 | |
|
|
|
| 
| 
Looking Ahead
The last five years at OBC are a witness to the faithfulness of God. We made it! God has taken us on a wonderful journey. I look at these past five years as ones of stabilization and strategic advancement. Our ministry staff has changed in size and diversity, our leadership structure has changed, we have a much better established small group emphasis for care and spiritual growth, and we continue to see development in our various ministry areas. Of course, the greatest thrill is watching God change lives. Some who are part of our church family today were not even followers of Jesus five years ago. These have been good years, but as good as the last five years have been, God has much more for us in the years ahead.
How God Works
Tom Sine said in The Mustard Seed Conspiracy, “It is still God’s policy to work through the embarrassingly insignificant to change His world and create His future." This is one of life’s greatest mysteries to me: that God would choose us to work out His change in this world. And it is this expectation that God is calling us to embrace for the five-plus years ahead of us. The early followers of Jesus believed this about themselves. In Acts 1:8 they were promised power when the Holy Spirit came upon them, and that they would be Jesus’ witnesses in their city, region, and all around the world. They knew firsthand that the gospel, a relationship with Jesus, was the power of God to transform all who believe. That is why they were called “the ones who turned the world upside down” in Acts 17:6.
So What's Next?
We are going to transform our region and transform our world.
The degree to which we are changing our region and our world for God will indicate the degree of our effectiveness over the next five-plus years. We will expect to see lives changed, families changed, neighbourhoods, workplaces, and communities impacted because of our presence.
This means focusing on three different-yet-intertwined areas of our mission.
- Our region. We are a regional church. People come to our weekly celebration services from all over this region. While the majority of people come from Orangeville, there are many who drive in from other towns.
Over the next five-plus years, we will take seriously our responsibility to work purposefully to transform our region and its various communities.
- We will, each one of us, invest in the lives of those who are not yet followers of Jesus Christ by building relationships with others where we live, work, and go to school. We will share our faith stories and God’s story with them.
- We will invite those with whom we are building relationships to interact with other followers of Jesus Christ and hear about the difference a relationship with Him makes.
- We will impact our communities by meeting the holistic life needs of individuals and families who need it the most.
- We will be an impetus for the church of this region to work together in impacting our communities.
- We will consider a weekend presence in Shelburne.
- We will explore a name change for our church that is missional rather than denominational and geographical.
- Our church family. It is going to be a growing family. We anticipate over 1,000 in attendance at our weekend services. Many of our present ministries will increase their influence in the lives of others by doubling in size.
- We will pray! What we are embarking on is an act of total dependence on God. Corporate and personal prayer will be an obvious part of our church culture.
- We will devote more time and energy to making our weekend services memorable experiencing God’s Word preached for life change and passionate worship of God because of who He is and what He has done.
- We will continue to think small while we grow big. Small groups will continue to be foundational to our ministry philosophy and the spiritual care and development of all who are part of our church.
- We will be intentionally preparing all for ministry by equipping our people for the service that God has called us to, investing in the ongoing development of our leaders, and becoming a “teaching church” where future vocational leaders can learn about making a difference for Jesus Christ.
- Our world. The mission that God has called us on extends around the globe. We will be engaging in strategic partnerships around the world, and in particular, the developing world where through the grace of God we can be used to bring life change to a region by addressing holistic life needs facing individuals, families, and communities.
This is where we are headed, and we believe that now is the time to act. So over the next number of months, we should all expect the following . . .
Pray
You should begin to pray about how God will use you in the next five years. Pray for relationships with those who do not yet know Jesus Christ. Pray for the strategic deployment of your gifts in the church family and your community. Pray for wisdom for the Elders of our church as they make critical decisions.
Dialogue and Discovery
There are a number of things that require further discussion before we can present a more detailed plan to the church family. One of the big things that we need to dialogue about is the primary areas of impact that will meet the holistic life needs of many in our community. We also need to explore the impact of this vision on our facilities. At present, we are experiencing limitations to ministry in our current facility. And with a vision that includes growth and greater community impact, our facilities will continue to be stretched. Our Elders will establish a process for dialogue, and my hope is that many of you will engage in these dialogues when called upon by the leadership of the church.
Presentation
Some time this fall we will present a detailed plan that will show the different phases to a strategic plan which will move us forward in this vision.
Fundraising
You should expect a fundraising campaign kicking off some time in the next ministry year which addresses:
A strategic partnership in the developing world.
Commitments to impact ministries in our region.
Retirement of our present mortgage.
Changes to our facility and site plan.
I don’t know how you feel about all of this, but I am going to tell you how I feel about it. I am convinced that God wants us to transform our region and transform our world. It is the right thing to do. God will give us the wisdom that we need to know what steps to take first. There are going to be moments where we are all going to feel like we are taking some big risks. God will carry us through those times as well. Don’t forget, “The first century church began with a handful of disciples. The Holy Spirit who empowered them is the same Spirit at work in the church today. He has not abdicated His position of authority, nor lost any of His power” (Shaped by God’s Heart, page 90).
Pastor Earl Marshall
June 2006
| |
|
 |
|
|
|
