Connect, Grow, Serve Part 2
09/16/2010 1:20 pm
By Admin, Admin
Connect, Grow, Serve Part 2
Last week in the Vision and at our 10:10 service I shared about the importance of clarifying our purpose as a church. We need a “north star” to help us evaluate our priorities and to position us for fruitfulness and faithfulness in the years ahead. We need something that is faithful to the Biblical mandate, our DNA, our history, and easy to remember, and transferrable. We have landed on the following purpose and process statement:
Sequoia Community Church exists to help people Connect to God, Grow with Others, and Serve the World.
In Colossians 1:27-29 the Amplified Bible shows this purpose clearly and alludes to the process by which we become mature in Christ – we Connect to God, we grow up in Christ and become mature, and we labour in His strength to proclaim and demonstrate the love of God to a hurting world. “To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory.28Him we preach and proclaim, warning and admonishing everyone and instructing everyone in all wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God), that we may present every person mature (full-grown, fully initiated, complete, and perfect) in Christ (the Anointed One). 29For this I labor [unto weariness], striving with all the superhuman energy which He so mightily enkindles and works within me.”
At Sequoia we will align our ministry areas, programs, and strategic initiatives to fit with our purpose and process so that people can maximize their God-given potential. Going forward we will primarily concentrate on the following areas to help people Connect, Grow, and Serve at Sequoia.
Connect to God
• Sequoia Sunday 10:10 Worship Service
• Connect 101 Class (membership class with Christian foundations).
Grow with Others
• Small Groups (home groups and focused felt need groups ie marriage, parenting, men’s, women’s, recovery etc).
• Journeys (inSPIRE for men and women, EQUIP).
• Kids' Ministry
• Youth Ministry
• Grow 201 Class
Serve the World
• Serving at Sequoia (Serve 301 Class, serving the church body, ie kids’ ministry, greeting, worship team, hospitality etc).
• Serving the Neighbourhood (community outreach, ie Renovate, Rebuild, and Relief ministry, Fun Cruiser events, Sequoia Sam, etc).
• Global Missions (going on Mission, ie Dominican Republic Church partnership).
• Eastern Canada Mission Centre (church planting, catalytic partnerships, global mission etc).
It is our prayer, that by focusing on our purpose and helping people move through the process to the point of becoming mature in Christ we will see God raise up a mighty army of trained, empowered, and spirit-filled men and women who will multiply themselves over and over in the lives of others. Ultimately, God is the one who brings the growth, so we will continue to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus who is the “author and perfector of our faith” – for His glory!
It is a joy to serve with you, Blessings, Pastor Ryan
Last week in the Vision and at our 10:10 service I shared about the importance of clarifying our purpose as a church. We need a “north star” to help us evaluate our priorities and to position us for fruitfulness and faithfulness in the years ahead. We need something that is faithful to the Biblical mandate, our DNA, our history, and easy to remember, and transferrable. We have landed on the following purpose and process statement:
Sequoia Community Church exists to help people Connect to God, Grow with Others, and Serve the World.
In Colossians 1:27-29 the Amplified Bible shows this purpose clearly and alludes to the process by which we become mature in Christ – we Connect to God, we grow up in Christ and become mature, and we labour in His strength to proclaim and demonstrate the love of God to a hurting world. “To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory.28Him we preach and proclaim, warning and admonishing everyone and instructing everyone in all wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God), that we may present every person mature (full-grown, fully initiated, complete, and perfect) in Christ (the Anointed One). 29For this I labor [unto weariness], striving with all the superhuman energy which He so mightily enkindles and works within me.”
At Sequoia we will align our ministry areas, programs, and strategic initiatives to fit with our purpose and process so that people can maximize their God-given potential. Going forward we will primarily concentrate on the following areas to help people Connect, Grow, and Serve at Sequoia.
Connect to God
• Sequoia Sunday 10:10 Worship Service
• Connect 101 Class (membership class with Christian foundations).
Grow with Others
• Small Groups (home groups and focused felt need groups ie marriage, parenting, men’s, women’s, recovery etc).
• Journeys (inSPIRE for men and women, EQUIP).
• Kids' Ministry
• Youth Ministry
• Grow 201 Class
Serve the World
• Serving at Sequoia (Serve 301 Class, serving the church body, ie kids’ ministry, greeting, worship team, hospitality etc).
• Serving the Neighbourhood (community outreach, ie Renovate, Rebuild, and Relief ministry, Fun Cruiser events, Sequoia Sam, etc).
• Global Missions (going on Mission, ie Dominican Republic Church partnership).
• Eastern Canada Mission Centre (church planting, catalytic partnerships, global mission etc).
It is our prayer, that by focusing on our purpose and helping people move through the process to the point of becoming mature in Christ we will see God raise up a mighty army of trained, empowered, and spirit-filled men and women who will multiply themselves over and over in the lives of others. Ultimately, God is the one who brings the growth, so we will continue to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus who is the “author and perfector of our faith” – for His glory!
It is a joy to serve with you, Blessings, Pastor Ryan
Comments not allowed for this entry.
Connect, Grow, Serve Part 1
09/16/2010 1:16 pm
By Admin, Admin
Connect, Grow, Serve Part 1
We have always believed that a great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will grow a great church!
The Great Commandment: “Jesus said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart...soul...and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” Matthew 22:36-40
The Great Commission: “Jesus said, ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20
In the past we have used the slogan “Living with Purpose and Loving with Passion” to articulate our purpose as a church. In a similar way we have described our philosophy of ministry as “Emphasizing a Relationship not a Religion.” While both these slogans have merit they do not adequately describe our purpose in a way that is memorable, transferrable, and reveals our process towards multiplication. As a church we need to be committed to making disciple-making disciples who embrace the Great Commandment and the Great Commission and teach others to do the same. If we are not clear on what we are trying to accomplish we will struggle to achieve this end so we must clearly articulate our purpose and process:
Sequoia Community Church exists to help people Connect to God, Grow with Others, and Serve the World.
This simple, memorable, and transferrable statement is faithful to Biblical imperatives and it celebrates Sequoia’s DNA and history. God has been so gracious to us in the past and we thank Him for the privilege of 11 years of rewarding ministry. Going forward I believe that as God builds His church, Sequoia’s best years are ahead! We need to focus on Jesus and be relentless in our commitment to our purpose and disciple-making process, trusting Him for years of faithfulness and fruitfulness.
In the next two messages (Sept. 12, 19) I will unpack our new purpose and process statement and next week in the Vision I will expand on the three aspects of Connect, Grow, and Serve and how we will organize our priorities and programs. It is a joy to serve with you and I am excited about what lies ahead.
Blessings, Pastor Ryan
We have always believed that a great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will grow a great church!
The Great Commandment: “Jesus said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart...soul...and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” Matthew 22:36-40
The Great Commission: “Jesus said, ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20
In the past we have used the slogan “Living with Purpose and Loving with Passion” to articulate our purpose as a church. In a similar way we have described our philosophy of ministry as “Emphasizing a Relationship not a Religion.” While both these slogans have merit they do not adequately describe our purpose in a way that is memorable, transferrable, and reveals our process towards multiplication. As a church we need to be committed to making disciple-making disciples who embrace the Great Commandment and the Great Commission and teach others to do the same. If we are not clear on what we are trying to accomplish we will struggle to achieve this end so we must clearly articulate our purpose and process:
Sequoia Community Church exists to help people Connect to God, Grow with Others, and Serve the World.
This simple, memorable, and transferrable statement is faithful to Biblical imperatives and it celebrates Sequoia’s DNA and history. God has been so gracious to us in the past and we thank Him for the privilege of 11 years of rewarding ministry. Going forward I believe that as God builds His church, Sequoia’s best years are ahead! We need to focus on Jesus and be relentless in our commitment to our purpose and disciple-making process, trusting Him for years of faithfulness and fruitfulness.
In the next two messages (Sept. 12, 19) I will unpack our new purpose and process statement and next week in the Vision I will expand on the three aspects of Connect, Grow, and Serve and how we will organize our priorities and programs. It is a joy to serve with you and I am excited about what lies ahead.
Blessings, Pastor Ryan
Comments not allowed for this entry.
Parking at Ottawa Christian School
We are excited about the recent growth at Sequoia! In order to ensure there is room for new comers in the OCS parking lot on Sunday morning we are asking that Sequoia members and active attender
s come a little early and park in one of the two parking lots adjacent to the school. There is a gravel parking lot at the end of Tartan behind the plaza that has a lot of room and there is also a parking lot in front of the park that is available. This will ensure new people feel valued when they come to our church. Thanks so much for helping out in this way!
s come a little early and park in one of the two parking lots adjacent to the school. There is a gravel parking lot at the end of Tartan behind the plaza that has a lot of room and there is also a parking lot in front of the park that is available. This will ensure new people feel valued when they come to our church. Thanks so much for helping out in this way! Annual Members Meeting and Vision Night
We held our Annual Members Meeting and Vision Night Sunday January 15, 2012. At this meeting we gave a report on the 2011 plan with financials as well as the plans for 2012 including the proposed budget. These reports are available to download as PDF files.
2011 Annual Report and 2012 Strategic Plan with Financials
January 15, 2012 Presentation Slides
If you have have questions about the 2010 report or the 2011 Strategic plan please direct these to Ryan Dawson (Lead Pastor) ryand@sequoiachurch.org.
