To foster a thriving multi-generational Christian family in the Anglican tradition in which all members participate in the ministries of the church and where an enthusiasm for the Word of God and love of Jesus Christ ignite a passion for service and changed lives.

WHAT DOES THE VISION STATEMENT MEAN TO US:

“To foster a thriving multi-generational Christian family in the Anglican Tradition…”

Foster means to promote the growth or development of: encourage. We recognize that the Advent has a thriving multi-generational Christian family that has sustained it for 150 years and we see the future of this family being strengthened through growth and encouragement.

To thrive means to be full of life and looking to the future. We do not simply stay where we are comfortable, but push forward to the place where God is calling us.

Multigenerational Christian family: Jesus is Lord of all, regardless of age or ability. We desire for our church to reflect the diversity that is the family of God

Anglican Tradition: Anglican tradition and doctrine are the glue that has held the Advent Episcopal Church together through its long history, and we wish to continue to rely on these traditions to guide us through future changes.

“…where all members participate in the ministries of the church…”
God also uses all those who follow Him to fulfill his purposes. This is called the priesthood of all believers. In the past people were kept from particular ministries because of their age or sex. Now we invite all of our members, regardless of age or sex to be involved in all of our ministries. We envision parents and children ministering together while young and old proclaim God's word.

“…where enthusiasm for the Word of God and the love of Jesus Christ ignite a passion for service and changed lives.”

It is through submitting to the Word of God and a love of Jesus Christ that the Holy Spirit works in us to make us more like him and to transform us into the family he has called us to be.

Serve: To be a follower of Jesus is to be a servant. We are called to be like our Lord Jesus Christ who took on the form of a servant (Phil 2:5-11). We endeavor to serve both those within and without the church. The Church of the Advent was founded on these biblical principles. We want our church to move forward as a leader in service.

Changed lives: The grace of God experienced through faith in Jesus Christ transforms people at the very core of their being. We are made righteous in the eyes of God through faith in Jesus. It is our desire that those who do not know God may gain salvation through faith in Jesus. This requires us to be active in evangelism. We also desire for all who do follow Jesus to grow in righteousness by obeying all that Jesus commanded. One way that we do that is by studying scripture and by the power of the Holy Spirit, submitting our lives to its commands.

George Barna in his latest book Grow Your Church from the Outside, said “We take the first step toward truly preparing to reach the unchurched when we become models of faithfulness, obedience, holiness and righteousness. God’s Church is not about structures, systems and resources; it is about individual people and our relationships with God. When those associations are in order, we will affect others around us, whether we want to or not. ”