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As temples of the living God, we believe that God lives in us, guiding us to grow in Christ and to reach out to others who, along with us, are living stress-filled lives.
In this past-paced culture, where people are pulled in many different and competing directions, it is difficult to keep God central in our lives. Many are trying to navigate troubled waters without the anchor of faith and hope that is in Christ Jesus.
It is our responsibility to invite others to enter into a meaningful relationship with Christ and to provide the Christian foundations of worship, spiritual growth, mutual support and fellowship which offer meaning and joy for our lives.
Over the next three to five years, we will fulfill our mission of "Knowing Christ and making him known" by focusing on the following four areas (clink to learn more):
Relating: Small Groups
Forming: Youth and Family
Growing: Mature Discipleship
Sharing: Faith Sharing
Relating: Small Groups
But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. (1 John 1:7)
The Christian faith is all about relationships. St. Luke's will be a place where members are encouraged and enabled to grow in their relationship with God through their relationships with each other. Each year, we will involve at least 30% of our active adult members in a variety of small groups where they will pray together, learn together, have fun together and serve together.
Forming: Youth and Family
Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. (Mark 10:14)
St. Luke's has been blessed with a large number of families with children. This gives us both responsibilities and opportunities for the faith formation of our children and youth. To fulfill this responsibility, we will
* be a congregation where parents and church work in partnership to help
children and youth develop a growing trust in God and a life of service to
others,
* encourage and enable our children and youth to develop significant
relationships with at least three adults within the congregation,
* encourage and enable our youth to participate in at least one service
event each year as an expression of their faith in God,
* offer at least four intergenerational events each year which will focus
on fellowship and service.
Growing: Mature Discipleship
To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-14)
A living faith is vibrant and growing. St. Luke's will be a place where every member is encouraged and enabled to be a minister, growing in faith and discipleship. We will provide a variety of opportunities for worship, learning, serving, and giving. Taking each person where he or she is, we will
* equip each one to move to the next level of Christian maturity,
* offer quality Christian education for all ages, including classes on
prayer and faith sharing,
* involve at least half of our adult members in some local or global
ministry each year.
Sharing: Faith Sharing
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
Jesus calls us to share our faith and faith experiences with others in ways that invite them into a deeper relationship with him. In response to this mission, we will
* train at least half of the members of our congregation in how to
tell their faith story and God's story of salvation in natural, effective,
and inviting ways with family members, friends and acquaintances,
* encourage all of our members to respond to opportunities for
sharing their faith in their daily lives,
* be a welcoming place, where guests are welcomed by greeters
and church members,
* seek to contact guests within 72 hours of their first visit.
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