Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The officers of MPC, elders and deacons, had a working retreat on 24 February 2018. We reflected upon who we are as a church, our present status, and what we hope for the future. We worked out defined vision, mission, and values statements, entering into a planning session once those were established. We sought to make these three instruments biblical, concise and memorable. Our desire is for the entire congregation to know and understand them, for the sake of MPC’s Kingdom work.
Vision Statement: “Disciples of Christ glorifying God in word and deed.”
Our vision statement provides a direction and target, articulating our perception of God’s will for the church. It states who we are as a body and our commitment to follow the Lord Jesus in faith: “Disciples of Christ” (Mt 28:19; Mk 8:34; Acts 11:26). It states our direction and ultimate target: “glorifying God” (Jn 15:18; 1 Cor 10:31). It also states our method of accomplishment: “in word and deed” (Rom 15:18; Col 3:17).
Mission Statement: “Make and equip disciples unified in the service, love, joy, and peace of God.”
Our mission statement gives a description of why MPC exists and is designed to help us focus on our priorities. It states our mission to non-believers in evangelistic outreach and missionary support (local, regional, world), and being “salt and light” in our community involvement and in personal interactions: “make disciples” (Mt 28:19; Mt 5:13-16). It states our mission to teach and train disciples of Christ in the knowledge of God, his Word, sound doctrine, and in the discernment of his will: “equip disciples” (Mt 28:20; Eph 4:11-14; Heb 13:20-21; 2 Tm 2:2; 3:16).
Implementing our mission, we are unified in our core beliefs and duty before God, bringing a diverse people (i.e. in gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status) together as one body of Christ united in God’s Spirit (Mt 18:15-20; 1 Cor 12:12-13, 27; Gal 3:28; Eph 4:3, 5-6, 13; Phil 2:2; 4:2; Col 3:15; 1 Pt 3:8).
– Unified, we humbly serve the Lord and others (Jo 22:5; 1 Sm 12:24; Mt 20:27-28; 23:11; Mk 10:45; Gal 5:13; Rom 7:6; 12:9-13; Heb 9:14; Jn 12:46; 1 Pt 4:10).
– Unified, we love God and others in deed and in truth (Dt 6:5; Lk 10:27; Jn 14:15; 21; 15:13; Rom 1 Cor. 13; Gal 5:13; Eph 4:2; 5:25; Col 3:14; Jas 2:8; 1 Pt 4:8; 1 Jn 3:18; 4:7-8, 19).
– Unified, we find our joy in God no matter our circumstances (Ps 100:1; Prv 17:22; Mt 25:21; Jn 16:24; Rom 14:17; Phil 4:4; Jas 1:2; 1 Pt 1:8-9; 1 Jn 1:4).
– Unified, we rest in the peace of God (Ps 4:8; Prv 16:7; Is 32:17; Mt 11:28-29; Jn 16:33; Rom 8:6; 12:18; 14:19; 15:13; Phil 4:7; Col 3:15; 2 Thes 3:16; Heb 4:9-11; 12:14).
Values Statement: Fruit of the Spirit, Integrity, Selfless Service, and Humility.
Our values statement has the acronym of FISH. These values state our shared principles, standards, and the desired quality by which we at MPC execute our mission.
1. Fruit of the Spirit is existing and operating in the Spirit of God, exhibiting love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23).
2. Integrity is doing what is right, legally, morally, and ethically and is grounded in the Lord’s character. Our Lord himself is “truth” (Jn 14:6), and God’s word is truth (2 Sm 7:28; Ps 33:4; Jn 17:17; 2 Tm 2:15; 3:16-17). He calls us to worship in truth (Jn 4:23-24), to action in truth (1 Jn 3:8), and to deal honestly in word and deed (Ex 20:16; 23:1; Dt 25:13-16; Prv 10:9; 12:22; 28:6; Ps 112:5; Mt 5:37; 7:12; Lk 16:10-12; 1 Cor 13:6; 2 Cor 4:2; Eph 4:15, 25, 28; Ti 2:7-8; Phil 4:8; Col. 3:9; Jas 5:12; 1 Pt 2:12; 3:16).
3. Selfless service is putting the mission, the church, and others before our own self-interests, denying self (Mt 20:26-27; Mk 8:34; Phil 2:3-5; 1 Cor 9:19-23; 10:24; 33; Col 3:24).
4. Humility is emulating the master in our relationships, fearing the Lord, submitting to authority, not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought but with sober judgment, considering others better than ourselves, boasting only in the Lord (2 Chr 7:14; Prv 3:34; 11:2; 12:15; 15:33; 22:4; 27:2; Ps 25:9; Mi 6:8; Lk 14:11; Mk 8:34; Rom 12:3, 16; 2 Cor 12:9-10; Phil 2:3-8; Jas 4:6, 14-16, 10; 1 Pt 5:5).
It is exciting to have these defined to help us as we at MPC plan and move forward with our Kingdom work. I encourage you to memorize our vision, mission, and values. Having honed these elements, we will put them out in various formats (e.g. website, bulletin, etc.). This will have the benefit of not only our coming to know and understand them, but to inform others on who we are and what we are about.
To the glory of God,
Roger