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Introduction: Lee Street CRC began in 1926 with a vision to provide a new community of faith for those living in the Godfrey/Lee neighborhood.
The makeup of the neighborhood has changed dramatically since the church’s beginning. Because of this . . .
Our VISION is to be a truly multicultural, multigenerational body of Christ.
Our MISSION is to make and mature disciples from the neighborhoods in which we minister and live.
We believe this vision and mission will grow the church spiritually and numerically, and help transform the Lee Street neighborhood into a place known for God’s power in people’s lives. To accomplish this vision and mission requires a shift in thinking of the members of Lee Street CRC.
Major Shifts in Thinking for Individuals (Members of Lee Street):
1 I will follow God’s command to serve not just be fed.
2 I will be a part of a small intimate group of disciples that meets regularly to grow together spiritually.
3 I will think of myself as a representative or ambassador of Jesus Christ and Lee Street Christian Reformed Church.
4 I will contribute to the vitality of the church by voluntarily tithing my money, talents, and time.
Major Shifts in Thinking for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons of Lee Street):
1 We will set high expectations for the members of our church.
2 We will err on the side of risk instead of safety, to achieve our goals.
3 We will structure our ministries under the umbrella of discipleship.
4 We will have our elders encourage active participation in each ministry area.
As spiritually mature disciples, we love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our minds, and with all our strength. We also love our neighbors as ourselves. To demonstrate this two-fold love, we faithfully and intentionally commit ourselves to following Christ -- DISCIPLESHIP:
SHARE the Good News about Jesus Christ through WITNESS
PRAISE Jesus Christ through WORSHIP
INTERACT with other followers of Jesus Christ through RELATIONSHIPS
GROW in how to love and serve Jesus Christ through LEARNING
ACT OUT our gratitude to Jesus Christ through SERVICE
Guiding Principles for planning and carrying out our vision and mission:
1) We will be FOCUSED on our mission to “make and mature disciples.”
2) We will be RELEVANT to modern society.
3) We will be AUTHENTIC to who and where we are.
4) We will be EXPECTANT that God will reward obedience.
WITNESS
Our Values regarding WITNESS:
1) All people matter to God.
* [God] wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. – 1 Timothy 2:4
2) God’s command to witness is clear.
* Therefore go and make disciples of all nations. – Matthew 28:19
3) The church is sent into the world.
* As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. – John 20:21
4) Our lives are an obvious witness to the world.
* Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God.
– 1 Peter 2:12
A mature disciple is a credible witness of Jesus Christ. For individuals (Members):
1) I will understand the message of the Bible well enough to present it to others.
2) I will pray for people with whom to share the gospel.
3) I will look for and take advantage of opportunities to tell others about the message of the Bible.
4) I will invite others to worship services or church events.
5) I will live a life of integrity that won’t compromise my witness.
6) I will form purposeful relationships with people who do not know Christ.
Our church is committed to witness. For church leadership (Elders and Deacons):
1) We will focus our witness planning on transforming people’s lives so they are empowered to minister to others.
2) We will plan programs that involve people outside church so the programs strategically involve witness.
3) We will offer classes once a year on witnessing to help people feel more comfortable sharing the gospel.
4) We will organize a prayer group specifically to pray for our neighbors who are unsaved.
5) We will teach disciples how to write their own testimony of faith and provide avenues through which they can share
their testimonies.
6) We will encourage each small group to have an open chair (literally) policy in their group and at each meeting pray for who might fill that vacancy.
7) We will organize an event once a year which has as its main goal to share the gospel with our community.
8) We will encourage each disciple to be involved in some level of witness and provide opportunities for disciples to
mature in the area of witnessing their faith.
WORSHIP
Our Values regarding WORSHIP:
1) Christians can worship all the time, but worshiping together is something special.
* I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD". – Psalm 122:1
2) Our worship must be genuine.
* Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. – John 4:23
3) Worshipers should plan their lives around worship and use Sunday not only as a day of worship but also as a day of rest and relaxation.
* On the Sabbath day [Jesus] went into the synagogue, as was his custom. – Luke 4:16
* Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Exodus 20:8
4) Our worship should be both reverent and festive.
* Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. – Psalm 96:9
* Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. – Psalm 100:2
5) Our worship should be relevant and understandable.
* When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. – 1 Corinthians 14:26
6) Our worship should make use of a variety of artistic expressions.
* Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with the tambourine
and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals. – Psalm 150:3-5
7) Our worship begins a pattern that continues into heaven.
* You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. – Nehemiah 9:6
* All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God. – Revelation 7:11
A mature disciple worships individually and with others. For individuals (Members):
1) I will faithfully attend worship services.
2) I will schedule my activities in such a way to prioritize worship services.
3) I will be an active participant not a spectator in all parts of the worship services.
4) I will worship God by developing spiritual disciplines, especially prayer and Bible reading.
Our church is committed to WORSHIP. For church leadership (Elders and Deacons):
1) We will plan worship that is Christ-centered and true to our confessions.
2) We will plan worship that emphasizes the preaching of the Word and the sacraments.
3) We will plan worship that is authentic. It must come from the heart and represent who we are.
4) We will plan worship as a dialogue between God and us.
5) We will plan worship expecting guests.
6) We will use Sunday mornings primarily for congregational worship.
7) We will use Sunday evenings primarily for intimate worship in small groups or for learning/training opportunities.
RELATIONSHIPS
RELATIONSHIPS
Our Values regarding RELATIONSHIPS:
1) God designed people to live in community with each other.
* They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to
prayer – Acts 2:42
2) God loves his church. Disciples embody this love.
* Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:2
* A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another – John 13:34
3) Our shared experience of being saved and desiring to honor God is the glue that holds us together, not our background or other factor.
* You are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. – Galatians 3:26-28
A mature disciple is involved in the lives of others. For individuals (Members):
1) I will participate in an intimate small group of disciples to demonstrate and experience genuine Christian love.
2) I will participate in church-related activities.
3) I will keep up with the events of people’s lives so I can pray and give support.
4) I will initiate interaction with people of different backgrounds, ages, and cultures.
5) I will be aware of and prevent things that harm relationships with those inside and outside the church.
Our church is committed to RELATIONSHIPS. For church leadership (Elders and Deacons):
1) We will create opportunities (events) that respect the dignity of our guests. All will be invited to contribute (preparation, serving, clean up, etc.)
2) We will create opportunities (events) that encourage conversation with our guests.
3) We will create opportunities (events) that do not expose inequalities or differences between people. Events should meet people where they are and not make people uncomfortable.
4) We will create some opportunities (events) purposefully away from our building or property.
5) We will create opportunities (events) that provide for a variety of interests.
6) We will organize quarterly social events where we can share time together as a church body.
LEARNING
Our Values regarding LEARNING:
1) Disciples mature in their character and their knowledge of the Bible.
* In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. – Hebrews 5:12-14
* Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. – 2 Peter 3:18
2) Disciples apply what they learn.
* But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. – James 1:25
* My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put
them into practice. – Ezekiel 33:31
3) Disciples encourage each other and hold each other accountable.
* Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom. – Colossians 3:15
* Teach what is good. Then [the older women] can train the younger women. – Titus 2:3-4
A mature disciple is involved in life-long learning. For individuals (Members):
1) I will participate in at least one church-related offering related to learning per year.
2) I will have regular (at least three times a week) personal devotions including reading my Bible, reading Christian authors and having a vibrant prayer life.
3) I will discern what God’s will is for every aspect of my life:
Friends Marriage Leisure Entertainment Financial decisions Work
4) I will show the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in my daily life.
Love Joy Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness Self-Control
Our church is committed to LEARNING. For church leadership (Elders and Deacons):
1) We will make spiritual growth opportunities available for both new and mature Christians.
2) We will focus our spiritual growth opportunities on living in a right relationship with God and our neighbors.
3) We will encourage the elders and deacons to make it a priority to discuss life-long learning with the members of their
households.
SERVICE
Our Values regarding SERVICE:
1) We are called to restore the world to the way God intended it to be.
* If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who
reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. – 2 Corinthians 5:17-18
2) Service is a way to show our gratitude and commitment to Christ.
* Whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to
God the Father through him. – Colossians 3:17
3) Service demonstrates fruit of the Spirit.
* By their fruit you will recognize them. – Matthew 7:20
* I will show you my faith by what I do. – James 2:18
4) Service gives glory to God.
* Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. –Matthew 5:16
* Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good
deeds and glorify God. – 1 Peter 2:12
A mature disciple shows gratitude to God through service. For individuals (Members):
1) I will do good works as an avenue of showing gratitude to God.
2) I will know my strengths and serve accordingly.
3) I will participate in at least one area of service in the church, the community, or the world.
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prayer ministry
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visiting
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coffee service
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nursery
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physical labor
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leadership
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teaching
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volunteering at agencies
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4) I will contribute to the vitality of the church by voluntarily tithing my time, talents, and money.
5) I will show integrity by avoiding such things as gossip, sowing dissension, coarse joking and being judgmental so that I
honor God and his church.
Our church is committed to SERVICE. For church leadership (Elders and Deacons):
1) We will offer opportunities for all disciples to become active in a ministry of the church and engage with the community.
2) We will expect members all new disciples to take a “gifts” or “strengths” inventory so they can choose an area of ministry that best fits
their gift(s).
3) We will encourage disciples to balance service in Christ’s church with time spent with family/friends, recreation, and work.
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