VISION FOR MINISTRY

Wyatt Park's Vision Statement is succinct and to the point: 

  
 

Reach out through Jesus Christ to bring people

 

to spiritually abundant life and eternal salvation.

 

The statement was adopted in 2004 and is grounded in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). It describes the church’s job which is to make and grow disciples of Jesus Christ. While the statement is brief, each element is significant:

 

Reach Out – The life of the Christian is modeled on the life of Jesus and he constantly reached out. Jesus understood that it was in looking beyond himself  that he was doing the will of God. As he taught, healed, challenged, and comforted, Jesus was a person of action, and “reach out” is an action phrase. As Christ followers, we follow his example by reaching out to one another and to our community in care and service. We obey his command to “make disciples” as we reach out to non-believers with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

 

Through Jesus Christ – Paul said it well, “I am not ashamed of the gospel” (Romans 1:16). Everything we do is done in the name of Jesus Christ. The church is not about motivational fads or the writings of contemporary philosophers. The church is about Jesus, and connecting people with God through him.

 

To Bring People – There is a difference between saying “Please come” and “Please come with me.” We please God when we come alongside people and lovingly share this journey of life with one another. The word “bring” implies that we do things together, with one another, and in community. The word “people” makes clear that our ministry is not about buildings or an institution. It is about people, and about connecting them with each other and with God.

 

To Spiritually Abundant Life – Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). He was not speaking about material abundance, but rather about spiritual abundance. Spiritual abundance is a matter of the heart, and is evidenced by some characteristics:

 

A deep sense that life has value, purpose, and meaning,

 

Awareness that one has an ongoing relationship with God,

 

Certainty that true freedom comes when life is lived in accord with God’s will,

 

A genuine love for other people,

 

An insatiable hunger to be more like Christ,

 

Confidence that when all is said and done, life is good,

 

Trust that in Christ, life is eternal.

 

Spiritual abundance is about Jesus, and the joy that comes when we allow Christ to be formed in us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

And Eternal Salvation – Where we go when we die matters to God, so much so that He sent Jesus to deal with the sin that separates us from Him. It is essential that we be honest in our teaching about the human condition – we are separated from God because of sin and face the prospect of eternal separation if we do not open ourselves to the solution God offers. That solution is described by Paul, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:8).