I – Mission & Vision Statement
In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commissioned the original disciples to “Go and make disciples of all nations….” Our General Conference through The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church provides the mission of our denomination. “The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” We, the Administrative Council, take our direction from the Bible and the Discipline and embrace this as our mission.
The mission of Vineville United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
We have a vision of Vineville as a prayerful community, functioning as an essential presence in the lives of its members and neighbors that leads to critical transformation in the areas of benevolence, evangelism, spiritual formation, poverty alleviation, and diversity, as we announce the reign of God through Christ-like nurture, outreach, witness, and prayer.
II – Nurture
NURTURE MINISTRY includes Sunday School, small groups, and other settings for spiritual formation and growth. These ministries focus primarily on the Bible, fellowship, study, and other aspects of the Christian faith which help us to grow closer to God and strengthen us on our discipleship journey.
GOAL:
To make and develop Christian disciples by nurturing our congregation through worship, Sunday School, small group studies, prayer and other means of grace which will help them grow in their spiritual life.
OBJECTIVES:
- Implement Branch Groups – 6 to 12 people meeting weekly in addition to Sunday School. A one pager on these groups and their function is attached. These will be up and running after Labor Day 2015.
- Recruit, train, and empower Sunday School teachers.
- Encourage more spiritual growth – through Bible studies and devotionals
III – Outreach
OUTREACH MINISTRY focuses on responding to the needs of others. These activities help us to become sensitive to our “neighbors” and their challenges, and to love others. Outreach activities are in essence, our faith in action at both a local and global level.
GOALS:
- Continue to share the love of Christ in our own PleasantVille Neighborhood and within our local community by partnering with other community ministries and groups including Campus Clubs, Strong Tower and other community churches.
- Share the love of Christ globally by identifying and participating in missions and missionaries beyond our nations’ borders.
- Create a culture of “service to others” within our congregation so every member will have numerous opportunities to serve.
OBJECTIVES:
- Identify all global missionaries and missions supported by VUMC and develop strong partnerships with our worldwide-sponsored missionaries focusing on spiritual, financial,
emotional support and prayer for our missionary partners. - Assess VUMC’s support to global missions. Develop a sustainable relationship with a foreign mission site.
- Continue to identify local outreach opportunities (particularly through our Pleasantville mission team) and, through education and communication, ensure that all VUMC members of all ages are informed of and invested in these local mission opportunities. Consider ways to increase use of our facility to meet the needs of our community
- Provide outreach information to our church and community using all available methods.
- Track outreach volunteers and their activities and maintain contact with them.
- Keep VUMC volunteer coordinator apprised of current outreach needs and efforts to meet those needs.
- Recognize volunteers who participate in outreach efforts.
- Include outreach opportunities in new member packages.
- Expand worship opportunities outside our church buildings by continuing to partner with other local churches for selected “joint” worship services.
- Educate our membership about the church’s budget, including “Conference Askings” and support of Missionary Families.
- Study cyclical poverty issues in Pleasant Hill and assess our poverty alleviation efforts.
IV – Witness
Witness Ministry provides a vehicle for proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. These activities focus on developing and strengthening evangelistic efforts of sharing our personal and congregational stories of the Christian experience, faith and service. The ministry focuses on communication with the community, and activities that give expressions of witness for Jesus Christ. These ministries focus on informing, inviting, welcoming, and assisting others so that they may hear a word of hope, love, and grace.
GOALS:
- Work with church staff to provide meaningful worship opportunities for all who come to our church, to create a warm and welcoming environment where spiritual growth is nurtured, where faith can flourish, and where the love of God is witnessed to all.
- Equip and motivate our members to grow their own discipleship and to spread their love and service to others in our church, our community, and our world in ways that demonstrate our witness to the glory of God.
OBJECTIVES:
- Continue current ministries of Altar Guild, Acolytes, Ushers, Greeters, Music Committee, Hospitality, NAMETAGS, Communion Stewards, and Worship Service Representatives. Enhance and amend these areas as needed, relying upon the guidance of those chairing each of these areas.
- Focus on the attraction, orientation, and assimilation of new members to our congregation. Encourage and empower our current members to invite others to our church. Assist in this effort by insuring that all visitors receive a warm and genuine welcome. We hope to create an environment in which less engaged members feel called to return to church—also an environment in which all members feel personally committed to witness their faith to others—both within our church and beyond its walls. The current new member class and other events to involve and celebrate new members and potential new members will continue and enlarge as directed by staff and lay volunteers.
- Create, communicate, and orchestrate opportunities for our people to WITNESS their faith, their love and gratitude for God’s blessings in their lives and in our church. Publicize volunteer service opportunities, encourage our people to volunteer, streamline the volunteer process, and follow up to see that all those who wish to minister in a particular service area are in fact meaningfully placed and assimilated into that ministry. If we provide the proper platform and motivation for WITNESS, WITNESS will occur.
It is our goal and objective that Vineville United Methodist Church be known at church, in the neighborhood, in the community, and beyond as a church that grows disciples for the kingdom of God. We do this through the WITNESS of our people. Thanks be to God.
V – Prayer
PRAYER MINISTRY is an opportunity for Vineville members to practice their faith in their daily lives. As disciples of Christ, we want to nurture and support each other and our Church. There are many ways for us to show our love for one another, but Intercessory Prayer—praying on behalf of others—is one of the most powerful. Individuals who volunteer for this ministry receive prayer requests for persons who are a part of or connected to the Vineville Family and for upcoming church events and projects. Team members commit to pray on behalf of these brothers and sisters in Christ and our church services and activities. Jesus is our model for intercessory prayer. He was an intercessor while He was here on earth. He prayed for the sick and for His disciples, and He even prayed for us when He interceded for all those who would come to believe in Him. What a privilege it is to come to the throne of God Almighty with our prayers for others and for our church!
GOAL 1:
Increase awareness of Vineville’s Prayer Ministry so that those who feel led and are committed will choose to participate.
OBJECTIVES:
- Visit the adult and youth Sunday School classes to share information about the Prayer Ministry.
- Inspire Prayer Team members to discuss the Prayer Ministry with their friends.
- Prepare a description of the Prayer Ministry to be shared with the congregation, providing a vehicle for response.
- Send a letter to shut-ins and homebound members to tell them of the Prayer Ministry. Decide on a method to distribute prayer requests to those who respond but do not use email.
- Request that the Nurture, Outreach and Witness Chairpersons be members of the Prayer Team.
GOAL 2:
Expand the reach of the Prayer Ministry to include prayers for church events, activities, and projects, as well as individuals.
OBJECTIVES:
- Develop a line of communication between VUMC staff, the Nurture, Outreach and Witness Ministries’ Leaders, and the Prayer Ministry Leader. Plan a method for staff and lay leaders to send specific prayer requests for each event to the Prayer Ministry Chairperson.
- Distribute prayer requests to team members in advance of church events, activities, and projects.
- Recruit laity to pray in worship services regarding upcoming events, activities, and projects.
GOAL 3:
Strive to make VUMC a praying church.
OBJECTIVES:
- Promote the concept to membership that VUMC will never grow further than its prayers.
- Create a Prayer Room within the Church.
- Form three small prayer teams, one for each service, to meet prior to the service to pray.
- Form three small prayer teams, one for each service, to be available after worship to pray with persons as needed.
- Share stories of answered prayers in the Vine, from the pulpit, etc.
- Encourage members to participate in church and community opportunities for prayer, including the Thursday Morning Prayer Breakfast.
- Foster the use of Prayer Request Cards, already in place.
- Promote the use of prayer resources in the church library and provide links to websites related to prayer.
- Design and print note cards for team members to use to let others know they are praying for them.
- Initiate a “paired” prayer ministry by pairing members of the Prayer Team to pray for each other and their families, as an example and the groundwork for a congregational “paired” prayer ministry.
- Explore the possibilities of publishing non-confidential Prayer Requests.
GOAL 4:
Work with the Ministerial Staff to promote the Prayer Ministry, coordinated with worship experiences.
OBJECTIVES:
- Provide Intercessory Prayer training for the Prayer Team and other interested members.
- Schedule a sermon series on “Why and How to Pray.”
- Offer a quarterly Service of Healing.
- Designate and conduct an occasional Vineville Connect program as a “Prayer Meeting.”
- Call for prayers, on occasion, at the end of worship services, related to specific, timely matters.
- Provide increased opportunities for prayer at the Altar Rail during worship services.
Section I adopted by the Administrative Council on February 9, 2015. Sections II, III, IV, and V adopted by the Administrative Council on April 13, 2015.