OUR MISSION & VISION
Mission Statement for the 21st Century
...who we are and what we are about as we seek to serve Christ in the midst of Detroit...
We, the members of Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church, believe we are God’s people. We understand we have been called, through Jesus Christ, to be God's church. We are men and women, young and old, rich and poor, of many races, yet by God's love we are one body. We are married and single, city dwellers and suburbanites, employed and retired. Yet, by God's providence, we are one body. We have come to this place from divergent backgrounds, with differing perspectives on discipleship, and with distinct views on what it means to be the church, yet by God's wisdom we are one body.
As a body of believers, our proclamation of faith is formed as we remember:
We are a people of the covenant, called by God into a unique relationship that has been forged by God's justice, love and grace;
We are a people of the cross, redeemed and shaped by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who offers forgiveness to us in our confession, salvation to us in our faith, and hope to us in our proclamation;
We are a people called to be disciples, obedient to the words of Scripture, open to the power of the Holy Spirit and building a ministry that offers reconciliation and proclaims renewal;
We are a people on a pilgrimage of faith, walking in the footsteps of those who have preceded us, following God's vision, continually seeking new shores upon which to plant our faith and establish new ways of living;
We are a people with a history, whose story is not only found in our historical archives, but written upon pages of Scripture, in the annals of world history, and in the documents of our American heritage.
We are a people with a future, tempered by where we have been, what we have been taught and by those who have led us, but honoring our past by being willing, with God's help, to look to the future with confidence.
Thus, the mission of Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church is to proclaim God's redeeming love and invite others to join our journey. Our faith and our hope must be the foundation of our worship, study and service. The doors of our hearts and church must be open to our brothers and sisters, offering sanctuary to those within and without, and reconciling the world to its Creator. Even in the midst of the world's conflict and confusion, we must listen for God's voice and reveal God's presence.
In this task, may we be faithful and obedient, daring and innovative, confident and hopeful, gracious and loving, open and inviting. We are God's church, bearing witness to God's love and, in what we do and say, demonstrating we are God's people in our vision to serve Christ in the midst of Detroit.
Vision Statement for the 21st Century
...our agreed commitments toward fulfilling and maintaining our Mission; our guiding focus...
We are God's church, called by Jesus Christ,
to bear witness to God's love.
In fulfilling our vision, it is essential that we continue to utilize and improve
our capability to perform God's work.
In our unique community environment, we accept and value
the diversity of our membership.
We need to expand our outreach to the community, and
our sharing of the Word by broadening our delivery of services.
We will motivate our members to increase their involvement in church and
community, in order to promote their spiritual and personal growth.
We recognize the need to focus on our children, youth and families:
they are our future.
We will take chances and risks.
We value our strong pastoral leadership that guides and challenges us,
individually and collectively.
To realize our vision, we must increase
our membership and financial support.
In all we do and say, we demonstrate that we are God's people,
seeking to serve Christ in the midst of Detroit.