Our Vision
This is about what we see as a church when we look into the future. Ideally it needs to be short and capture in a few words what we are about. Ours is a bit too wordy so we need to re-visit it but here it is anyway!
Our Vision
To see Norton transform into a vibrant community that is full of life, hope, joy and love, with God at its centre, and where all people can feel valued and free to be the person God created them to be.
Our Mission
To accomplish this through the power of God’s Holy Spirit by equipping
every Christian:-
- To live as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
- To study God's Word together and apply it to our daily lives.
- To pray and worship Him together.
- To serve others in need with mercy, faith, and grace as God gifts and enables us.
On Friday 22nd January 2009 the leadership shared with the church more detail about our vision for the next five years. This included the development of existing and new ministries. They used a chart to illustrate key areas and a copy of that chart can be seen by clicking here. The dates and order of things are not fixed and in many ways they are all interlinked. For those not present at the meeting it may make only partial sense but it does give a window on what we believe God is saying to us at this time. You may need to enlarge it to observe all the detail.
Key Bible Passages
The Lord laid on our hearts the above passages during a time of prayer and fasting in 2007/8 which form part of our overall vision. They should be seen as key Bible passages that direct our attention to the 'what' and 'how' questions concerning our mission. You can read them below.
Isaiah 54:2 (NIV)
"Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.Isaiah 58:6-12 (NIV)
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.Luke 4:18-19 (NIV)
18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour."