I was involved in this process:
These are the results of our Conference Visioning Team as presented to the Alaska United Methodist Conference and approved on 5 June 2010. You can download a PDF of the presentation HERE. This is what is then offered to the individual churches to take, and to study, and to pray about. It is designed to be “OPEN”...recognizing that the mission of each individual church will reflect their individual settings.
First, we have FIVE TOP PRIORITIES for our conference as we consider our mission and ministry in our settings and, indeed, across the conference:
Revitalization of churches
New church development
Stewardship
Native outreach
Youth and young adults
Second, we have a VISION THEME.
20/20 VISION: Leading to God’s New Horizons
This vision theme is for all of our churches to take back to their local settings. This theme gives us a timeframe/benchmark of the year 2020. So, we have nine years to be focusing on this in our local settings and nine years to be thinking ahead to where God is calling each of our churches in the years to come. And we look at this, understanding that we are moving forward to a horizon…but that it’s God’s horizon. We look at this praying that God would, indeed, give us 20/20 Vision.
Third, we have FOUR QUESTIONS to guide our discussions in our settings. These are meant to focus us and force us all to ask the big questions about who we are, who are the people in our communities that aren’t being reached, and what kind of sacrifices are we willing to make as we discern where it is that God wants us to go. Each church will come up with different answers here.
QUESTION OF PURPOSE: Why are you (we) here?
QUESTION OF MISSION: Where are you (we) going?
QUESTION OF COMMUNITY: Who will walk with you (us)?
QUESTION OF COMMITMENT: What will you (we) die for?
This is offered to our local churches and it is hoped that pastors and laypersons will begin discussing how this shapes their ministry today and into the future.
The Visioning Team is committed to keep this mission before us and to work on resources to be used in the local church setting.
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