
As we begin this year, the mission and vision statements God led us to years ago are still big enough and sharp enough to guide us forward. Alongside these, a fresh focus that fits within our mission and vision will bring clarity to 2025. As Geoff set aside time to pray about 2025, a well-known phrase from Jesus in Matthew 16 immediately came to mind:
“I will build my church.”
The more Geoff sat with this verse the more it resonated with him, and then with our Pastoral Leaders, as a focus for 2025. It fits with our continuing mission and vision statements. It fits with what God seems to be saying to other Churches of Christ across Queensland. It brings clarity and focus for the year.
Our mission is to love people and invite them to join us in a growing relationship with Jesus.
Our vision is to be a church devoted to lifelong growth, healthy relationships, warm hospitality, walking with the wounded and introducing people to Jesus.
Our focus in 2025 is to stand on what Jesus said in Matthew 16:18,
“I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.”
We believe that God wants to remind us this year that he is building his church on the solid rock of who he is. Nothing will be able to stop him. We each have the privilege and responsibility of playing our part in Jesus’ project of building his church.
How does God want to place you in the building of his church in 2025?
In our preaching and equipping this year we’ll expand on this focus through series like; the letters to the churches in Revelation, evangelism, spiritual warfare, our core beliefs as a church, unity, community and prayer and fasting. We’ll continue to be a church that exists not just for our own faith and growth, but also being always ready to invite others into our community as they encounter Jesus and begin growing with him.
We’ll continue to make time for friendship through small groups, meals and serving together. We’ll continue to raise up team leaders in ministry areas and begin gathering them together to take part in leadership of the whole church. We’ll look to use the Sunday night time slot in a creative way for community and discipleship. We’ll continue to look for the new things God is doing, listening for ideas that line up with our mission and vision and equipping people to develop those ideas.
On a practical level, a new 30 year land lease will place us at the beginning of a new era of ministry here. We need to be good stewards of the property and buildings we have, using and developing them in service to God and our wider community. This year we’ll explore adding a solar power system for ongoing sustainability. We’ll see if we can paint the outside of the church building to give it a fresh, inviting look that welcomes all people. And we’ll be open to developing the property in new ways as God leads.
You can download a PDF of this document here.
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