OUR MISSION-VISION STATEMENT

As a family of believers in our Savior Jesus Christ, we learn, live, and share the good news of God’s forgiveness with our community.

 

 

WORSHIP

Our vision for our worship is that we would be a church that…..

• trusts the means of grace – the gospel in word and sacrament – and therefore sees as the most important part of worship God coming to us through his powerful word and through the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion

• loves to gather to worship Jesus, with worship attendance consistently over 50% of our membership

• welcomes children, toddlers, and babies in worship, rejoicing at the sounds they make

• appeals to young and old, veteran Christians and new believers, those familiar with Lutheran traditions and those coming from other denominations

• sings new, relevant, and contemporary songs, as well as classic, time-tested hymns

• uses a variety of instrumental accompaniment

• appreciates both timeless forms of worship that Christians have treasured over the centuries, along with modern forms of worship that are Scriptural, compelling, and beautiful

• values technology, including a church app, as a vital tool in our culture to communicate the gospel to people in words, pictures, colors, videos produces high-quality online content with eventual live-streaming each Sunday.

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OUTREACH 

Our vision for our outreach is that we would be a church that…..

• values every single person who walks through our doors as a precious, blood-bought soul who needs to hear about their Savior

• recognizes the needs in our immediate ministry context and strives to serve people in a variety of ways, most important of which is serving them with the good news of Jesus’ free forgiveness

• fosters a culture of welcome, openness, and love for everyone, especially Sunday morning guests

• directs our outreach efforts to the unchurched (anyone who doesn’t have a regular church home and/or a pastor they know and trust) ages 20-40;  the median age in Crossville is 36.6

• broadens its thinking constantly to new ideas for connecting people to the gospel of Jesus

• aims to bring Jesus’ forgiveness to children in a variety of early childhood ministries

• sees the need to regularly evaluate, revamp, and refresh our branding and all outreach efforts

• offers Starting Point at least three times a year as the “open door” for all people interested in learning more about Jesus and his Word

• opens our facility for community groups or clubs to bring people into our building so we have direct contact with more people

• finds opportunities to partner with local schools like Martin Elementary and Cumberland County High School (CCHS)

• strives to be a good neighbor in our community, especially to our immediate neighbors in the new housing development just behind our parking lot

• values technology, the internet, social media, and a church app as vital tools in our culture to communicate the gospel to people.

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SPIRITUAL GROWTH 

Our vision for our spiritual growth is that we would be a church that…..

• trusts the power of God’s Word and is confident in God’s blessings when the Bible is read and studied

• values Bible study so that we grow in our understanding of and appreciation for God’s Word

• has a vibrant, exciting, and well-attended Sunday morning Bible study

• sees Starting Point as the perfect refresher course for all members, attending every five years or so

• recognizes the importance of training parents to be the primary teachers of their children, equipping and empowering them not only to grow in God’s Word for themselves but also to pass on to their children everything they learn about Jesus and his Word

• offers comprehensive training to parents and children for learning more about the Bible

• desires every member, even guests and friends, to be part of our small group ministry  –  “Life Groups”

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OVERALL

Our congregation will…

• trust God’s promises that his Word works on the hearts of people  (Isaiah 55:10,11 and Romans 10:17)

• create and foster with intentional and deliberate actions a culture that is welcoming, non-judgmental, accepting, and sees every single soul as precious in God’s sight  –  a soul that Jesus died for

• value diversity in age, religious background, racial and social make-up

• be an active part of our community regularly and consistently

• show irrational generosity in a wide variety of ways, reflecting Jesus’ love as we help our community

• aggressively and strategically use all our financial resources to glorify God making the most of them as we give generously, save intentionally, and spend purposefully the offerings God’s people give every year

• give generously by budgeting 10% of our first-fruit offerings as a first-fruit gift back to our synod (“Congregational Mission Offering”) and 5% to local charities/social needs helping people in Crossville

• trust its leaders to make decisions on our behalf and display a spirit of unity and optimism

• generally decide issues, challenges, and decisions based on consensus, not votes

• realize the truth and wisdom in the motto “Excellence matters for outreach!”

• look to add staff proactively: 

  • hire an Administrative Technology Assistant by July 1, 2023

  • investigate a potential part-time Worship Coordinator as soon as possible

  • look for a children’s ministry coordinator

  • secure housing (6 weeks) for a Seminary Summer Assistant for the summer of 2024