1. Valley Christian Church Vitally Vitally Connecting Connecting Christ Christ and people and people

2. Vitally Connecting Christ & You Vital = life-giving Vital = life-giving Connect = relationship Connect = relationship Christian = Disciple: A person in a life- relationship with Jesus Christ Christian = Disciple: A person in a life- relationship with Jesus Christ

3. Our Vision To create Christ-centered communities throughout the Red River Valley and beyond.

4. Our Goal Make vitally connected followers of Christ Make vitally connected followers of Christ connected to Christ in a live-giving way and connected to people in a life-giving witness connected to Christ in a live-giving way and connected to people in a life-giving witness

5. Vital Corrections How will we know if we are achieving our goal? How will we know if we are achieving our goal? As individuals in the church? As individuals in the church? As a group which is the church? As a group which is the church?

6. How will we know? Vital signs of a Healthy Christ-follower Vital signs of a Healthy Christ-follower Characteristics of a Healthy Church Characteristics of a Healthy Church Core Beliefs and Values Core Beliefs and Values

7. Vital Signs of a Christ-follower Connecting Connecting Growing Growing Reaching Out Reaching Out Giving Giving Serving Serving

8. Characteristics of a Healthy Church Empowering leadership Empowering leadership Gift-oriented Ministry Gift-oriented Ministry Passionate Spirituality Passionate Spirituality Functional Structures Functional Structures Inspiring Worship Inspiring Worship Holistic Small groups Holistic Small groups Need-oriented Evangelism Need-oriented Evangelism Loving relationships Loving relationships

9. Core Beliefs - the essentials God is One: Father, Son, Holy Spirit God is One: Father, Son, Holy Spirit Authority of the Word Authority of the Word

10. Core Values In essentials, unity… In opinions, liberty… in all things, love. In essentials, unity… In opinions, liberty… in all things, love. Where the Bible speaks, we speak. Where the Bible is silent, we are silent. Where the Bible speaks, we speak. Where the Bible is silent, we are silent. We are not the only Christians, but Christians only. We are not the only Christians, but Christians only. Ministry/priesthood of all believers. Ministry/priesthood of all believers. Centrality of the church in living our faith. Centrality of the church in living our faith.

11. So What’s Missing? How?! How are we going to carry out the core mission of vitally connecting Christ and people? How?! How are we going to carry out the core mission of vitally connecting Christ and people? We have a foundation vision We have a foundation vision We have tools to assess progress We have tools to assess progress What do we have to move forward? What do we have to move forward?

12. FWD: what the early church had They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, the apostles teaching, and to the fellowship and to the fellowship to the breaking of bread to the breaking of bread and to prayer. and to prayer. --Acts 2:42 --Acts 2:42

13. FWD: the three ships of Acts They devoted themselves to: They devoted themselves to: Fellowship: the partnership of living out the Good News of God’s Kingdom on earth. Fellowship: the partnership of living out the Good News of God’s Kingdom on earth. Worship: the breaking of bread and prayer Worship: the breaking of bread and prayer Discipleship: the apostles teaching. The Word of God Discipleship: the apostles teaching. The Word of God

14. Moving FWD We have the foundation of our vision We have the foundation of our vision We have the means to measure progress We have the means to measure progress We have the pillars of the early church We have the pillars of the early church We need you, you are the who of our how. We need you, you are the who of our how.