CROSS CURRENTS photo by Frankie Lopez
VOL. 2020 | AUGUST | NUMBER 7
BUILDING TOGETHER WORDS FROM PASTOR JIM TOOLE Growing up in Florida I have experienced my share of hurricanes and tropical storms. So during hurricane season, I am often glued to the television watching the damage that is created by the waves, water, and wind around the world. It always touches me to see the pictures of people of these communities and neighborhoods walking the streets after a large storm to survey the aftermath. Almost within hours there are folks picking up debris, sweeping the streets, and chipping in wherever they can. I am always moved by how after storms there is often a united front to rebuild. Â The interesting dynamic that many of us face is when we are on the other side of the storm of COVID, the aftermath will be hard to measure. Worldviews, values, economics, lifestyles, and even priorities all have been affected by the winds of 2020. But many individuals, businesses, organizations, and even churches will not know the effects for a while. Some church experts say that the key for an individual church to navigate the storm and its aftermath is to be clear with its Mission and Vision. This is how a church can recalibrate and build a new future together. If we are clear who we are, then we can navigate the unknown. I believe the Holy Spirit divinely orchestrated the fact that our church has been re-evaluating and review
reviewing its vision over the last couple of years, way before we knew the storm that would be ahead of us. So in this current Cross Currents, we have included the updated Vision, Mission, and Statement of Faith the Session voted on this year. There have been endless committee hours and focus groups that have drafted our direction. My hope is that all of this work will not just become a document that sits on our webpage; rather the foundational values, beliefs, and strategy on which we build our future together. In our August Sermon Series, Building Together, we will spend four weeks looking at our Vision: Looking Upward, Maturing Inward, and Reaching Outward. Rather than just hearing me preach our Vision, I am going to have many of our staff share it from their perspectives during this series as well as some of our church leaders. My hope is that we will be reminded about what is essential to our church and that as we navigate uncharted waters, it will take a united front of all of us living out our Vision together. NEW SERMON SERIES Building Together Looking at the Essential Practices of Our Church If we are to follow the steps of Jesus, then we need to walk together. Our church has spent the last year fine tuning our Mission, Vision, and Statement of Faith. We will spend the next four weeks looking at our Vision: Looking Upward, Maturing Inward, and Reaching Outward through the eyes of some of our staff.