Gateway Church of the Nazarene Vision Report – 2017

Proverbs 29:18A (KJV) Where there is no vision, the people perish. Why Vision? Proverbs 29:18A (KJV) Where there is no vision, the people perish.

Process Towards Finding this Vision In late November / early December: Each board member and staff person was given a questionnaire with specific questions about vision and ministry strategy. Each of them was asked to take these questions before the Lord and let Him reveal the answers. Each of them prayerfully completed and submitted questionnaire. All of the answers were compiled and averaged and this vision is the result. This entire process has been fully directed by prayer!

Mission / Vision Statement Gateway Nazarene – Moving Forward in Faith, Hope, & Love! Mission Statement: To provide a caring community where the heartbroken, the seeking, and the faithful can find support, compassion, and a place to serve. Vision Statement: To lead people to Christ, mature them to Christlikeness, and equip them for their service in the church and prepare them to fulfil their mission to make Christ known to the world.

Scripture for Vision 2017 Philippians 3:13 (NLT) No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. We believe that in the past 27 years, God has done an incredible work at Murrieta Gateway Church of the Nazarene. But we also know that there is still so much work to do. Our focus for the coming year will be solely on looking ahead and accomplishing all that God has for us next. This vision will be done with us moving forward in faith and not by sight.

Our Vision for 2017 is broken down into 7 categories Care – “Shepherding God’s People” (1st Peter 5:2) Outreach – “Depopulating Hell” (2nd Peter 3:9) New Works – “The Sending Out of Workers” (Luke 10:2) Discipleship – “Multiplication” (Matthew 28:19) Ministries – “Serving God with our gifts” (Ephesians 4:11-12) Administration/Facilities/Finances – “Church in Order” (1st Corinthians 14:33) Worship – “Seeking to Give God Glory and Praise” (Psalm 150:6)

Care – “Shepherding God’s People” 1st Peter 5:2 - Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, watching over them--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; Major Focus: To make prayer the centerpiece of who we are. To continue to engage, love and nurture our senior adults in the life of the church through our senior adult ministry and service. To focus on church unity and thinking strategically about making sure no one is left behind. Strategic Priorities: To develop prayers ministries throughout the life of the church including but not limited to our 10:02 prayer time, emphasize our Monday night prayer group and email prayer chain, and our begin pre-service Sunday morning prayer meetings. To host quarterly potlucks with all our people and host periodically combined worship services.

Outreach – “Depopulating hell” 2nd Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Major Focus: To engage with our AWANA’s program and bridge the gap with this ministry and the church. To fully equip our people to be missionaries in their neighborhoods, schools, jobs, homes, etc. To market the church and all of her great ministries. To reach out into our community through outreach coordinated outreach efforts. To reach the world for Jesus! Strategic Priorities: To host three major outreach events outside of the church walls and to host six major outreach events inside the church walls. These events will include compassion and evangelism. To take an out of country mission trip to Haiti with a team from Gateway. To win 300 new believers to Jesus To baptize 200 new believers. To host a weekend marriage seminar.

New Works – “The sending out of workers” Luke 10:2 - He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Major Focus: To send out workers in the harvest field. To prepare workers inside the church for the harvest to come in. Strategic Priorities: To plant one new church (possibly in Temecula). To begin a new Hispanic service. To begin a new Saturday night service at Gateway reaching an entire new population of people. To begin a work for armed service members (possibly at Camp Pendleton)

Discipleship – “Multiplication” Matthew 28:19 - Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Major Focuses: To preach holiness and make fully known who we are as Christians and as Nazarenes. To continue all Sunday school classes and in home groups. To raise up new leaders and train them how to make disciples. Strategic Priorities: To begin 12 new in home groups. To develop a six step process of assimilation including: Step One - marketing Step Two – first impressions Step Three – follow - up Step Four – discipleship groups Step Five – leadership development Step Six – serving in leadership To bring in 100 new members into church membership. To increase church attendance to 750+ with services combined.

Ministries – “Serving God with our gifts” Ephesians 4:11-12 - Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. Major Focuses: To continue to develop and emphasize all ministries of the church. Also to continually evaluate these ministries for effectiveness. To continue to equip our pastors and grow our ministries in our children’s ministry, our youth ministry, our senior adult ministry and our worship ministry. To support our ministry staff in moving from their desk to the field more and more. Strategic Priorities: To explore beginning the new following ministries: young adult, sports and compassionate ministries To host 4 major training programs throughout the year to equip our people including evangelism training and leadership development classes. To double the number of people in our children’s ministry and our youth ministry. To equip families through nurture and care and to meet the needs of families through trainings, outings, events. Etc.

Administration/Facilities/Finances– “Church in Order” 1st Corinthians 14:33 - For God is not a God of disorder but of peace--as in all the congregations of the Lord's people. Major Focuses: To continue to improve church wide communication. To preach at least twice a year on the blessings of tithing and to grow in financial stewardship. To continue to develop and nurture our board and committees through equipping and encouragement. To continue grow and to be transparent, accountable and effective in our finance department. To fully utilize the gifts and resources of our people to help strengthen our church in various areas. Strategic Priorities: To continue to strengthen email news, bulletins, church website, church mailers, social media and other avenues. To bring on staff a volunteer Chief Operating Officer. To reduce the church debt by 10% ($200,000). To continue to support Church of the Nazarene mission’s through awareness and finances (this includes paying 100%+ in church budgets). To renovate and add on the sanctuary and to add additional Sunday school rooms. To upgrade our internet and media departments with more up to date equipment. To be able to stream our services online.

Worship – “Seeking to Give God Glory and Praise” Psalm 150: 6 - Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord Major Focuses: To continue to think strategically about ways to engage our people in worship services. To engage the people with every aspect of services including announcements, music, fellowship, flow of service, preaching, prayer, etc. To make our services all about Jesus and bringing His people to Him. Worshiping in Spirit and in truth (John 4). Strategic Priorities: To double the number of people participating in our praise and worship team. To build and equip our teams of greeters, ushers, communion preparation, and bulletin prep

Ways that you the congregation can help us accomplish this vision Pray – Begin praying that God would help us accomplish this. Without Him, this is all done in vain. Agree to be United – Commit to unity of this vision. As you leave the service today, there are poster boards around the sanctuary. We are asking each person to sign a poster board. This is simply a symbolic commit to be united with the vision as we move forward. Participate – We need you to participate in this vision. In the coming days, weeks and months, please get plugged in 100%. Deal with Problems – As we move forward, we are bound to have problems. Each and every time we have a problem please simply deal with the problem Scripturally. Go to the person face to face and talk it out. No gossip or backstabbing. Keep the Vision at the Forefront – This vision will be posted in the foyer of the church for the next year. May this posted vision remind us of the direction that we are going. Welcoming the Obstacles – This vision and effort will bring obstacles along the way. We need to look at these obstacles not as problems but as simply opportunities for God to show up and do miracles.