of God in a way that helps us to thrive in Christ and pass the faith effectively from one generation to the next.

GENEROSITY: That we would live with open hands and open hearts as we generously give to others from what God has graciously given to us. 

FAITH: That we would live with audacious faith, pray bold prayers and believe God for the impossible as we hold tightly to God’s power and promises. 

JOY: That we would know how radically loved and forgiven we are and in response, live with joy that overflows beyond our circumstances as a testimony of the goodness of God to our world. 

Habbakuk 2:2 (NKJV) Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.

Our prayer is that our mission, vision, and cultural values would be written in plain so that now, moving forward as a church, we can run after all God has for us in that direction. Below are the ways for all of this to be practical in our lives and in our church both this year and over the course of the next 7 years at VFC: 

2030 (7-YEAR DREAM)

• Multiple Campuses
• Valley Groceries Multiplication
• Valley Girls Movement
• Introducing Spiritual Formation Pathway
• Primal Path: Discipleship Course for Fathers & Sons
• Next Gen Youth Conference
• Kids, Kids and more Kids!
• Worship Sound & Album
• Debt Free Facility

2023 (THIS YEAR)

• Strengthen The Stakes
• Prayer (Monday Morning Prayer)
• 2nd Sunday Service
• Young Adults Ministry & Retreat
• Family Ministries Summer Camp
• Valley Groceries Love Week Event
• Maximize The BWB Pray.com Reach
• Valley Girls Social
• Men’s Event / Primal Path
• Valley Nights Expansion

Nehemiah 2:17-18 (NKJV) 17 Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” 18 And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work.

Discussion:

Which of VFC’s cultural values is easiest for you to live out? 

Which value will require extra intentional effort for you? 

Reflect on the goals and events planned for 2023. How can you get involved and contribute your spiritual gifts to enhancing the Kingdom of God?

HOW WE CAN BUILD:

• Pray
• Jump In
• Give

NEW MISSION: Our mission is simple: to know Jesus and make Him known.

NEW VISION: We see a Jesus-centered church changing the world one person at a time through evangelism, discipleship and community.

NEW CULTURAL VALUES: Worship, Purpose, Word, Spirit, Family, Generosity, Faith, Joy.

HOW WE CAN BUILD: Pray, Jump In and Give!