Our Mission: following where God is leading us.
A team of members developed a mission statement that was approved by the congregation at the January 1999 meeting. This is our mission of Gethsemane Lutheran Church:
"To draw all people to Christ, nurture faith, and fulfill our calling to serve."
Notice these key elements:
- we are centered in faith in Jesus Christ,
- we are to reach out to other people;
- we expect to grow in our faith; and
- each of us has a calling to serve, using our spiritual gifts for the sake of mission.
Our mission statement keeps leaders and various ministry teams in alignment with one another, because everything we do as the Church must be an expression of it.
Our Vision: seeing where God is leading us.
While the Mission names the content of our congregation's work, vision is the more specific direction, motivation, and energy to accomplish our mission. Pastor Nathan Sager's Vision for Gethsemane is as follows:
"Gethsemane Lutheran seeks to be a vibrant place
of worship, learning, and service,
where every person is passionate about
their belonging and their ministry."
- To be vibrant means that there is energy, excitement, and aliveness at Gethsemane.
- Worship is central to the Christian Faith.
- Learning means that we devote particular attention to growing and deepening in faith. Learning takes place as adults and usually in small groups.
- Service is what Christians do. Service equals ministry.
- Every person is involved, not just a core group. Every member of the congregation is worshiping, learning, and serving.
- Passionate about belonging and ministry means that people really care about being a part of this faith community and they commit their time and energy to ministry.