“Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus” (Philippians 3:13).
Happy Brave New Year!
2020 looks to be a significant year. Why? The start of every new year holds promise, but 2020? It’s the start of a new decade! Take a moment and re-read the verse above from Philippians.
For Paul, being a follower of Jesus Christ meant that he was paying attention to the signs Christ had placed before him. He was connected to spiritual energy moving him forward to the future. Like Jesus, he didn’t spend all of his time in religious assemblies, but out and about in the public square, in the neighborhood, with people from every walk of life, from every country, with diverse ideas and experiences. (Compare John 1:14 and Acts 17.)
The Mission Study Team and the session have invested a great deal of prayerful work over the past two years listening to the Spirit and the many voices in the congregation. Our congregational Focus Your Vision event and surveys last year were especially meaningful as we began to design our future-looking mission. All these inputs and discernment have produced clarity about our mission.
When we speak of “our mission,” we refer to our purpose put into action. Put into action that can be appreciated, accessed, and experienced by those we love and serve- our community of faith and the community at large. In other words, the measure of our success in fulfilling our mission is what our entire community says it is. We care about what our neighbors experience and we want them to experience God’s abundance and grace in 2020!
Every church of Jesus Christ can be assumed to worship Christ, proclaim the Bible, and serve others. But each of us, and each congregation, has a unique mission, a special call, as well. Why is Cold Spring Presbyterian Church at the corner of Seashore and Academy roads?
What has God called us to focus on in 2020?
We can’t do everything, because if everything is our priority, then nothing is a priority. If we focus on doing it all, we end up doing nothing at all. So our mission is what God has called us to do as a unique community of faith right now. For such a time as this, God has called Cold Spring Presbyterian Church, and all those participating in its worship and work, (thats you and me!) to celebrate, communicate, engage with, and promote our mission.
Similarly, when we refer to vision, we mean the imagined future we seek to see. Our vision describes the outcomes accomplished by God’s empowerment and grace.
VISION: Cold Spring Presbyterian Church
We believe that everyone deserves to experience God’s love in relevant and authentic ways. Our thriving faith community energizes spirits and transforms lives by putting God’s love into action to help make greater Cape May a better place. We invite others to join with us as we joyfully love and serve God and our neighbors through the power of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ.
MISSION: Cold Spring Presbyterian Church
Cold Spring Presbyterian Church delivers spiritual resources and experiences that are centered in God’s love. We enthusiastically proclaim the abundant life through Jesus Christ. Our mission is to improve the spiritual vitality and wellness of our congregation and community throughout the Cape May region through inspiring worship, practical teaching from God’s word, innovative programs, and community-focused events and ministry.
You will find our vision and mission statements on our website, in each Connections and Brickette issue, in our weekly bulletin. Our mission helps us tell our story! Our clear vision helps us know when to say yes or no. Our clear mission guides every decision the session makes about by our resources, priorities, and values as we listen to God’s Spirit. Our mission informs our teams, committees, and all our work across our congregation. Even more, our compelling vision and mission will attract new individuals, families, resources, partnerships and opportunities!
We are beginning our 306th year of ministry! And you are an important part of its success! Member, friend, neighbor… you have a place at Cold Spring Church in 2020!
Join us on Sunday, January 26th, after worship in Price Hall when we hold our 2020 Annual Congregational Meeting. We will celebrate all that God has done in our midst in 2019! You are invited to participate and be energized during this very special gathering.
What’s ahead in 2020? With the apostle Paul, we know three important things about the future:
- We are learning and growing as we follow Jesus.
- We have a mission.
- God is calling us all to bravely fulfill our mission and move forward into the future.
Thank you for all you do…praying and supporting, engaging, and serving… in the name of Jesus Christ!
Let’s expect a brave new year in 2020 as we experience God’s abundance and grace, working together to achieve our mission in God’s emerging, hopeful future! That’s why we can confidently say, “Happy Brave New Year!”
Sincerely,
Pastor Kevin
How many times already this year (or Decade! Wow, can you believe it?!) have you shared good wishes of Happy New Year? Lots of times, I bet. Well, at Cold Spring Church, we are transforming a mere Happy into something amazing! For 2020, let’s embrace a Brave New Year! Why? Because we know that the Light of the World is shining brightly and God invites us into a new future, something much more than the ordinary, in 2020. This Sunday, January 5th, start 2020 with a welcoming, energizing worship. 