A Vision For the Future
Starting in April, we will be having conversations as a church about who we are and where we are headed as a congregation. For the past few months, a team of people have been diligently reflecting on our church’s identity, including our neighborhood’s perception of our church. We have talked about the way things used to have been, and where we want to go.
We are at a crossroads as a congregation, and this is an opportunity for us to pick the path forward. To that end, our vision team has drafted language that can guide us moving forward. This language articulates our mission, our vision for the future, and an articulation of our values.
Starting the week after Easter, we will start a three week worship series on this theme of God’s vision for us called “RenovateLUMC,” and on the culminating Sunday, April 21, there won’t be a sermon but instead everyone attending will have a chance to look over these statements of our vision, mission, and values and provide feedback on paper that will be collected, coded, and used to make the final edits to this language that charts the way forward for us as a congregation!
You can find a draft of this statement here. But for this week, I also wanted to put it here. Read it and reflect on it. Let the words percolate with you during the month of April, and let’s sere where the Holy Spirit takes us from there!
Mission
As a progressive, Christ-following congregation, we are sowing hope, love, and hospitality to nurture the flourishing of all people.
Vision
In Lakewood: the hungry, fed; the thirsty, quenched; the homeless, housed; the stranger, welcomed; the naked, clothed; the sick, comforted; the prisoner, liberated; the directionless, called.
Inviting: Sowing Hospitality and Creating a Home in Lakewood
We believe that Christ’s love is unconditional and so is our welcome.
We believe that there is a place in our community for anyone, no matter their ability, sexuality, gender, race, ethnicity, or belief.
Our church is a place for the entire neighborhood, no matter where you might be in your spiritual journey.
We are a Home in Lakewood…
for seekers looking for a faith home.
for doubters in search of a judgment-free place to explore their faith.
for spiritual refugees searching for a safe haven to live out their faith.
for anyone seeking a place where God is engaged in the life of a church.
Inspiring: Sowing Love and Exploring our Faith
Our testimony to God’s love in our community has transformational power and reveals the way God calls all of us to ministry and service.
We are led by curiosity to learn more about God’s love as it is revealed in scripture, our traditions, our reasoning, and our experience.
We are a place where anyone can grow in relationship with Jesus and have their heart and mind stretched to grow in faith.
We are a church where the inherent spirituality and curiosity of children can be nourished to grow.
We believe God is inspiring us through artistic expression that is all around us here in the 40West Arts District.
Involving: Sowing Hope for the Sake of Transformation
We are a church that is deeply involved with our neighborhood around West Colfax in North Lakewood.
We are involved with our community partners to eradicate homelessness, fight hunger, abolish poverty, support the arts, and encourage the potential of every child.
We believe that partnerships are how we impact our community, and we put every square foot of our facility to use for this goal.
We believe that hope is a choice we make, and a reality we cultivate; the more we sow hope, the more the world becomes a better place.
We trust in God’s love for us, and we take risks to pursue God’s call for us.
We don’t just proclaim what we believe, we live it out.
We believe in abundance, not scarcity.
