Maturing Together In Christ

“They Devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

Acts 2:42

Vision Statement

OVERALL: To become a healthy, vibrant, growing church that is a testimony to God's glory by reaching the lost, making disciples, pursuing other church plant opportunities and becoming more intentional in developing multicultural leadership in our church community.

GOALS

  1. Empowering Leadership - "minister to Christians"
    - Concentrate on equipping, supporting, motivating, and mentoring individuals empowering them for ministry modeled after Jesus.
    STRATEGY:
    - Mentor to multiply elders, ministry leaders, and care group leaders.
    - Develop a Leadership Development Process that cultivates a growing leadership culture and which specifically recognizes and reflects the multicultural diversity of our membership.

  2. Passionate Spirituality - "minister to Christians"
    - To see Christians in this church "on fire", living committed lives and practicing their faith with joy and enthusiasm.
    STRATEGY:
    - Model a lifestyle that demonstrates reliance on prayer, active involvement of the Holy Spirit and a growing personal relationship with God.
    - Encourage all ministry leaders in this lifestyle.
    - Communicate a lifestyle of excitement and "God-dependency", based on Scripture, from the pulpit and through educational opportunities.
    - Practice and encourage the healthy practice of spiritual disciplines.
    -Continue to develop purposeful discipleship opportunities through the Bible Study, Care Groups and the Life Together Study.
    - Regularly offer three classes in Spiritual Formation: Exploring Christianity (101) and Exploring Discipleship (201) and Exploring the Bible (301).

  3. Functional Structures - "minister to Christians"
    - Organize church life and ministry around a leadership structure that promotes life and growth.
    STRATEGY:
    - "areas of ministry" will meet regularly.
    - Weekly staff meeting.
    - Elders meet twice monthly (once with staff).
    - Monthly Leadership Development meeting with all teams together.
    - See every area of ministry increase in servant involvement.

  4. Inspiring Worship Services - "minister to Christians, reach out to the world"
    - To see the Holy Spirit at work in assemblies where those attending are truly inspired and indicate that "going to church" is the highlight of their week.
    STRATEGY:
    - Offer an inspiring worship service Sunday morning that honours God and nurtures faith in believers.
    - Encourage more participation in assemblies (sharing times, faith stories, prayer, youth involvement and more involvement from all cultures in our church family).
    - Strive for a higher level of excellence (praise team, assembly planning, technical).
    - Revitalization of Praise Team.

  5. Holistic Care Groups - "minister to Christians, reach out to the world"
    - To see groups that are growing in Bible knowledge, are practical, relevant and which bring about positive life-change as Christians learn to serve others both in and outside the group. To become a place where nobody stands alone.
    STRATEGY:
    - Increase and maintain the level of participation among the church in care groups at a level of 65% involvement.
    - Encourage the training and equipping of care group leaders, using resources in partnership with other churches.
    - Implement processes to connect the unconnected into care groups.
    - Continue to develop a strong community aspect to Young Adult Ministry, Teen Ministry, Men's Ministry and Women's Ministry.
    - Offer "mid-size" community through educational opportunities and special events.

  6. Need Oriented Evangelism - "reach out to the world"
    - Focus evangelistic efforts on the questions and needs of non-Christians.
    STRATEGY:
    - Expand existing evangelistic events by members reaching out in the communities where they live and work.
    - Capitalize on the opportunity to reach out into the multi-cultural community based on the existing diversity of our congregation.
    - Specific continued outreach efforts in the Marlborough community.
    - Model an evangelistic lifestyle as a leadership.
    - Offer an evangelism course in the coming year, "Becoming a Contagious Christian".
    - Maintain a strong focus on the Children's ministry and Youth ministry because these are such critical times in personal formation and development.
    - Encourage evangelistic urgency within each member from the pulpit regularly.
    - Increase Maryvale's role in supporting Missions around the world.
    - Keep the congregational outreach goal in the minds of our members.
    - Effectively and intentionally connect with assembly visitors.

  7. Loving Relationships - "minister to Christians, reach out to the world"
    - Encourage an atmosphere where genuine love can flourish and be expressed. People do not want to hear us talk about love; they want to experience how Christian love really works. This atmosphere should pervade every area of ministry.
    STRATEGY:
    - Develop strong staff leadership and inter-personal relationships.
    - Develop relationships among staff, elders and ministry leaders and all church ministries and teams.
    - Provide opportunites for deeper relationships through special events, potlucks/brunches, care group experiences, Fireside Cafe, etc.
    - Develop a dynamic and growing Youth and Family Ministry.
    - Community building emphasis to the fall Cross Shapers event.

  8. Accomodation of Numerical Growth - "minister to Christians, reach out to the world"
    - The focus of the church is not numbers, but church health. And it is a fact that healthy churches grow and therefore need to make plans for how to accomodate such growth.
    STRATEGY:
    - Continue to evaluate Sunday School/Assembly model and modify if necessary.
    - Encourage existing members to intentionally connect with newcomers.
    - Investigate options to expand our current facility by modernizing and adding classrooms.

  9. Church Planting - "reach out to the world"
    - One of the most significant events in the life of an individual and a church is giving birth... the miracle of multiplication. This process is an integral part of our church's health, growth and kingdom impact.
    STRATEGY:
    - Participate in the support, encouragement and successful launch of Journey Church.
    - Continue to meet regularly with Oak Park and Bow Valley as part of a "Church Planting Network" to support and encourage the Journey Church Plant in Calgary and to develop a strategy for preparing for future plants as opportunity presents.
    - Intentionally profile Journey's progress and keep the congregation informed.

  10. "Missional Church" Service to the Community - "reach out to the world"
    - Carry the ministry of the church to the lives of the unchurched, the homeless, the hurting, the lowly, and the needy of Calgary, intentionally taking into account the needs of the Calgary non-caucasian population and immigrants.
    STRATEGY:
    - Special focus on the Northeast within the limits of our geographic demographics and commuter church character.