What’s a M.A.P.?
What’s a M.A.P.?
Pastor’s Ponderings – May 1, 2018
The GAP team have been hard at work! We have a draft of our Ministry Act Plan (MAP) for the next few years and are putting ‘action items’ to the goals. It is a living document and a work in progress, even after it’s affirmed by our congregation.
For the last few months we’ve been meeting in homes and with various groups of the church to gather input and ideas about where YOU believe God is calling us. It is clear that you are passionate about Family and Friends, that you believe our relationships with one another and welcoming more people to our church family is very, very, very, (very ….) important! Everything about what we do and how we do it connects with your value of people!
A draft mission and vision statement for our church to ponder is: ‘United Methodist Church of Vista is called to Build Relationships of Justice, Faith and Hospitality to Bring God’s LOVE to all people.’ Our relationships of JUSTICE are outreach ministries of all kinds both locally, and globally. Our relationships of FAITH are worship and discipleship and small groups and faith formation both inside and outside the walls of our church. Relationships of HOSPITALITY are welcoming at the front door of the church on Sundays and throughout the week and going out into the community to nurture and care for intergenerational families, particularly families with growing children.
I have heard many of you want a larger space to gather, share meals, hold celebrations and potlucks and have fun together. Many of you feel the downstairs space is not well suited for gathering together due to accessibility and safety issues. Many of you are passionate about our feeding ministry on Thursday and want to see it expanded to provide other caring resources like showers, supplies for the week, clothing and other resources for getting into a home. There is interest in whether a preschool or after school program for children in our area would work on our campus and whether we have the capacity to move forward on this. A few of you have big bold visions of being a local hub for ministry and outreach. And many of you want more opportunities for classes and worship during the week.
As I mentioned, we have a draft of goals related to relationships of Justice, Faith and Hospitality and have started putting ideas for action steps down for the next five years. After we finish this step of our Ministry Action Plan, then we will look at the facility and other resources needed to accomplish our goals. In other words, how are we going to welcome new folks, join them in faith exploration and do good works in the world?
If you haven’t offered your insights and vision, don’t hesitate to email me or our church consultant, Mary Scifres. And please join us in prayer as we look into the future of the United Methodist Church of Vista!
Pastor Leigh Ann
I love what I read and hearing about ways to share God’s love.