OPC's Mission and Vision

I've been taking a break from blogging my sermon drafts this summer (that's what they are - I've shifted to outline preaching, which means the "final" draft is what comes out of my mouth. We post those on the church website and have been podcasting for a couple of months now). My preaching this summer is focusing more on Bible Study and less on exposition. We've having less lecture and more conversation as a result. Anyway, our Session was very busy on Sunday, beginning to implement a number of things that have been in the work for some time. I'll be posting some of them here in the coming days.

First is a revamped Vision and Mission Statement. Enjoy!

Vision Oglethorpe Presbyterian Church is an inclusive community of faith that uses our gifts and resources to continue the earthly ministry of Jesus. We exist as a church not merely for ourselves – the broader community is our congregation.

Mission We engage all the faithful in the ministry of the Church. Our witness is intergenerational. We value theological and political diversity and are building a congregation where all can find their voice and know their purpose in God’s ministry. We root ourselves in Presbyterian traditions while remaining open to the work of the Spirit as it re-creates us for today’s ministries. As a community that puts faith in motion, we value creativity and innovation as hallmarks of the Spirit at work in the world.

Our ministries are a response to God’s grace already at work in our lives. And so we exist for the community around us, which includes our members. Our building is at the center of our ministry, not the extent of it. Our property exists to house our worship, to facilitate our ministries, and to equip the larger community’s engagement in God’s mission. As a people of faith in motion, we gather together so that the Spirit might shape and move us so that our lives are empowered to serve God by serving others.

Ours is a story that belongs to God. As we celebrate our sixtieth anniversary, we look forward in hope to the unfolding of that story and the growth it will bring in the years to come.