VISION 2030

SPIRITUAL FORMATION

We seek a Spiritual Formation that produces a hunger for God, a craving for community and a search for something non-artificial. We believe that Spiritual Formation is both individual and corporate, personal and communal. We seek to ask both: “What is God doing in me?” and “What is God doing in us?” We seek to intentionally counter an individualistic culture by developing shared language, practices and experiences that create a stronger sense of “we.”

Spiritual Formation goes beyond Sundays. Transformation cannot be limited to what happens inside the church building. Spiritual Formation should become an organic, everyday process – layer upon layer. We profess and commit ourselves to small groups as the incubators for Spiritual Formation. We seek to foster and develop an expanded small group ministry with trained small group leaders that become environments where relationships deepen, spiritual practices develop, leaders emerge and transformation takes root.

We seek a Spiritual Formation that produces Leadership Multiplication by developing people who increasingly serve, influence, disciple, and develop others. Leaders who move from being “ministry consumers” to “ministry providers.” Our strategy in undergirding this vision is summed up in three words

BELONG → GROW → BECOME

Belonging to an authentic community.

Growing through intentional spiritual formation.

Becoming more like Jesus.

We believe that “spiritual stagnation” is the opposite of Spiritual Formation. Spiritual Formation requires intentional movement toward becoming more like Jesus. Repeating familiar practices without purpose, curiosity, or urgency about what God may be calling us to next, can lead to spiritual plateaus and complacency. We will create clear strategies and pathways for spiritual growth to move all of us along to the “what’s next?” and the 2.0 of our spiritual journeys.

CORE VALUES

Celebrate and remain committed to Safety, Authenticity, Diversity, Transformation & Reconciliation, we will continue to radically welcome all with an invitation to inclusion into a safe and grace-based community. We will resist cliques, closed affinity groups, labels and assumptions about where people “fit.” We dream of a church where people genuinely know, “There is a place for me here.” We do not seek to be a church where everyone knows everyone… but rather, a church where everyone is known… everyone is valued… everyone is loved.

This will be nurtured by remaining outwardly focused toward all of our neighbors in the Greater Cleveland area and by committing to a continual process of Spiritual Formation and Leadership Multiplication that overflows as we “Widen the Circle: Connecting diverse people who share a common brokenness with Jesus.”

This is Vision 2030.