In March, we gathered together on a Sunday morning to look at four questions as we started to define what our future might hold.
As a result of that work, a very clear picture of what Vision’s means to you, those who participate in the life of the church. Using words and drawings, stickers and crayons, you put onto paper your feelings and thoughts about this place you have made your spiritual home. When facing the future, it is always important to know what you value and how it impacts your life.
So let me share with you what I discovered as I went through the many thoughts that you shared and entrusted to me.
I have divided them into a few major categories:
- Welcome
- Experience
- Music
- Outreach
WELCOME
No less than 20 comments about being welcomed at Visions were collected during our World Cafe gathering. What a great response and not a common one at all.
As a community, you need to give yourselves a pat on the back! Smiles and laughter, opportunities to socialize and living the message of inclusion received a lot of recognition as did the atmosphere of informality and sincerity.
EXPERIENCE
The experience of community at Visions received 68 mentions (and stickers) which was the largest category that was counted. And this has the ‘welcome’ items excluded from the count! Visions innovative approach to faith received top billing as well as the communities openness to exploring new ideas in a way that did not exclude those with a more traditional understanding.
That flexibility and openness is a great asset to a 21st century progressive faith community. It lives out much of what Jesus taught us about loving not only those like us but those who are not like us… loving the Samaritan, the Prodigal and all of those our polarized world would call ‘other’.
MUSIC
Music is a fundamental value at Visions United Church. Whether it was providing music leadership, singing, playing handbells or congregational singing, the music is one of the most important parts of Vision’s gatherings. It is an area where everyone has a connection. Brian Wren (hymn writer and author) describes hymn singing as praying twice… something that Visions clearly understands.
OUTREACH
When a church community highlights outreach with the passion that Visions’ community does, you know that you are onto something..
With 19 different remarks about how and why you're so supportive of outreach, one has to be impressed. From the community garden to meeting your M&S commitment to supporting Head Start, you are committed to helping those who may never darken the door at the Community Hub. Bravo….
WHATS NEXT?
We will be looking at different options that you might want to consider for the future. For the time being, lets spend some time celebrating who you are and all that you do!
