Vision

WHAT IS A VISION STATEMENT?
A vision statement is a short, clear description of the church’s God-given future - what the church believes God is calling us to become and accomplish. It paints a picture and serves as a compass and guide for the church’s ministries, decisions, and actions. 

We have come so far as a church since it's founding in 1968, but God is not finished with us.   We give thanks to God for bringing us to a new place on our journey, and we must turn again to God in prayer asking, “What, now, is your will for us?” A good vision statement can inspire, unite, and provide focus. 

Council installed a Vision Team in late spring of 2024, and they have been hard at work studying the Bible, looking at different resources on vision development, and making a plan to guide the team and the congregation through the process of discerning God's next step for St. Andrew Lutheran Church. The team is using a tool kit called Discovering God’s Future for Your Church, from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, as a basic guideline for our activities.  Inspiration comes through scripture, God's voice, and each other.

PURPOSE OF THE VISION TEAM: To facilitate spiritual opportunities to grow as a community of faith so we can discern and embody God’s vision for us as we partner with God to achieve God’s vision in the world.  The full charter of the Vision Team is linked here.  If you ever have questions or would like to discuss something in particular, feel free to call the office or email the team at vision@standrewofcl.org.

MEMBERS: Wendy Kuenemann, Donna Clark, Kristine Brzozowski, Jeff Meyer, Pastor Chris, Bill Parks.

Below are additional explanations on why a vision in important if you would like to read more.
https://simplifychurch.com/church-leadership/why-having-a-vision-for-your-church-matters/
https://theunstuckgroup.com/3-steps-refreshed-vision/

Involving the congregation is important. Activities like creating a timeline with the congregation, studying internal and external environments and trends, and a congregational cultural discovery tour have provided a good lesson in what we believe we are as St. Andrew and what might be important to focus on. The whole congregation is encouraged to join them in scripture reading and participate in shared activities. Matthew 4:18-22 and Ephesians 4 are passages that seem particularly meaningful for St. Andrew.