Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I [Jesus] have commanded you.
–Matthew 28:19 and 20
Our Mission Statement
We are a Bible-believing community called by Christ to:
- Worship and praise God,
- Build up and encourage one another,
- Show God’s love and share the gospel with everyone.
Our Core Values
At First Church we value:
- Biblical, life-oriented preaching from a Reformed perspective,
- Worship which is characterized by a variety of enthusiastic, God-glorifying music which uses the musical gifts of all members of our congregation,
- Prayer as a priority in both congregational and private life,
- A strong youth ministry which teaches, equips, and trains children and young people to be discerning, courageous Christians,
- Ministry that occurs in relationships and close fellowship,
- Well-balanced ministry that addresses the needs of all ages and incorporates the gifts of all members,
- Wise stewardship of our financial resources that results in generous giving and careful use of our funds,
- The importance of Christian education for our youth in Christian schools and Christian homes,
- Sharing our hope in Christ with others in our community and throughout the world.
Our Vision
First Church is a family of believers committed to growth:
- Growth of the spiritual maturity of every member;
- Growth in our service to God, each other, and our community,
- Growth of our church through evangelism.
Growth Through Spiritual Maturity—Our vision is to be people who increasingly love as Jesus loved and live as Jesus lived. Through worship and education we will grow in our understanding of God and his Word. Through deep relationships of accountability, nurture, and encouragement we will help each other grow in faith.
Growth Through Service—Believers have been called to serve. This pattern was set by Jesus as he served, giving his life for many. We will strive to help every member grow in service to Jesus and others, discovering, understanding, and using his or her spiritual gifts.
Growth Through Evangelism—A healthy church will generally grow through evangelism; this means that each member of our church will learn to intentionally witness to non-Christians through both word and deed. Our immediate calling is to the Byron and West Michigan community, then to the world. We will affect our community through community involvement, intentional evangelistic relationships with non-Christians, a welcoming atmosphere, and church planting. We will also extend our desire for others to know Jesus Christ by supporting missions, sending members of our church out on mission projects, and encouraging our members to do mission work.
Goals
A. Spiritual Maturity—
Goal #1: We will continue to worship in a way that holds high God’s Word and incorporates a
variety of musical traditions.
Goal #2: We will increase the prayer life of our congregation in fervency and frequency.
Goal #3: We will work to have every adult member be a member of a small group.
Goal #4: We will work toward having every adult member serve in at least one ministry of our congregation.
Goal #5: We will increase the corporate focus of our congregation on Scripture.
Goal #6: We will train and equip our members to mentor to others with spiritual, emotional, or
physical needs.
Goal #7 We will have a staff member who will spend at least 50% of his or her time focusing on the spiritual maturity of young people.
B. Service—
Goal #1: We will reach out in service to our local community to demonstrate Christ’s love.
Goal #2: We will provide opportunities for our members—young people and adults—to personally get involved in service projects around the country and overseas.
Goal #3: We will intentionally seek ways for our young people to become involved in service in the ministries and programs of our church so they are part of the life of our congregation.
C. Evangelism—
Goal #1: We will teach and encourage our members to develop relationships with non-Christians in order to share Christ.*
Goal #2: We will provide opportunities for us to invite non-Christians to our church.
Goal #3: We will explore planting a new church.
Goal #4: We will continue to use technology appropriately for worship, ministry, and outreach.
D. Issues that result from growth—
Goal #1: The council will establish an ad hoc committee to make recommendations for reorganizing our leadership structure, both ordained and lay, to promote the vision and ministry of our church and effectively and efficiently serve our membership.
Goal #2: The council will research how to alleviate the overcrowding of the sanctuary and the parking situation.
Goal #3: The budget should reflect the vision of our church.
As we live out this vision, we will humbly and faithfully seek God’s blessing through prayer.
*Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I [Jesus] have commanded you. –Matthew 28:19 and 20