Preaching – Psalm 119:97 – Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
Any vision for a church that wants to glorify and enjoy God must start with love for God and his Word. We envision a church that will methodically teach, pray, sing, obey, embody, and display in every area of life the truths of God's Word. That includes the written Word and preached Word, in private and in corporate gatherings, its doctrinal truths and applications. This must be the first item in our vision because everything else will flow from it.
Prayer – James 5:16b – The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
We desire that our church love to be in the presence of her Lord in prayer. We envision a church where we are open to let others know what prayer needs we have. We desire our church to be a place where the mature as well as the new Christian can pray freely. We want our church to be made up of people who spend time in private prayer, in family prayer, and in corporate prayer.
Propagation – Matthew 28:18-20
A church that does not have a zeal for evangelism is a church that has lost its first love. The propagation of the Gospel is of the essence of the church. Therefore, it is our desire for our church that we be actively involved in introducing people around us to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We envision a church where every member witnesses to the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ by how he or she lives, but also with his or her words. A biblically informed, organized, and mobilized evangelistic endeavor will be a constant ideal to grow in.
Preparation – Ephesians 4:11-16 & Titus 2:1-5
We want our church to deliberately and purposefully train people to do the work of the ministry. We desire every member and attendee to grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Every Christian should desire and understand how to increase the kingdom of God. Every Christian should realize that he/she is a vital and unique component in the dispersal of grace and mercy to a fallen world. The strong and mature have the privilege and duty to disciple the weak. The home is a strategic location for teaching disciples how to love God and others. We want to equip fathers so that they can lead their households in the solemn duty of family worship. Singles are important and have a unique gift that enables them to be strategically prepared and used for the Lord. We desire, then, that equipped and creative saints go out into all the world and minister in various ways according to God's providential allotment and measure the love of God that they have learned to apply to their own lives.
Pedagogical – Deuteronomy 6:4-7
An essential part of discipling the people of God is training our children in everything pertaining to God and his creation. In our church body there are presently many home-school families, Christian, and public school families who we desire to help, encourage, and guide in any way we can so that future generations will do God's work in God's way. Therefore, it is our desire to help parents in educating their children by starting a thoroughly biblical, classically minded, day school where our children and children of like-minded families may strive for excellence in knowing their God and their God's world, or to associate ourselves with such school if it is already in existence.
People-Loving – Psalm 133:1 – Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Since loving God and others is central to the biblical message, we desire a church where every person loves one another, where deep friendships are built around the Gospel, and where cross-generational integration is the norm. In essence, we desire to be a church family.
People-Serving – Philippians 2:3-4 & Matthew 25:37-40
Flowing from our desire that we love one another is the desire that our church be a place where every member and attendee is cared for. None of God's people should be neglected or left behind. This caring must be done by the whole congregation. The church should be a "peculiar people" where true Christian fellowship abounds. In addition, we desire our church to serve our community with the love of Jesus Christ.
Participation – Romans 12:4-5
It is our desire that every member see this church as his or her church and a place where he/she can effectively "seek first the Kingdom of God." Every member is an important part of the body and is needed for the OBPC to advance God's will in this world. Every member should be involved with the church and participate in each other's lives.
http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-vision-for-our-church.html
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