In 1803 Thomas Jefferson was able to complete the Louisiana Purchase, a massive amount of land that bordered on the newly formed United States to the West.
He chose two men, Captain Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, to lead the expedition. They were trusted men who had proven to be competent leaders, who knew how to put together teams that worked together and took care of each other.
Their goal was also to map the territory and bring back scientific reports.
The team of men they led on a two-year journey was called a “corps of discovery”. That team would go on an adventure for the ages! It was to be an expedition to explore up to the headwaters of the Missouri River and find a navigable water route to the Pacific Ocean.
They followed the path of a man who had made the journey to the Pacific Ocean 100 years before them. However, the notes from that expedition failed to mention one major obstacle they would need to overcome.
Lewis and Clark had to adapt their approach to their journey forward and lead off the map into new territory.
When the team reached the Lemhi Pass and crested the hill, they expected to find a gentle plain descending to the Pacific Ocean, and the Colombia River that would allow them to canoe downstream.
Instead, what they saw was the rugged snow-capped Rocky Mountains spanning as far as they could see.
It was at that moment that these explorers knew that they would not be able to Canoe the Mountains. So instead they traded their canoes for mountain climbing equipment, adapting their journey according to the mountains that they were facing.
As the church in 2020, we must also adapt our approach to reach this culture, living in this time, and be willing to do things differently for the sake of effectively building the kingdom.
Many churches today have dug their heels in, failed to adapt their methods and shrunk into obscurity. Other churches have decided to compromise truth from God’s Word and watered down the gospel which has rendered them anemic and irrelevant to the mission Jesus gave to us. There is always a danger to “coast” and stop using creativity and innovation to approach a world that is changing by the minute.
As Neighborhood Church leaders who have been seeking clearer vision for our church, we are receiving clarity as we move into our next 20 years.
We have been dreaming with God about new ways to reach people who don’t know Jesus and creative ways to help Christians grow in their walk with Him. It’s been so exciting to see God unfold the map in front of us. While parts of the map are clear, I am convinced that we are charting and mapping new territory that is “off the map.”
Some of the mountains we will need to climb on this journey include reaching people of all ages who don’t have any church background or knowledge of the Bible. Our culture is becoming more secular and post-Christian every day. We won’t be “calling prodigals back home” as Billy Graham did, but rather, we will be telling people about a church, a family of faith that is totally unknown.
As the church living in what some call a “post trust era,” we will have to live consistently in a fruitful and loving posture so that seekers will see Jesus in us and want what we have.
If we are going to reach the younger generation, the church must walk in the power of God and be unafraid to deal with “ghosts and haunted dwellings” (it’s just the demonic scaring people). We must be trained to help set people free from bondage that brings terrible recurring nightmares. There must be a holy boldness that rises up in the church to pray for the sick with the expectation that God will do what He says He will do.
We will walk by faith, not by sight.
Leading off the map is not for the faint of heart, and this next season will not be easy. Although we have clear vision, we will have to rely on Jesus to help us know the specific strategies to use in every season to enable us to keep moving forward.
As we try to describe the kind of church we are becoming, it has been helpful for the leadership team to come up with a BHAG… a Big, Hairy, Audacious, Goal. It helps to define a bit of our core identity.
Our 2020 BHAG
In the next 20 years, NCC will be recognized as a multi-generational, multi-ethnic and multi-site church family, reaching people through two full services in the Dome and a network of local churches. Our mission focus, both nationally and internationally, will include sending teams and offering connection through our online platform. We will passionately go after people who are totally unchurched, as well as those who have been hurt by the church in the past and are no longer attending anywhere.
As we continue our series entitled, 2020 Vision, you will continue to hear more about how we will begin to live out this vision for our future.
We believe this vision is big enough to take us to our 75th anniversary as a church in 2040. It will take the Lord’s provision and guidance as we lead off the map to get there. It’s big, and it’s audacious, but we want to believe God for more and partner with Him to change this world.
This is a vision worth giving my life for!
If you missed last weeks service 2020 Vision- Core Values, I encourage you to watch the video cast.
