Mission & Vision

Our Mission: Know Christ, Live Christ, Share Christ

Preamble

We lift up our understanding of the mission of God for the Presbytery of Genesee Valley. This mission begins with the faithfulness of those who have preceded us. It emerges in a context of turbulence and rapid change in church and society. Our understanding of God’s mission for us grows in the hearts of our diverse people as we commit to serve Christ together.

Mission Statement

The Presbytery of Genesee Valley glorifies God by Knowing Christ, Living Christ, and Sharing Christ.

What does this Mission look like?

• • We Know Christ when we worship God through Scripture, prayer, songs, and preaching; when we live as disciples of Jesus Christ within a faithful community of congregations; and when we experience the Holy Spirit leading us into the world with purpose and conviction. This mission calls for the Presbytery to train and equip the people of God for faithful service in the life of our churches and surrounding communities.
  • We Live Christ when we model the truth and integrity of the Gospel as we build trust and work with one another and our neighbors; when our elders, pastors and church leaders feel strong spiritual encouragement and support for their vocation; and when we demonstrate our calling in ways that capture the attention of people who live throughout the Genesee Valley. This mission calls for the Presbytery to demonstrate the wonder and joy of Christian faith as we eat, work, play and reach out together.
  • We Share Christ when we initiate emerging faith communities, develop new churches, and support existing churches; when our congregations join hands for shared mission endeavors; and when we engage in ministries of healing, comfort, renewal, justice, and peace. This mission calls on the Presbytery to be a gathering of faithful congregations in which we mourn our defeats, celebrate our successes, and seek God’s confidence and strength as we embrace the future.

Our Vision: Healthy, Vital, and Sustainable Congregations and Leaders

In light of the changes in our culture and demography, and the challenging environment in which the Church lives in the 21st century, we assert that the primary focus of the Presbytery of Genesee Valley is not the preservation of itself as a governing body or an institution. The focus of our Presbytery is now the landscape of possibilities and challenges facing our congregations in the places they are serving. Our primary goal is the encouragement and empowerment of healthy, vital, and sustainable congregations and leaders: active in the mission of serving God and neighbors, engaged with partners within the presbytery and beyond it. These partners may include other churches, community organizations, and mission agencies.

Our vision is aspirational. Just as the Kingdom of God is dawning in our midst but not yet fulfilled, we are working to promote healthier, more vital, and sustainable congregations as we move into God’s future. We seek to encourage, resource, and empower leaders, pastoral leaders, and congregational leaders in their ministries. We seek to enable partnerships in which congregations can build on shared strength to be effective in their mission fields. We seek to practice that we are “better together,” as we support the missions and ministries of our churches with grants, tools and training, and resources.

We use the word Healthy, not just to connote the absence of visible illness or trouble, but as a dynamic condition of strength, nourishment, effective functioning, and well-being.

We use the word Vital to connote active engagement in worship and mission; care for members, neighbors and strangers; and the work of justice and peace.

We use the word Sustainable to connote the ability to gather resources necessary to continue and grow in mission and ministry. This may include a critical mass of energetic people, a vision for faith and mission, trained leadership, sufficient finances, and buildings or other locations that enable ministry.

The role of the Presbytery is to provide tools and resources to evaluate and enhance sustainability in times of change and to plan with congregations regarding their future.

How will we know that we are fulfilling our Vision?

• • When congregations, either singly or in partnerships, feel energized and purposeful
  • When congregations work together
  • When the Presbytery functions as a facilitator of successful relationships
  • When people enjoy working together and have stories to tell about it
  • When we know Christ, live Christ, and share Christ here

Gathered in Neighborhoods

To begin this work the Vision and Strategy Committee of the former Presbytery Council encouraged the development of six Neighborhoods within the Presbytery. Pastoral leaders and congregations are gathered to initiate conversations about the realities of mission and ministry in their region of the Presbytery, what they may want to address or learn together, how they may support each other, and whether they will be active in mission together.

Anticipated Outcomes

• • • A growth in the number of mission partnerships, either regionally or project-based
    • A stronger network of support for all pastoral leaders
    • Churches deepening relationships with each other and supporting each other through prayer, shared mission, and gatherings
    • Churches and leaders learning new skills together that will strengthen their life and ministry