BUILDING. BELONGING. BECOMING.
Values-Direction-Action (VDA): Moving Forward
from Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo + January 16, 2020
“You’re the witnesses. What comes next is very important:
I am sending what my Father promised to you,
so stay here in the city until he arrives,
until you’re equipped with power from on high.”
– Luke 24:49 (MSG)
I am sending what my Father promised to you,
so stay here in the city until he arrives,
until you’re equipped with power from on high.”
– Luke 24:49 (MSG)
It was a delight and a joy to be gathered in the Spirit last Sunday at the Annual Meeting on January 12!
After more than six months of conversations and prayerful discernment we now have a better understanding of the direction that the Lord is guiding us as a congregation.
Last Sunday (January 12) we all affirmed our commitment to embrace and carry out the short- and medium-term strategy proposed by the VDA Team to the congregation. In response to the call of the Lord Jesus, we are ready to engage in and invest in the implementation of the strategy. I encourage you to read the report (also available in print from the Trinity office).
The VDA process led us to identify the areas of focus and priorities for ministry during the year 2020.
Trinity's focus statement reflects the call to be a community that looks beyond itself yet rooted in the great commandments and the great commission: Loving God. Loving Everyone. Making Disciples.
Trinity is a congregation invested in:
After more than six months of conversations and prayerful discernment we now have a better understanding of the direction that the Lord is guiding us as a congregation.
Last Sunday (January 12) we all affirmed our commitment to embrace and carry out the short- and medium-term strategy proposed by the VDA Team to the congregation. In response to the call of the Lord Jesus, we are ready to engage in and invest in the implementation of the strategy. I encourage you to read the report (also available in print from the Trinity office).
The VDA process led us to identify the areas of focus and priorities for ministry during the year 2020.
Trinity's focus statement reflects the call to be a community that looks beyond itself yet rooted in the great commandments and the great commission: Loving God. Loving Everyone. Making Disciples.
Trinity is a congregation invested in:
Building up and joining in God’s mission as one
to nurture, love, and serve all.
Building. Belonging. Becoming.
to nurture, love, and serve all.
Building. Belonging. Becoming.
More than a list of items to accomplish, the strategy calls us for change of patterns and a fresh approach to be the church. The strategy will lead us to align the values (what is important), our narratives (the stories), and our behaviors so that all the ministries of the congregation align and steward their giftedness and energy toward a common and shared purpose which can be summarized as follows:
“Trinity is committed to building an environment
where people experience a deep sense of belonging
in relationship to God and people associated with the congregation,
with the result that they are supported on their journey
to becoming whole people of God (or all that God calls them to be).”
where people experience a deep sense of belonging
in relationship to God and people associated with the congregation,
with the result that they are supported on their journey
to becoming whole people of God (or all that God calls them to be).”
Based on the strong and faithful affirmation, the congregation through its leaders we will begin the implementation of the strategy. The initial steps include:
The VDA process is a journey which will continue evolving and unfolding. My hope is that as we continue developing action steps and pathways to align our ministries and unify our efforts, we will grow spiritually (depth), and we will grow in number of committed and transformed leaders/disciples who make disciples (breadth).
Let us celebrate and acknowledge the congregation’s commitment to the VDA process, which led Trinity to clarify values and priorities as we move forward participating in the unfolding reign of God.
Let’s pray for the courage, the will and the joy of joining God’s mission in this place.
- work with leaders of all the TLC ministry teams to integrate the focus statement and the tagline into the narrative of each ministry of the congregation,
- make the focus statement and tagline available and integrated into the narrative of the congregation,
- begin a pilot process of equipping people for ministry in existing ministries areas, and
- initiate the preparation of a profile of the congregation to call an associate pastor.
The VDA process is a journey which will continue evolving and unfolding. My hope is that as we continue developing action steps and pathways to align our ministries and unify our efforts, we will grow spiritually (depth), and we will grow in number of committed and transformed leaders/disciples who make disciples (breadth).
Let us celebrate and acknowledge the congregation’s commitment to the VDA process, which led Trinity to clarify values and priorities as we move forward participating in the unfolding reign of God.
Let’s pray for the courage, the will and the joy of joining God’s mission in this place.
- Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo
