Proclaim Jesus to the Nations

Vision

We are a church built on godly families, led by Elders devoted to prayer and God's Word, all serving Him by reaching across generational and cultural boundaries to proclaim Jesus to the nations.

Strategic Initiatives

The following initiatives will enable us to fulfill God's vision for this church:

  • Personal and Corporate Prayer
  • Mentoring Leaders
  • Multi-Generational Ministries
  • International Ministries
  • Church campus development
  • Church governance
  • Church name

Purpose

This document articulates God's direction for our church as understood by the Elders and describes the resulting impact on ministry focus, church governance, the budget and the calendar. We exist to proclaim Jesus to the nations. Proclaiming the good news about Jesus begins in our homes, reaches into our community and stretches to the far corners of the world. It is transformational in that God brings light into the darkness of the human heart, imparting forgiveness and life where sin and death rule, and providing hope for eternity to those who despair. God graciously allows us to take part in His plan to redeem for Himself a people who will worship and serve Him forever. God wants to use our lives, and our church, to bring glory to Himself through the Person and work of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Setting

Our church is situated in an international community not far from one of the most important cities in the world. God has already brought the nations to our doorstep. Many nations and cultures neighbor our church and one of the most internationally diverse universities in our country is within minutes of our church campus. Our community is middle-class, multi-lingual, highly educated, and technically sophisticated. All this in a society seemingly bent on separating families and groups by age and culture. Unfortunately, the church has copied this pattern. Time is a scarce resource; family is a most precious treasure; and stressed lives are a usual state of being.

This setting is a challenging opportunity to reach people for Christ as we build godly families that will serve Him by reaching across generations and culture. The task appears daunting and overwhelming at times. Nevertheless, we believe that God has brought us together in this church for this purpose and He will do through us what we would otherwise be unable to do. He places us in this strategic position and gives to us the people and resources to accomplish His plans. We must grasp this vision and move ahead for His glory.

Approach

This purpose and setting compels us to realign the ministries of our church to intentionally include "cross over" events and activities designed to build bridges between the generations and nations in our midst. Because the good news of Jesus Christ transcends time and culture, our church must deliberately work to lower cultural and generational barriers so that God may glorify Himself through us in a new way.

Our changed organizational philosophy will minister across generations and cultures. This change will occur over time as we learn to apply God's provision to this church of people, resources and opportunity. We will reach out and we will build up. As an expression of our love for Jesus, we will love others different from us in generation or culture even as He loves us though we are far different from Him. Leadership, schedule, finances and organizational structure will serve as change agents to promote an atmosphere of respect and partnership in our church. It is through our love for one another that others will know we are His disciples and through that love, we will proclaim Jesus to the nations.

Planning Context

This document articulates God's direction for our church as understood by the Elders and describes the resulting impact on ministry focus, church governance, the budget and the calendar. This plan has matured through a period of trial and testing during which God reminded us of His purposes. These purposes are the heartbeat of this strategic plan and provide the life and power for all it entails.

In this planning process, the Lord Jesus reminded us that He is the Head of the church and we are subordinate to Him and His priorities. He reminded us to pursue Christ-likeness through prayer and biblical teaching. He reminded us that we are to be a spiritual community known for its love for one another. He reminded us that Elders, who shepherd us on His behalf by ensuring sound doctrine, discipling the next generation of leaders and providing direction for His church, must be men devoted to prayer and the word. He reminded us to serve others rather than seeking to be served, an example He set for us when He walked this earth. In addition, He has called us to proclaim His name across generational and cultural barriers to a community and a world that needs the good news of Jesus Christ.

There are at least three important presuppositions for implementation of this vision. First, we must be an obedient church if we expect God to bless us with the people and resources to accomplish His will. We believe this vision is His will. Second, every effort at our church should align with this vision and aligning our ministries with this vision will affect and change our ministry calendars and budgets. Finally, the governing structure of the church must change to a more biblical understanding of the role of the ‘elder-shepherd-pastor-overseer' in the church, and by extension, the role of Deacons will change as they begin to more closely resemble the biblical ‘ministers of mercy' that God intends them to be.

Initiative 1 - Personal and Corporate Prayer

Prayer is essential for any Christian to understand God's Word and make the commitment to obey Jesus. It is through prayer that our hearts align with God's heart and by which we experience our relationship with our heavenly Father. It is through prayer that the Holy Spirit within us communes with the Father on our behalf. This relationship leads to a Spirit-filled life and is an essential part of any successful ministry. Without fervent prayer, there will be little or no spiritual power or transformation.

Strategies to implement:

1a. Establish and sustain devotion to prayer in all the small groups in the church to: (a) lift our praise, adoration and thanksgiving to God for His work in and through this church; (b) intercede for the people and ministries of this church and our missionaries; (c) ask God for a spiritual awakening in our communities; and (d) pray for other needs. Small groups are already a powerful force in this church including the Korean and Latin missions.

1b. Establish and sustain a weekly prayer guide for individuals and include updates through a "Barcroft at Prayer" electronic update program.

Measures of success:

  • Elevated levels of passion for serving Jesus
  • God saving people through the ministry of this church every week, even daily
  • Numerous answers to prayer in the lives of many in our church and ministries
  • Unexplainable "buzz" and excitement about what Jesus is doing at our church

Initiative 2 - Mentoring Leaders

Current mentoring at the Elder level includes a focused effort to identify and train the next generation of leaders. There are over fifteen men in this program, at the end of which, God will call some to increased leadership responsibility in the church. Mentoring at all levels is essential for the health of the body. It begins with the Elders, and as this initiative develops, flows through the body. A mentoring culture provides the relational foundation for the development of the next generation of leaders in this church.

Strategies to implement:

2a. Build on the current mentoring effort and develop an intentional program for prospective Elders, Deacons and ministry leaders led by the Elders and that begins with the doctrines of the church

2b. On-going Ministry-specific training for volunteers in all ministries

2c. Ministry leader coaching events provided by the Ministries Pastor

2d. Ministry staff expansion; as God provides resources to strengthen the extended family and cross-cultural aspects of this vision.

Measures of success:

  • Everyone on a ministry team
  • Every ministry team trained by a coach
  • Every team "FIT" for ministry: Focused, Improving, and Transformational
  • A leadership culture focused on bringing up the next generation of leaders

Initiative 3 - Family Integrated Ministry

It is primarily through the family that God intends to pass His message of salvation and precepts for living from generation to generation, and it is through the church that He intends to strengthen and encourage families. Through the fathers, or in single-parent homes the head of the household, God intends the next generation of believers to know His precepts and commandments and to see the love of Christ and thereby grow strong their faith. In order for the church to encourage and strengthen the family, ministry events will focus on integrating rather than segregating the generations. Modeling biblical roles within the church family to encourage one another toward Christ-like behavior in our families requires time together as an extended church family.

Strategies to implement:

3a. Establish and sustain a church calendar which includes many multi-generational events and activities

3b. Establish and sustain a church budget that provides finances for multi-generational ministry events in addition to the ministries already focused toward particular special interest groups in the church

3c. Expand and sustain church programs over the next three years that minister across the generations to include "extended family" small groups

3d. Provide training materials and events for parents beginning this ministry year that support the biblical roles of husbands/fathers, wives/mothers and children

3e. Continue to provide worship experiences that are appropriate for the whole family and cultivate multi-generational worship

Measures of success:

  • An increased respect in our church for people other than our peers
  • An increased ministry interaction with people other than our peers
  • A increased desire in parents to build spiritually healthy families

Initiative 4 - International Ministry

Our family-integrating church ministry focus enables us to embrace the international community in our midst since the family unit is the foundation of every nation. By intentionally lowering cultural and generational barriers in our ministries, we will see our homes and community transformed and will become a truer reflection of the body of Christ universal. If you consider the "churches" currently under our roof there are over 400 people worshipping here.

Strategies to implement:

4a. Continue to sustain the weekly international staff meeting for building bridges between the leadership of all our international ministries

4b. Identify "cross over" events beginning this ministry year that will provide opportunities for our international groups to join together in service for Jesus (locally and beyond, to include missions trips)

4c. Develop a culture of respect and cooperation among our international groups

4d. Identify means of enhanced communication between people groups in our church

4e. Target George Mason University and NVCC for international ministry, perhaps collaborating with other Christian groups already ministering on campus; explore options this ministry year and begin implementation in the 09-10 ministry year

4f. Continue our already robust missions programs and pray that God will continue to call from our midst missionaries for His service

4g. Establish within the next three years a comprehensive outreach ministry in homes, apartments, and on or near local college campuses

Measures of success:

  • The international community of believers will know they are welcome here
  • An increased awareness and acceptance of other people groups in our church
  • Our church will begin to look and feel like the early church at Antioch!

Initiative 5 - Church Campus Development

Our facility is showing its age and is in need of repair. Moreover, it is inadequate to support future growth in worship and ministry. It is vital that we develop a plan to maximize the potential of the property and facility which God has provided so that we may then walk in the good works He has prepared in advance for us to do.

Strategies to implement:

5a. Establish a campus development committee to identify and upgrade the functionality of our facility (examples: audio and lighting improvements in the FLC; construction of an outdoor amphitheater; a playground for children, a soccer field, a master plan for the entire property, etc.) that will report to the Elders.

5b. Establish a line of credit with our bank so the campus development committee can repair and update our current facility to meet all safety codes and ministry infrastructure needs

5c. Hire a consulting firm within the next two years to assist the committee in developing a facility and property usage plan for the future

5d. Begin a capital campaign by September 2010 to finance future growth

Measures of success:

  • Ministries are not diminished due to poor or non-existent facilities
  • Obvious growth will justify expansion and expense
  • New facilities ground-breaking occurs within five years
  • Continued growth during and after the construction phase

Initiative 6 - Church Governance

Recent changes in church governance were driven by a renewed and more biblical understanding of the role of Elders and Deacons within a church. Elders are men, called by God, who are devoted to prayer and God's Word and who are then able to ensure sound doctrine, disciple the next generation of leaders and provide direction for the church.  Deacons are ministers of mercy in the body of Christ focused on serving people and managing the resources God has provided.

Strategies to implement:

6a. Continue to review the church bylaws... so that they reflect a biblical understanding of the role of Elders and Deacons within the church to include these guiding principles:

  • Christ is our Shepherd and Elders are His under-shepherds whom the Holy Spirit has made overseers to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His blood.
  • The role of Elder, Pastor, Overseer and Shepherd are the same in the church
  • There is no clergy-laity split in the body of Christ.
  • Deacons are men who are ministers of mercy in the body of Christ meant to serve the people and to manage the resources that God has provided to this local church

Measures of success:

  • God's blessing will be evident through kingdom fruit as this church becomes more obedient
  • Ministry leaders will be raised up as the Holy Spirit moves and they respond to biblical Eldership
  • Elder-Pastor-Overseer-Shepherds will be free to devote themselves to prayer and the word, ensuring sound doctrine, discipling and providing direction.
  • Deacons will serve the people and manage the resources God has provided

Initiative 7 - Church Name

When God does a new thing in a person's life, or the life of a group, He often changes their name. Saul became Paul. Simon became Peter. Jacob became Israel. Since God is doing something new in this church, it is time for a name change.

Strategies to implement:

7a. Reconsider the church name in light of God's call on this local body of believers including consideration of the character and focus of church ministries

7b. As part of the church governance initiative, establish a process for involving the congregation in the renaming for approval.

Measures of success:

  • The church name reflects who God has made us
  • The renaming process strengthens, defines and motivates the church

Summary

We exist to proclaim Jesus to the nations, and we will do that as a local body of Christ built on godly families, led by biblical Elders, serving Him as we reach across generational and cultural barriers. God is doing something new here and we are excited that He has chosen us for this unique ministry at this particular place and time. The task before us is beyond our grasp, which makes it even more exciting as we trust and acknowledge Him and He makes our paths straight. God has prepared us to join Him in His work, which He prepared in advance that we may walk in it, trusting Him as we obediently take the next step. Praise God for His church and the privilege He gives us to serve Him alongside one another.