Vision Statement

‘Know God, Show His Love, Grow His Church’

Our Vision for St Lawrence church.

The Christian life, both for the individual and for churches, is a dynamic one. The Bible speaks of a journey, a race, and the coming of a new Kingdom. The apostle Paul sums it up well when he says that in his own Christian life he is ‘pressing on towards the goal’ of a more complete relationship with God.

In order to experience this dynamic life, we need to know where we are going. A statement of vision can help by pointing the way forward, focusing our activity, and reminding us what we are about.

Where should this Vision Statement come from? It should come from Jesus Christ, because it is His ministry that we are involved in. Some of His clearest teaching is found in what we now call the ‘Greatest Commandment’ and the ‘Great Commission’. These verses should be the foundation of all Christian vision and mission -

The Greatest Commandment - Mark 12:30-31

The Great Commission - Matthew 28:19-20

There are three aspects to these imperatives of Jesus Christ. The first is to Know God through a personal relationship with Him. The second, which follows the first and is a response to knowing God, is to Show His Love to those around us - both within and outside the fellowship of faith. The third thing - the great commission - is outward-looking. The call to ‘make disciples’ involves both spreading the good news of the gospel so that people may come to know God for themselves, and also encouraging one another to deepen our own knowledge and love of God. It is a call to Grow His Church.

These themes, taken form Jesus' words form the Vision Statement that we are using as a way of focusing our ongoing ministry at St. Lawrence Church.

Know God...Show His Love...Grow His Church...

We hope that these words will help us to keep following Jesus, and to focus our energies and plans on his ministry, now and in the future.

Stephen Hills