What is Purpose Driven Church?
Have we done it wrong in the past?
How do we transition into being Purpose Driven?
What have been the results so far of VLC focusing on being Purpose Driven?
What is Purpose Driven Church? Go to top of page
A Purpose Driven Church is a ministry plan based upon the Bible. A purpose driven church uses scripture so that a congregation can be healthy with respect to its ministry. A Purpose Driven Church draws its purposes from the Great Commission, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you and the Great Commandment, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
From the Great Commission and Great Commandment comes 5 purposes:
Why Be Purpose Driven? Go to top of page
For one thing it is scriptural. Churches are driven by many things such as: the pastor, their history, their cultural DNA or a group of lay people. Since all churches are driven by something would it not be best to be based on the Word of God. Purpose Driven Church is a plan to grow people of God so that they can be witnesses in the name of Jesus Christ for the world. Secondly, main line churches are having difficulty growing and focus too much on maintenance. Purpose Driven Church’s focus on Mission.
Have we done it all wrong in the past? Go to top of page
That question can be taken both ways. In one way we did not know any better. As a pastor I was trained to take car of the flock. The mind set of growing people into Christ and that Jesus cared about lost people was not emphasized. Secondly, our culture has changed. No longer can we assume that people are growing and will naturally want to come to church. A healthy church recognizes a need to change how it operates for the sake of the Gospel. The questions is not so much, have we done it wrong in the past, but more, what do we need to do for the sake of the present and the future.
How do we transition into being Purpose Driven? Go to top of page
Going from a membership driven church to a Purpose Driven Church takes time and is a long term process. The following steps are in place at VLC to help in the transition.
1. Life Development Plan
This plan allows people to grow in their personal understanding
of what it means to live out the five purposes in their own lives. The goal is
to have the entire church participate in the Life Development Plan. It is a
requirement that new disciples wishing to join the church must take Discovering
Connections.
2. 40 Day Campaign
Each Fall VLC has a 40 Day campaign concentrating on the 5
purposes. In the year 2004 we did Purpose Driven Life. In the Fall of 2005 we
will be focusing on Connections using curriculum from the Life together Series.
3. Small Groups
Please see the link regarding Small Groups. Our small groups help
us to live out the 5 purposes as a church. It is a goal that all of our small
groups will be Purpose Driven in nature.
4. Leadership Training
We provide educational opportunities for our staff, lay leadership
and offer books to educate the congregation in being Purpose Driven.
5. Teaching Series
Each fall and throughout the
year we try to teach Purpose Driven concepts on Sunday morning.
Is Purpose Driven Lutheran? Go to top of page
At VLC we emphasize being Christian first and Lutheran second. For those who wonder about the Lutheran focus consider the Question asked of those Affirming their Baptism taken from page 201 of the Lutheran Book of Worship.
“Do you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in Holy Baptism:
To live among God’s faithful people, to hear his Word and share in his supper, to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, to serve all people, following the example of our Lord Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.
All 5 purposes are found in that question. The problem is that we have not had a plan to carry it out or held ourselves accountable in doing so.
In Article 4 of the Model Constitution of the ELCA you can find the Statement of Purpose. Guess what?? All 5 purposes are found there as well.
For a Lutheran Adaptation of Rick Warren’s book, Purpose Driven Church, a very helpful book written by Lutheran Pastor Eric Burtness entitled Leading on Purpose.
What have been the results so far of VLC focusing on being Purpose Driven? Go to top of page
VLC has formed 14 and counting Small Groups out of our first 40 Day Campaign. These small groups have resulted in changing the DNA of our church as people are more focused on making a difference in others lives. We took the risk to start a new worship service based on Christian Praise Music. VLC is also committed to using technology to enhance both traditional and Celebration! worship. Church members have come forth to do God inspired gifts from debt reduction to multimedia and outfitting computer labs at our Sunday School. Mission trips have been taken to both Haiti and Jamaica and we have raised monies for wells in our sister church Patanumbe Lutheran Parish in Tanzania and have begun outreach to Habitat and a Latino based Church, Chriso Rey/Faith Lutheran in Milwaukee. This is just a small sample of what has happened at VLC in our first year!