| MISSION STATEMENT AND VISION |
Congregational Mission Statement
The mission of Westminster Presbyterian Church
is to:
Reach Across Generations and Cultures in Fellowship
Reach Up to God in Prayer and Praise
Reach Within to Develop Christ-like Character
WithReach Out in Mission Locally and Globally
Future Vision and Plans
We had an absolutely beautiful day and setting for our Officers’ Retreat at the Okoboji
Presbyterian Camp on Saturday, August 29, 2009. One major result of the retreat was
clarifying next steps following our consultation with Dr. Whitesel. We reviewed what had
occurred in each of the four Strategy Areas; and then prioritize further actions.
For Welcoming Newcomers, we identified:
1) Doing follow up contacts with visitors,
2) Matching new people with small groups where they can develop friendships.
For Contemporary Worship, we identified:
1) Establishing a design group to include contemporary elements in our worship
when appropriate,
2) Keeping open the possibility of a contemporary style worship option
at another occasional time and location.
For Volunteer Recruitment, we identified:
1) Revamping the providers and servers of coffee fellowship, so that the same family
is not doing this many, many times within a year,
2) Enhancing the work of the Connectors who review the Caring and Sharing forms
and match people with service opportunities.
For Mosaic Congregation, we identified:
1) Inviting the United Pentecostal Church and Westminster to exchange
worship and fellowship opportunities,
2) Exploring the possibilities of English tutoring and multi-cultural Bible studies.
During the retreat we had time to develop the beginnings of SMART goals for the first
action in each of the Strategy Areas.
The identification of these actions was influenced by your responses from three Sundays
of questionnaires which were summarized by the following comments:
What do I need this congregation to be for me?
Reaching across - so that I am cared for
Reaching up - to express my praise to God
Reaching within - to be sensitized to Jesus’ will and put it into my actions
WithReaching out - sharing my joys and concerns and being prayed for
What does God need this congregation to be for this community?
Reaching across - by being friendly at all times in public places
Reaching up - by welcoming people to worship God
Reaching within - by living the witness of Christ-like character
WithReaching out - by ministering to all in need regardless of ethnicity
Because of cancellation and conflicts, we missed an opportunity for team-building
among our younger and older generation of leaders. We are grateful, however, that
Angela Anderson was there to share helpful insight in communication skills and in setting
SMART goals.
2009 is the 500th anniversary of the birth of the father of Presbyterianism, John Calvin.
He would not favor blindly accepting his five century old thoughts; he would encourage
his principle of being “the Church reformed and always being reformed.” For Calvin
scripture has authority over the church and not vice versa. Remaining faithful amidst
changes means reforms are done in accordance with scripture illuminated by the
guidance of the Holy Spirit.
During the Officers’ Retreat, we reviewed Calvin’s principles. We did so realizing that
vital and faithful churches today do not put their energies into preserving a heritage, but
in responding to God’s calling now with the guidance of the best from their past. Our
fellow Guatemalan Presbyterians in Occidente are asking for further training in Reformed
Theology as they minister in a culture dominated by Roman Catholics and Pentecostals.
We can also learn what is unique about us as we reach out to Hispanics and other
ethnicities in Worthington.
Calvin’s emphasis on the sovereignty of God raised the question of who has our greatest
loyalty. How are our lives truly directed by what God expects of us? There is
accountability and hope in trusting that God is ultimately in control. We can claim Calvin’
s assurance that God’s power to bring good out of tragedies is greater than evil’s power
to destroy.
When we mess up we are not stuck with the guilt of bad decisions. There is a release
found in God’s grace which was central to Calvin’s beliefs. Calvin would also say, while
repentance is not necessary for forgiveness, it is necessary to receive forgiveness.
Without turning away from sin and toward God, grace becomes a cheap excuse. Calvin
was the first to clarify the inter-relationship of “justification” (divine forgiveness already
given equally to all as a righteousness done to us) and “sanctification” (divine renewal as
an on-going process of varying stages as a righteousness done in us).
The officers commented that when we realize that we all stand in need of God’s grace,
we learn to live and work together. We are freed of justifying ourselves by proving
ourselves through self-centered ambition and by condemning others who we think have
sinned worse than us.
Calvin would describe salvation as restoring the image of God in us that frees us to be
what God intended--servants who build the Kingdom of God as God’s will is done on
earth as in heaven. Active faith for Calvin involves reforming not only ourselves and the
church, but also in the public realm of economic, political and social structures. God is
sovereign over all. And as Calvin would say: “God is known where humanity is cared
for.”
Calvin who was trained as a lawyer is often portrayed as focused on the precision of
doctrinal statements. Calvin also had a heart of passionate devotion to God. The
officers were told that Calvin’s insignia was a heart being handed to God as his offering.
They prayerfully joined Calvin in his motto: “Lord, I give you my heart, promptly and
sincerely.”
| LEADERS SET GOALS |
| John Calvin: Reformer for the 21st Century |