Our Vision
THE NECESSITY FOR A VISION
Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) says "Where there is no vision, the people perish." In order for us to work effectively as a congregation we must have a clear sense of direction and a good understanding of the purpose for which God has called us in this community. How can we arrive at such a vision?
Of course a vision for the work of God must come from the God who assigns the work. We can only imagine the chaos on any job if the workers came in each morning with no job assignments and simply began to work on whatever they chose. Someone must have an overall view of the project and make work assignments. God knows the particular work He wants us to do. It is up to us, in humility and obedience, to seek His will and to carry it out. "Take the task He gives you gladly. Let His work your pleasure be. Answer quickly when He calleth, 'Here am I, send me, send me."'
Understanding that we see "through a glass darkly," but knowing also the danger of living without a clear sense of purpose, Stevenson Church sets forth the following as their statement of vision.
I. WHY HAS GOD BROUGHT US INTO EXISTENCE AS A CONGREGATION?
Stevenson Church exists first and foremost to glorify Jesus Christ. We do this by living a life of intentional discipleship, by reaching out to others with the good news that it is possible to know Jesus Christ personally and to receive His forgiveness, and by assisting and encouraging each person to find and grow in their own God‑ordained ministry.
II. WHAT DO WE BELIEVE WE ARE CALLED TO BE AND BECOME?
Stevenson Church seeks to be a place where dreaming, risking, and experimenting take place for the purpose of developing those ministries which God desires to raise up in our midst. To that end, we aim to be and become:
A. A TEACHING CHURCH.
Using the many excellent teaching courses available today and calling upon the resources of gifted facilitators in our own congregation, Stevenson Church periodically offers training courses dealing with various issues of our Christian life. Some of the courses that have been used or may be used are "A Hunger for Healing," "Disciple I," "Disciple II," "Cleansing Streams," the "Serendipity" Bible studies, "Experiencing God," and various courses by Campus Crusade for Christ, such as those related to the "Jesus" film and others such as "Your Life in Christ."
B. A CHURCH WHERE DIVERSITY OF THEOLOGICAL OPINION AND
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE IS WELCOMED.
The unity of the church comes from a common connectedness to Christ, a common love that finds its origin in Him, and a common sense of purpose. Unity is anchored in and flows from these, not from lock‑step agreement in all particulars, nor from a stereotyped and uniform experience of the personal reality of Christ. Love from and for Christ, and for others, allows for some latitude, some freedom for difference of opinion, and some tolerance for various ways of expressing one's faith. Stevenson Church seeks to be a congregation that allows for diversity of expression and theological opinion, within the confines of its doctrinal statement and the Word of God upon which it is based.
From time to time, in the course of one's spiritual journey, a person may very well have a dramatic breakthrough, such as a conversion experience, a heightened desire for commitment, a new sense of Christ's reality, or an infilling or empowering by the Holy Spirit. It is usually the nature of a religious experience to create such joy and enthusiasm that the recipient has a strong compulsion to share it and a great desire for others to know what they have known. It also imparts a greatly magnified joy in serving God and a new hunger for knowing Him that may not be understood by those who have not had a similar encounter.
Stevenson Church welcomes those valid experiences that are akin to Wesley's having his heart "strangely warmed," and considers that those who are the recipients of such an encounter are God's gifts to our congregation.
The congregation also determines to be a place where differing theological opinions which do not depart from the solid foundation of Holy Scripture and this congregation's doctrinal statement can be lovingly expressed and received in love.
C. A CHURCH WHERE DIVERSITY OF WORSHIP EXPRESSION IS
PROMOTED.
A broad range of diversity of worship expression exists throughout the Body of Christ, from the very animated and boisterous to the very quiet, devotional, and contemplative. Expressions on both ends of the spectrum and all the variations in between can find solid justification in Scripture. All modes of worship advocated by the word of God must surely be allowed and encouraged. Therefore, in the interest of diversity and of meeting the needs of greater numbers of people, and, most of all, in the interest of being Biblically correct, Stevenson Church welcomes and encourages the use of various worship styles and various means for presenting the Gospel.
D. A CHURCH WHERE EACH PERSON IS ENCOURAGED TO STEP OUT IN
HIS OR HER OWN AREA OF MINISTRY.
The doctrine of the priesthood of all believers is foundational to Protestant theology. If each believer is a priest, then each one has a calling to some area of ministry. St. Paul said that he sought to be all things to all people that he might by all means win some. This would suggest to us that many different means may be used by God to reach people. God calls a diverse group of people to apply their diverse gifts to the Biblical mandate of making disciples of all people. Stevenson Church seeks to be a place where it is recognized that each person has a calling on their life and where the individual can be helped and encouraged to find the will of God for them.
E. A CONGREGATION THAT RECOGNIZES IT IS ONE EXPRESSION OF A
MULTI‑FACETED WORLD‑WIDE CHURCH.
Stevenson Church affirms its connectedness with the United Methodist Church and particularly those congregations with whom we are linked in Mission Area Ministry. Stevenson also affirms its connection with the other churches in the areas comprised of the Berlin and Ocean City ministerial associations and is committed to engaging in cooperative ventures. Our congregation also supports the ministries of those organizations, both local and national or international, that exist as arms of the Church, strengthening it, expanding its scope, and enabling it to better reach out to the world.
