What Does Our Vision Statement Mean?







The vision of the Ancaster CRC is:
"To Be a Spirit-Filled Community of Christ Centred Worship and Witness"


* "To Be":
i. Involves the understanding of process and that we are always involved in process. We will never fully be such a community, but we must always strive to become such a community. As Mother Goose has put it:

    "Good, Better, Best,
    Never take a rest,
    Until your good is better
    And your better best"
ii. This implies a certain sense of dissatisfaction with the status quo. That is not surprising because if there is no need, then that cancels out the requirement to articulate a vision. We are called, by God, not to walk away from opportunities and problems but rather to face them and find:
  • A way to describe the situation clearly and succinctly for all.
  • The drive to examine the various options and their strengths and weaknesses.
  • The courage to make a decision about the best option.
  • The resources to steadily implement that decision unless circumstances arising indicating that another option now supersedes the one currently being used.
  • Effective methodologies by which to evaluate and strengthen the actions that we have embarked upon.
iii. This implies that we have, or seek, the knowledge of the first steps that need to be taken and that we are committed to learning about, and implementing, the subsequent steps that will follow. In becoming what we are intended to be, we need always to be ready to return to learning.
Some one has put the reality behind change into the following formula:

    C=f [v x d x k (fs)] > pc
"Change is a function of [vision x dissatisfaction x knowledge of (the first steps)] that is equal to or greater than the perceived cost".
If any part of that formula is a zero then nothing happens, there is no change and without change, rooted in vision, people perish. Such perishing need not be physical, but it certainly is emotional and spiritual.


* "A Spirit-Filled Community":
i. The Bible is filled with statements of exultation, joy and even surprise at what God has done, is doing and will do. Basically, because of his gracious intervention, we respond to God as:
  • Father-The Creator
  • Son-Redeemer
  • Holy Spirit-Sanctifier.
 So our relationship is not rooted in events such as miracles but is embedded in the daily unfolding of his preservation and governance of the universe and also his provision of a Saviour and the impact of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
To be "Spirit Filled" we need to be a community of people who know God in a wonderful, relational fashion. We need to have more than some "knowledge of God" but "a personal relationship with God".


ii. This relationship with God needs to be growing (Eph.4)
  • Upward: We grow upward as we mature in our understanding of God.
  • Inward: We grow inward as we incorporate this knowledge into our own lives and come to a deeper knowledge of ourselves as image bearers of God, becoming more like Christ.
  • Outward: We grow outward in number as the message of the Gospel is Spread and God brings in the harvest.

* "Of Christ Centred Worship":
Because we have been redeemed by God the Father through Christ the Son and are empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are called to develop a style of worship that is:
i. Fully Engaged
  • We are called to worship the triune God "in Spirit and in Truth". This calls us to full engagement in both corporate and individual worship.

ii. Fully Engaging
  • While we worship as believers our worship must also be as intriguing and as winsome as possible to those who are seekers. It is a powerful and effective tool to encourage the faith of the committed and to challenge those who are not committed to consider Jesus.

iii. Corporate
  • Central to our gathered worship must be the ministry of:
    • The Word
    • The Sacraments
    • Prayer
    • Music and Song
    • Offerings
iv. Individual
  • Alongside of our gathered worship times, we are called to consciously honour God in all settings and to set aside personal times of worship and devotion.


* "And (Christ-centred) Witness":
We defined the church to be:
    "A community of people created by God the Father redeemed by Jesus and gathered and empowered by the Holy Spirit to zealously bring glory to God; in worship and work, in word and in witness until Christ, the King, comes again."

Central to our witness is a word and deed approach (James 2:17b) which necessitates:
1. A personal relationship with Jesus. (John 3) It is to know the story of salvation and to have appropriated it for ourselves.
2. A Kingdom focus which announces/declares/promotes the "Drama of Scripture": We apply the story of redemption in its widest possible dimension and engage in such kingdom endeavours as:
  • Christian agencies of support and intervention,
  • Christian residences for seniors,
  • The application of Christian principles to the fields of
    i. Agricultural,
    ii. Labour relations
    iii. Christ centered education, and so forth.
3. Verbal Witnessing: (Matt: 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15-16) We articulate the Drama of Scripture/Gospel as it intersects our personal journey in a relevant manner for our culture.
4. Diaconal Ministry: (Mk.9:41- cup of cold water) We perform acts of service in the name of Jesus so that God's Kingdom is advanced and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

Ancaster Christian Reformed Church
Last Updated on June 11, 2005