Venture Church Sermons

This powerful message takes us deep into the heart of the greatest commandment, examining what it truly means to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Through the moving account of Jesus at Lazarus's tomb in John 11, we discover that emotional maturity isn't about suppressing our feelings or reacting impulsively, but about responding appropriately with love at the center. Jesus wept at Lazarus's death even though He knew He was about to raise him from the dead. This wasn't weakness but profound emotional strength, entering into grief while remaining anchored in purpose. We're challenged to examine the difference between being a thermometer that merely reflects the emotional temperature of our surroundings versus being a thermostat that sets it through Christ-centered love. The message confronts us with diagnostic questions: What drives our emotional highs and lows? Do we love God first, or are we living for approval, comfort, or control? When pressed, do our emotions push us toward love or away from it? The cross becomes our ultimate picture of emotional strength, where Jesus chose love and forgiveness despite betrayal, abandonment, and agony. This isn't a call to perfection but to trajectory, inviting us to bring our reactive hearts to the Lord and allow Him to transform our emotional lives into instruments of grace rather than weapons of destruction.

What if the very thing we think we need to give up—our minds—is actually what God wants us to engage most fully? This powerful exploration of Romans 12:2 challenges us to understand that following Christ isn't about mindless conformity, but rather a radical transformation of how we think. We're invited to see the stark contrast between two paths: decomposing into the patterns of this broken world or undergoing a metamorphosis into something we could never imagine on our own. The imagery is striking—we can either become like a compost pile, a hot, decaying mass of nothingness, or like a caterpillar that surrenders to become a butterfly, soaring into purposes beyond comprehension. The battlefield of our minds is real, and two forces are vying for our attention: the enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy, and the Father who offers abundant life. This isn't about checking our intellect at the door of faith; it's about willfully choosing submission over passive conformity, about spiritual discernment over spiritual blindness, and about embracing the ongoing renewal that transforms us from the inside out. When we understand that loving God with our minds means actively engaging with His will—not just knowing it, but doing it—we step into the privileges of being His children, equipped with insight, discernment, and a purpose that transcends the temporary pursuits of this present age.

What if the very thing we think we need to give up—our minds—is actually what God wants us to engage most fully? This powerful exploration of Romans 12:2 challenges us to understand that following Christ isn't about mindless conformity, but rather a radical transformation of how we think. We're invited to see the stark contrast between two paths: decomposing into the patterns of this broken world or undergoing a metamorphosis into something we could never imagine on our own. The imagery is striking—we can either become like a compost pile, a hot, decaying mass of nothingness, or like a caterpillar that surrenders to become a butterfly, soaring into purposes beyond comprehension. The battlefield of our minds is real, and two forces are vying for our attention: the enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy, and the Father who offers abundant life. This isn't about checking our intellect at the door of faith; it's about willfully choosing submission over passive conformity, about spiritual discernment over spiritual blindness, and about embracing the ongoing renewal that transforms us from the inside out. When we understand that loving God with our minds means actively engaging with His will—not just knowing it, but doing it—we step into the privileges of being His children, equipped with insight, discernment, and a purpose that transcends the temporary pursuits of this present age.

At the heart of this message lies one of Scripture's most profound prayers—the Shema from Deuteronomy 6. We're invited to explore what it truly means to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and how this ancient command connects directly to our spiritual vitality today. The soul isn't just something we possess; it's the very essence of who we are—the breath of life that connects us to our Creator. When we understand that our soul is the target of the gospel and the component that links us eternally to God, everything changes. The message challenges us with a powerful framework for spiritual health, revealing how the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—naturally flows from a soul deeply rooted in God's Word. The compelling research shared demonstrates that engaging Scripture just four times per week creates transformative results: decreased anger, bitterness, and anxiety, alongside increased generosity, discipleship, and spiritual vitality. This isn't about religious duty or checking boxes; it's about abiding with the Father who breathed life into us. We're offered a practical pathway forward—a year-long journey through Scripture that promises genuine life change. The question becomes: are we ready to invest less than 20 minutes a day to let God's Word reshape our souls from the inside out?

At the heart of this message lies one of Scripture's most profound prayers—the Shema from Deuteronomy 6. We're invited to explore what it truly means to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and how this ancient command connects directly to our spiritual vitality today. The soul isn't just something we possess; it's the very essence of who we are—the breath of life that connects us to our Creator. When we understand that our soul is the target of the gospel and the component that links us eternally to God, everything changes. The message challenges us with a powerful framework for spiritual health, revealing how the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—naturally flows from a soul deeply rooted in God's Word. The compelling research shared demonstrates that engaging Scripture just four times per week creates transformative results: decreased anger, bitterness, and anxiety, alongside increased generosity, discipleship, and spiritual vitality. This isn't about religious duty or checking boxes; it's about abiding with the Father who breathed life into us. We're offered a practical pathway forward—a year-long journey through Scripture that promises genuine life change. The question becomes: are we ready to invest less than 20 minutes a day to let God's Word reshape our souls from the inside out?

Beginning in Deuteronomy and carried into the New Testament through the words of Jesus, we read time and again that, as servants of The God of the universe, we are to ‘love The Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.' A secondary command is given in both Testaments, that we are also to ‘love your neighbor as yourself.' This is called the ‘shema'. Love is indeed a verb. It's the action that sets us apart from the world around us and identifies us as followers of Jesus. Love is also an experience that we are blessed to know and enjoy because God has chosen to first love us. When we combine the command to love with the ways we are to love, we can create a series of checkpoints to help us identify where we are submitting to God's commands as well as some areas where we need to lean-in and pay closer attention to.

At the heart of this message lies a powerful truth: the Kingdom of God is unstoppable. Drawing from James 1, we're challenged to move beyond merely hearing God's Word to becoming doers who actively embody His Kingdom in our spheres of influence. The concept of 'Missio Dei'—the mission of God—reminds us that we are the ecclesia, chosen and marinated in Kingdom values, sent back into our communities to declare how beautiful it is to belong to God. Just as the early Roman ecclesia were citizens sent to spread Roman culture, we are Kingdom citizens commissioned to spread the culture of heaven. The mustard seed parable comes alive when we understand that it takes someone to plant that seed—to take what God has given us and throw it into our field, whether that's our workplace, our neighborhood, or even the other side of the world. The remarkable stories of transformation—from orphaned children finding hope to Roma communities encountering Jesus for the first time—demonstrate that when the Kingdom takes root, nothing can stop its growth. We're invited to ask ourselves: What is my field? Where has God planted me to spread His Kingdom? The answer to that question changes everything, because the Kingdom of God is mobile through us, transforming grocery stores, gas stations, and every place we step into sacred ground for Kingdom advancement.

This powerful message invites us into a transformative understanding of what it means to be the church—not just attend church, but to be the living, breathing body of Christ. Drawing from Ephesians 4:11-16, we're reminded that we are supernaturally linked together by God and locked together by our best efforts. Like the intricate gears of a watch, each of us has a specific place and purpose in the body of Christ. We're not a random collection of individuals, but a diverse community intentionally fitted together for kingdom work. The equation is simple yet profound: grace plus groundwork equals growth. We grow upward in our relationship with God, inward in spiritual maturity, and outward in mission—but the ultimate goal isn't numbers or attendance, it's building one another up in love. The SHAPE framework provides a roadmap for this journey: Serve with no strings attached, Hone our skills and character to become more like Christ, Activate into ministry rather than remaining passive, Push past the possible into the impossible-unless-God-shows-up territory, and Enjoy the ride as we glorify God. This isn't about religious duty; it's about discovering our chief end—to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, starting right now.

At the heart of this message lies a profound truth: we are not meant to walk this faith journey alone. Drawing from Ephesians 4, we discover that God has intentionally placed us within a body of believers—not as isolated individuals, but as interconnected members who need each other to become more like Christ. The concept of 'equipping' unfolds like a multifaceted jewel, revealing eight distinct dimensions: it's custom work tailored specifically for us, repairing work that mends our brokenness, rebuilding and completing work that fills in our gaps, strengthening work that makes us resilient, preparing work that readies us for what's ahead, restoring work that brings unity to relationships, and ultimately sanctifying work that transforms us into Christ's image. This isn't passive learning—it's active, intentional, relational ministry. We see this beautifully illustrated in the call of the first disciples who were literally mending their nets when Jesus called them, symbolizing how God takes what's broken and makes it stronger at the point of repair. The mission is clear: to mobilize ministry efforts that awaken the hearts of the helpless, hopeless, and spiritually homeless. These aren't labels of judgment but recognition that we've all been there—vulnerable, stuck, needing someone to be the light, to be the bridge, to be the church. As we step into this new year, we're reminded that our faith didn't begin with us and must not end with us. Every person around us represents a divine appointment, an opportunity to help someone take their next step with Jesus.

In a world that promises hope but rarely delivers, we're invited to discover the kind of hope that never fades—hope rooted in Jesus Christ. This message takes us through Romans 15:4-13, where we discover that hope isn't just a seasonal feeling but a daily reality that unifies us as believers. The Scripture reminds us that everything written in former days was given for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of God's Word, we might have hope. What makes this hope different from worldly optimism is its source: Jesus Christ, who serves as our fixed point in an ever-moving universe. Just as space travelers must make constant course corrections because nothing in space is stationary, we too need a fixed reference point for our lives. Christ provides that unchanging anchor, along with the instruction manual—Scripture—to help us make those necessary adjustments when we stray. The message powerfully illustrates how hope becomes contagious when we live in harmony with one another, unified by Christ. Like a choir singing in unison or a team executing a game plan together, we become most effective when we're all focused on the same goal. This isn't about agreeing on every opinion, but about being on the same page spiritually, reading from the same rulebook. When we achieve this unity, people are drawn to it like crowds gathering to hear music on the street. The enemy wants to isolate us, to make us withdraw and hide our struggles, but hope flourishes when we reach out to one another and build each other up in love.

In a world that constantly disappoints us with broken promises and empty assurances, we discover a profound truth from 2 Corinthians 1:3-11: our hope is not of this world. This message reminds us that true hope isn't found in financial security, political power, or human strength, but in a God who abundantly comforts us in our afflictions. The beautiful paradox we encounter is that God gives us more comfort than we need for ourselves because we're surrounded by others who desperately need that same hope. Like grapes crushed underfoot to make wine, we experience life's pressures and pain, yet God meets us in those moments with overflowing comfort. This isn't just about receiving help, it's about becoming hope-bearers to a hurting world. We learn that God never wastes our hurt; instead, He transforms our suffering into opportunities to comfort others. The deliverance God provided in the past guarantees His deliverance today and tomorrow. Our prayers matter in this divine equation, mysteriously participating in God's rescue work. As we embrace this calling, we realize we've been strategically placed among the helpless, hopeless, and spiritually homeless not by accident, but by divine appointment to shine His light into their darkness.

In Matthew 12:15-21, we encounter a profound paradox: the hope the world had been waiting 400 years for didn't arrive as expected. Instead of a conquering superhero-Messiah wielding political power, Jesus came as a servant-Messiah, whispering to those He healed not to make Him known. This wasn't weakness—it was strategic humility. Isaiah's prophecy reveals Jesus' heart: He won't break a bruised reed or snuff out a smoldering wick. What does this mean for us today? If we're feeling beaten down, overlooked, or like our flame is flickering out, Jesus sees us exactly where we are. He doesn't come to break us further but to mend us, to fan our dying embers back into flame. The audacity of God's plan is staggering—He didn't just come to save one nation but the entire cosmos. When we know Jesus, we know hope. When there is no Jesus, there is no hope. This Christmas season reminds us that hope isn't a concept we grasp; hope is a Person who grasps us. Jesus meets us in our helplessness, our hopelessness, our spiritual homelessness, and invites us into something greater than ourselves—a kingdom victory that's already won.

Looking at your life, do you ever wonder why you feel hopeless sometimes? Here's what I learned this morning: when you feel an absence of hope, it's not because you lack hope—that's just a symptom. It's because there's a lack of faith.Hopelessness always focuses inward. Hopefulness always focuses upward.We spent time in Romans 4 looking at Abraham's story. Here's a 100-year-old man with a 99-year-old wife who couldn't have children, yet God promised him descendants as numerous as the stars. And Abraham believed. Not because he ignored reality—he fully considered his worn-out body and his wife's barrenness. But he was unconvinced by the overwhelming reality around him.That's the kind of faith we need. The "but God" kind of faith.Hope isn't denying what's going on around us. Hope is surrendering the outcome by holding tightly to the promise. Abraham didn't weaken in faith when he looked at the impossible situation. Instead, he grew strong as he gave glory to God.Here's the secret to building your faith: praising God's name. When we worship, serve, give, and use our gifts for His glory, we become more aware of who HE is rather than who we aren't. And that changes everything.The best part? This hope is contagious. Abraham's faith wasn't just for him—it was for us too. We stand on the shoulders of giants because Abraham said yes to God.What impossible situation are you facing today? What reality is screaming at you that it can't be done? Maybe it's time for a "but God, I trust You" moment.Grace gives. Faith receives. And the promise we walk away with is the promise of hope.

What does it truly mean to have hope? This message challenges us to redefine hope not as wishful thinking or empty optimism, but as an absolute, certain confidence in our eternal salvation. Drawing from Romans 8:18-39, we're invited to understand that hope is the secret sauce holding everything together in our faith journey. The sermon walks us through five profound promises that hope offers: it promises us a person (the Holy Spirit who intercedes when we can't find words), purpose (refining us to look more like Jesus through life's difficulties), protection and proximity (nothing can separate us from God's love), perseverance (we are more than conquerors), and ultimately, love. We're reminded that the suffering of this present time is incomparable to the glory that awaits us. Hope isn't about pursuing happiness—it's about pursuing holiness, and in that pursuit, we find true joy. This message calls us to recognize that we don't generate hope on our own; it's a gift from our eternal Father. As we enter the holiday season with all its stress and complexity, we're encouraged to remember that God has allowed every circumstance in our lives to draw us closer to Him, not to punish us. Hope hinges on a promise—and God always keeps His promises.

Mission, Vision, Values, Culture To know who we are, we need to know where we're going.To know where we're going, we need to know what we're going to do to get there.To know what we're going to do to get there, we need to know who we're going to be doing it with. And to know who we're going to be doing it with, we need to know what we're doing. We need a clear understanding of our mission – given by Jesus Himself.We need a rallying vision – a picture of a preferred future that keeps us rooted in the mission.We need a known set of values – the things that we choose to high-center on that will hold us high-and-tight to our vision.We need a culture – an established code that defines the hills we're willing to die on that will drive our values, help us accomplish our vision, and will keep us on mission. We need a Firm Foundation. Mission >>> We are called to awaken the hearts of the hopeless, the helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' love for all people and His perfect plan for our lives. Hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritual homelessness present differently depending on where you are looking, but these three realities are the norm of the human condition. We have all been there. Some of us may be there now, experiencing a version of one or all three of these conditions. Regardless of our current situation, Jesus is always the answer. Jesus has sent The Spirit to be a Help. Jesus is the Hope of The World. And The Father sent Jesus to lay the foundation for how He desires a Spiritual Home – His Church – to be built. Bring Hope: Jesus is the Hope of the World and He has chosen His Church to be the vehicle He uses to bring hope to those who are at the end of their rope and don't know their next steps. Sometimes people just need a little hand-up to help them get back on their feet, and we are here to serve. Hope can be restored when real needs are met; and, when real needs are met, doors can open to real spiritual conversations about The Hope that Jesus provides. (Psalm 41:1-2) We exceed the need.  Be a Help: We are called to be a help to those who don't have the resources they need to thrive (James 1). Jesus promised His followers that He would send The Spirit to be a Help for His people (another Helper). When we walk with Jesus, we are guided by The Spirit, gifted by The Spirit, and empowered by The Spirit. And when the Spirit Guides, Gifts (1 Cor 12), and Empowers (Gal 5) it is always for building up and growing The Church and putting Jesus on display. When we step into these Good Works, we honor The Father in the process (Matthew 5).  We value the vulnerable.  Build a Family: We are called to be a safe space - a spiritual home - for those who need Jesus and a Church Family. The Church has been built to honor The Father. He sent Jesus to establish a new covenant with His people and to bring us into His flock. This is not easy work. And for this work to be accomplished in a God-honoring way, we must build families that are not only strong, but resilient. Families who consistently show-up. Families who serve out of an overflow. Families who give sacrificially and generously and radically. Families who bend, but don't break. Families who get back up again. Families with thick skin and soft hearts. Families who learn and grow and shine like Jesus. We build resilient families.  Multiply the Mission: We understand that it can't end with us. God has given each of us a part in this Body, and He desires for His Body to grow and multiply. As we respond to His call for His Church, we believe we will see a multiplication of ministry efforts that look and sound and feel like Venture. Ministry efforts that are born of our DNA and are committed to replicating it here, near, and far. This looks like localized ministry efforts. This looks like new-to-the-world Parachurch Organizations that see the need and meet it, find a hurt and heal it, see a problem and fix it. This looks like new church plants that take this beautiful Gospel far and wide. What we're doing is good, but it will never be enough. We need to take Jesus to more places. This will make Venture a John 14 Greater Works Church. We multiply the Mission.  Vision >>> Vision is aspiration – the picture we paint of a preferred future. The things God allows us to see as we follow Him more closely. In John 14, Jesus promised His disciples (including us!) that we would be equipped with the very presence of The Holy Spirit and, through Him, we would accomplish even Greater Works than what they saw Jesus Himself do. Later in the New Testament, James talks about these ‘works' as being the evidence of our faith and belief in Jesus. These ‘works' that Jesus and James talk about always extend towards and into the segments of our population that find themselves hopeless, helpless, and, very often, spiritually homeless. As we follow Christ more closely and become more aware of how we can work for His Glory, we want to be a Church that displays our love and devotion to Jesus by being a part of these Greater Works that He calls us to and equips us for. We are called to be a Greater Works Church. We have an enemy that prowls around, seeking to devour us – especially the weak and vulnerable. He steals, he kills, and he destroys. As we embrace and step-into the hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritually homelessness that surround us, we seek to create solutions to these problems that can't be stolen, killed, or destroyed.  Bring hope that can't be taken awayBe a help that brings lifeBuild a Family that can't be destroyedMultiply the Mission We will accomplish this by launching multiple interdependent ministry efforts across the metroplex, surrounding areas, and globally – each seeking to partner with and potentially even share space with like-minded and spiritually-aligned organizations that serve the needs of their local community. This presents solutions to multiple problems at once:1.    We serve our partnerships with their biggest need: volunteers and resources!2.    We sharpen our focus on the thing that that The Church is uniquely commissioned to: provide Peace and Hope for the soul!3.    We rally resources to meet the indigenous needs of each ministry effort's community4.    We redeem each community's specific needs, hurts, and problems into Greater Works opportunities Per our Elder Mandate and, as we develop practices for spiritual maturity and create environments for leadership development, we will build pathways to multiply ministry efforts. Develop healthy disciples / Cultivate leaders worth following / Build resilient families / Multiply the Mission We bring Hope / We are here to help / We build resilient families / We multiply the Mission  Values >>> Values are the things an organization hold in high-esteem – they are Values because they are valuable to us. Values are valuable because they drive culture up and down and left and right and in and out and all throughout the organization. Some of these Values and Culture pieces are actual, others are aspirational. And that's ok – we should always be on the path to valuing the things that make us more like Jesus.  We value deep roots … because in a world that doesn't stop changing, we need a firm foundationWe want Venture to be the church you can always call Home We value open hands … because it's how people can see the Jesus in us·      Jesus gave His life to love and serve and so will we We value movement … because we're all on the path to becoming more like Jesus·      It's ok to be where you are, but we believe God wants more for you We value true worship … because it aligns our heart and minds with The Father·      How we love, live, and lead should point people to Jesus We value the vulnerable … because everybody needs somebody to love them·      Jesus trusts the vulnerable to the care of His Church We value leaving a legacy of faith … because the next generation must not be the last generation·      We're here to help you take your next step with Jesus  Culture >>> Culture are the things that we do, say, and put into action that make us unique. Not better, simply unique. There has never been a Church like Venture because, as Jesus taught us, a Church is a Body. A living organism and, although most bodies have the same body parts, each part is unique to that particular body. Never before has this collection of Christ-followers been united to form this Body. And as unique as it is today, we desire it to be unique each day moving forward as The Lord adds new Members to His Body known as Venture Church. These cultural elements are hills worth dying on. When we protect the Culture, we protect our Values. When we protect our Values, we protect our Vision. And when we protect our Vision, we ensure that we stay true to our Mission – To awaken the hearts of the hopeless, helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' Love for us all and His perfect plan for our lives. 1: We are here to serveWe serve because it prioritizes our lives properlyNo strings attached·      See a need, meet the needIf something catches your attention it deserves your attentionSee a need and meet itFind a hurt and heal itFind a problem and fix it  2: What we do matters, but you matter moreWe don't sacrifice relationships on the altar of ministryPeople > TasksWe can use people to get ministry done, but we'd rather use ministry to get people done 3: We have a Heart for The HouseWe want Venture to be The Church you will always call Home 4: We have a Heart for The CitiesYou live where you live because God wants His Light to shine there 5: We are defiantly joyfulWe choose joy even when we don't feel like itWe are thermostats, not thermometers – we set the temp 6: We are all hands in, all hands openWe are outrageously generousWe give until it hurts and then we give some moreWe serve and we give because what we do together matters 7: We make it feel like homeWe turn an old grocery store into a HomeWe open the door and save you a seatThere's a seat at the table for youWe appreciate the privileges and embrace the responsibilities 8: We have eyes for the sunriseTomorrow > YesterdayUnderstand your part in the bigger pictureEyes for opportunityWe're not there yet 9: We Love the 99, AND go after the 1We seek to serve to hopeless, the helpless, and the spiritual homelessThe room is never full 10: We believe God can do itIf He's in it, He's going to do it – and we want Him to use us

Mission, Vision, Values, Culture To know who we are, we need to know where we're going.To know where we're going, we need to know what we're going to do to get there.To know what we're going to do to get there, we need to know who we're going to be doing it with. And to know who we're going to be doing it with, we need to know what we're doing. We need a clear understanding of our mission – given by Jesus Himself.We need a rallying vision – a picture of a preferred future that keeps us rooted in the mission.We need a known set of values – the things that we choose to high-center on that will hold us high-and-tight to our vision.We need a culture – an established code that defines the hills we're willing to die on that will drive our values, help us accomplish our vision, and will keep us on mission. We need a Firm Foundation. Mission >>> We are called to awaken the hearts of the hopeless, the helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' love for all people and His perfect plan for our lives. Hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritual homelessness present differently depending on where you are looking, but these three realities are the norm of the human condition. We have all been there. Some of us may be there now, experiencing a version of one or all three of these conditions. Regardless of our current situation, Jesus is always the answer. Jesus has sent The Spirit to be a Help. Jesus is the Hope of The World. And The Father sent Jesus to lay the foundation for how He desires a Spiritual Home – His Church – to be built. Bring Hope: Jesus is the Hope of the World and He has chosen His Church to be the vehicle He uses to bring hope to those who are at the end of their rope and don't know their next steps. Sometimes people just need a little hand-up to help them get back on their feet, and we are here to serve. Hope can be restored when real needs are met; and, when real needs are met, doors can open to real spiritual conversations about The Hope that Jesus provides. (Psalm 41:1-2) We exceed the need.  Be a Help: We are called to be a help to those who don't have the resources they need to thrive (James 1). Jesus promised His followers that He would send The Spirit to be a Help for His people (another Helper). When we walk with Jesus, we are guided by The Spirit, gifted by The Spirit, and empowered by The Spirit. And when the Spirit Guides, Gifts (1 Cor 12), and Empowers (Gal 5) it is always for building up and growing The Church and putting Jesus on display. When we step into these Good Works, we honor The Father in the process (Matthew 5).  We value the vulnerable.  Build a Family: We are called to be a safe space - a spiritual home - for those who need Jesus and a Church Family. The Church has been built to honor The Father. He sent Jesus to establish a new covenant with His people and to bring us into His flock. This is not easy work. And for this work to be accomplished in a God-honoring way, we must build families that are not only strong, but resilient. Families who consistently show-up. Families who serve out of an overflow. Families who give sacrificially and generously and radically. Families who bend, but don't break. Families who get back up again. Families with thick skin and soft hearts. Families who learn and grow and shine like Jesus. We build resilient families.  Multiply the Mission: We understand that it can't end with us. God has given each of us a part in this Body, and He desires for His Body to grow and multiply. As we respond to His call for His Church, we believe we will see a multiplication of ministry efforts that look and sound and feel like Venture. Ministry efforts that are born of our DNA and are committed to replicating it here, near, and far. This looks like localized ministry efforts. This looks like new-to-the-world Parachurch Organizations that see the need and meet it, find a hurt and heal it, see a problem and fix it. This looks like new church plants that take this beautiful Gospel far and wide. What we're doing is good, but it will never be enough. We need to take Jesus to more places. This will make Venture a John 14 Greater Works Church. We multiply the Mission.  Vision >>> Vision is aspiration – the picture we paint of a preferred future. The things God allows us to see as we follow Him more closely. In John 14, Jesus promised His disciples (including us!) that we would be equipped with the very presence of The Holy Spirit and, through Him, we would accomplish even Greater Works than what they saw Jesus Himself do. Later in the New Testament, James talks about these ‘works' as being the evidence of our faith and belief in Jesus. These ‘works' that Jesus and James talk about always extend towards and into the segments of our population that find themselves hopeless, helpless, and, very often, spiritually homeless. As we follow Christ more closely and become more aware of how we can work for His Glory, we want to be a Church that displays our love and devotion to Jesus by being a part of these Greater Works that He calls us to and equips us for. We are called to be a Greater Works Church. We have an enemy that prowls around, seeking to devour us – especially the weak and vulnerable. He steals, he kills, and he destroys. As we embrace and step-into the hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritually homelessness that surround us, we seek to create solutions to these problems that can't be stolen, killed, or destroyed.  Bring hope that can't be taken awayBe a help that brings lifeBuild a Family that can't be destroyedMultiply the Mission We will accomplish this by launching multiple interdependent ministry efforts across the metroplex, surrounding areas, and globally – each seeking to partner with and potentially even share space with like-minded and spiritually-aligned organizations that serve the needs of their local community. This presents solutions to multiple problems at once:1.    We serve our partnerships with their biggest need: volunteers and resources!2.    We sharpen our focus on the thing that that The Church is uniquely commissioned to: provide Peace and Hope for the soul!3.    We rally resources to meet the indigenous needs of each ministry effort's community4.    We redeem each community's specific needs, hurts, and problems into Greater Works opportunities Per our Elder Mandate and, as we develop practices for spiritual maturity and create environments for leadership development, we will build pathways to multiply ministry efforts. Develop healthy disciples / Cultivate leaders worth following / Build resilient families / Multiply the Mission We bring Hope / We are here to help / We build resilient families / We multiply the Mission  Values >>> Values are the things an organization hold in high-esteem – they are Values because they are valuable to us. Values are valuable because they drive culture up and down and left and right and in and out and all throughout the organization. Some of these Values and Culture pieces are actual, others are aspirational. And that's ok – we should always be on the path to valuing the things that make us more like Jesus.  We value deep roots … because in a world that doesn't stop changing, we need a firm foundationWe want Venture to be the church you can always call Home We value open hands … because it's how people can see the Jesus in us·      Jesus gave His life to love and serve and so will we We value movement … because we're all on the path to becoming more like Jesus·      It's ok to be where you are, but we believe God wants more for you We value true worship … because it aligns our heart and minds with The Father·      How we love, live, and lead should point people to Jesus We value the vulnerable … because everybody needs somebody to love them·      Jesus trusts the vulnerable to the care of His Church We value leaving a legacy of faith … because the next generation must not be the last generation·      We're here to help you take your next step with Jesus  Culture >>> Culture are the things that we do, say, and put into action that make us unique. Not better, simply unique. There has never been a Church like Venture because, as Jesus taught us, a Church is a Body. A living organism and, although most bodies have the same body parts, each part is unique to that particular body. Never before has this collection of Christ-followers been united to form this Body. And as unique as it is today, we desire it to be unique each day moving forward as The Lord adds new Members to His Body known as Venture Church. These cultural elements are hills worth dying on. When we protect the Culture, we protect our Values. When we protect our Values, we protect our Vision. And when we protect our Vision, we ensure that we stay true to our Mission – To awaken the hearts of the hopeless, helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' Love for us all and His perfect plan for our lives. 1: We are here to serveWe serve because it prioritizes our lives properlyNo strings attached·      See a need, meet the needIf something catches your attention it deserves your attentionSee a need and meet itFind a hurt and heal itFind a problem and fix it  2: What we do matters, but you matter moreWe don't sacrifice relationships on the altar of ministryPeople > TasksWe can use people to get ministry done, but we'd rather use ministry to get people done 3: We have a Heart for The HouseWe want Venture to be The Church you will always call Home 4: We have a Heart for The CitiesYou live where you live because God wants His Light to shine there 5: We are defiantly joyfulWe choose joy even when we don't feel like itWe are thermostats, not thermometers – we set the temp 6: We are all hands in, all hands openWe are outrageously generousWe give until it hurts and then we give some moreWe serve and we give because what we do together matters 7: We make it feel like homeWe turn an old grocery store into a HomeWe open the door and save you a seatThere's a seat at the table for youWe appreciate the privileges and embrace the responsibilities 8: We have eyes for the sunriseTomorrow > YesterdayUnderstand your part in the bigger pictureEyes for opportunityWe're not there yet 9: We Love the 99, AND go after the 1We seek to serve to hopeless, the helpless, and the spiritual homelessThe room is never full 10: We believe God can do itIf He's in it, He's going to do it – and we want Him to use us

Mission, Vision, Values, Culture To know who we are, we need to know where we're going.To know where we're going, we need to know what we're going to do to get there.To know what we're going to do to get there, we need to know who we're going to be doing it with. And to know who we're going to be doing it with, we need to know what we're doing. We need a clear understanding of our mission – given by Jesus Himself.We need a rallying vision – a picture of a preferred future that keeps us rooted in the mission.We need a known set of values – the things that we choose to high-center on that will hold us high-and-tight to our vision.We need a culture – an established code that defines the hills we're willing to die on that will drive our values, help us accomplish our vision, and will keep us on mission. We need a Firm Foundation. Mission >>> We are called to awaken the hearts of the hopeless, the helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' love for all people and His perfect plan for our lives. Hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritual homelessness present differently depending on where you are looking, but these three realities are the norm of the human condition. We have all been there. Some of us may be there now, experiencing a version of one or all three of these conditions. Regardless of our current situation, Jesus is always the answer. Jesus has sent The Spirit to be a Help. Jesus is the Hope of The World. And The Father sent Jesus to lay the foundation for how He desires a Spiritual Home – His Church – to be built. Bring Hope: Jesus is the Hope of the World and He has chosen His Church to be the vehicle He uses to bring hope to those who are at the end of their rope and don't know their next steps. Sometimes people just need a little hand-up to help them get back on their feet, and we are here to serve. Hope can be restored when real needs are met; and, when real needs are met, doors can open to real spiritual conversations about The Hope that Jesus provides. (Psalm 41:1-2) We exceed the need.  Be a Help: We are called to be a help to those who don't have the resources they need to thrive (James 1). Jesus promised His followers that He would send The Spirit to be a Help for His people (another Helper). When we walk with Jesus, we are guided by The Spirit, gifted by The Spirit, and empowered by The Spirit. And when the Spirit Guides, Gifts (1 Cor 12), and Empowers (Gal 5) it is always for building up and growing The Church and putting Jesus on display. When we step into these Good Works, we honor The Father in the process (Matthew 5).  We value the vulnerable.  Build a Family: We are called to be a safe space - a spiritual home - for those who need Jesus and a Church Family. The Church has been built to honor The Father. He sent Jesus to establish a new covenant with His people and to bring us into His flock. This is not easy work. And for this work to be accomplished in a God-honoring way, we must build families that are not only strong, but resilient. Families who consistently show-up. Families who serve out of an overflow. Families who give sacrificially and generously and radically. Families who bend, but don't break. Families who get back up again. Families with thick skin and soft hearts. Families who learn and grow and shine like Jesus. We build resilient families.  Multiply the Mission: We understand that it can't end with us. God has given each of us a part in this Body, and He desires for His Body to grow and multiply. As we respond to His call for His Church, we believe we will see a multiplication of ministry efforts that look and sound and feel like Venture. Ministry efforts that are born of our DNA and are committed to replicating it here, near, and far. This looks like localized ministry efforts. This looks like new-to-the-world Parachurch Organizations that see the need and meet it, find a hurt and heal it, see a problem and fix it. This looks like new church plants that take this beautiful Gospel far and wide. What we're doing is good, but it will never be enough. We need to take Jesus to more places. This will make Venture a John 14 Greater Works Church. We multiply the Mission.  Vision >>> Vision is aspiration – the picture we paint of a preferred future. The things God allows us to see as we follow Him more closely. In John 14, Jesus promised His disciples (including us!) that we would be equipped with the very presence of The Holy Spirit and, through Him, we would accomplish even Greater Works than what they saw Jesus Himself do. Later in the New Testament, James talks about these ‘works' as being the evidence of our faith and belief in Jesus. These ‘works' that Jesus and James talk about always extend towards and into the segments of our population that find themselves hopeless, helpless, and, very often, spiritually homeless. As we follow Christ more closely and become more aware of how we can work for His Glory, we want to be a Church that displays our love and devotion to Jesus by being a part of these Greater Works that He calls us to and equips us for. We are called to be a Greater Works Church. We have an enemy that prowls around, seeking to devour us – especially the weak and vulnerable. He steals, he kills, and he destroys. As we embrace and step-into the hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritually homelessness that surround us, we seek to create solutions to these problems that can't be stolen, killed, or destroyed.  Bring hope that can't be taken awayBe a help that brings lifeBuild a Family that can't be destroyedMultiply the Mission We will accomplish this by launching multiple interdependent ministry efforts across the metroplex, surrounding areas, and globally – each seeking to partner with and potentially even share space with like-minded and spiritually-aligned organizations that serve the needs of their local community. This presents solutions to multiple problems at once:1.    We serve our partnerships with their biggest need: volunteers and resources!2.    We sharpen our focus on the thing that that The Church is uniquely commissioned to: provide Peace and Hope for the soul!3.    We rally resources to meet the indigenous needs of each ministry effort's community4.    We redeem each community's specific needs, hurts, and problems into Greater Works opportunities Per our Elder Mandate and, as we develop practices for spiritual maturity and create environments for leadership development, we will build pathways to multiply ministry efforts. Develop healthy disciples / Cultivate leaders worth following / Build resilient families / Multiply the Mission We bring Hope / We are here to help / We build resilient families / We multiply the Mission  Values >>> Values are the things an organization hold in high-esteem – they are Values because they are valuable to us. Values are valuable because they drive culture up and down and left and right and in and out and all throughout the organization. Some of these Values and Culture pieces are actual, others are aspirational. And that's ok – we should always be on the path to valuing the things that make us more like Jesus.  We value deep roots … because in a world that doesn't stop changing, we need a firm foundationWe want Venture to be the church you can always call Home We value open hands … because it's how people can see the Jesus in us·      Jesus gave His life to love and serve and so will we We value movement … because we're all on the path to becoming more like Jesus·      It's ok to be where you are, but we believe God wants more for you We value true worship … because it aligns our heart and minds with The Father·      How we love, live, and lead should point people to Jesus We value the vulnerable … because everybody needs somebody to love them·      Jesus trusts the vulnerable to the care of His Church We value leaving a legacy of faith … because the next generation must not be the last generation·      We're here to help you take your next step with Jesus  Culture >>> Culture are the things that we do, say, and put into action that make us unique. Not better, simply unique. There has never been a Church like Venture because, as Jesus taught us, a Church is a Body. A living organism and, although most bodies have the same body parts, each part is unique to that particular body. Never before has this collection of Christ-followers been united to form this Body. And as unique as it is today, we desire it to be unique each day moving forward as The Lord adds new Members to His Body known as Venture Church. These cultural elements are hills worth dying on. When we protect the Culture, we protect our Values. When we protect our Values, we protect our Vision. And when we protect our Vision, we ensure that we stay true to our Mission – To awaken the hearts of the hopeless, helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' Love for us all and His perfect plan for our lives. 1: We are here to serveWe serve because it prioritizes our lives properlyNo strings attached·      See a need, meet the needIf something catches your attention it deserves your attentionSee a need and meet itFind a hurt and heal itFind a problem and fix it  2: What we do matters, but you matter moreWe don't sacrifice relationships on the altar of ministryPeople > TasksWe can use people to get ministry done, but we'd rather use ministry to get people done 3: We have a Heart for The HouseWe want Venture to be The Church you will always call Home 4: We have a Heart for The CitiesYou live where you live because God wants His Light to shine there 5: We are defiantly joyfulWe choose joy even when we don't feel like itWe are thermostats, not thermometers – we set the temp 6: We are all hands in, all hands openWe are outrageously generousWe give until it hurts and then we give some moreWe serve and we give because what we do together matters 7: We make it feel like homeWe turn an old grocery store into a HomeWe open the door and save you a seatThere's a seat at the table for youWe appreciate the privileges and embrace the responsibilities 8: We have eyes for the sunriseTomorrow > YesterdayUnderstand your part in the bigger pictureEyes for opportunityWe're not there yet 9: We Love the 99, AND go after the 1We seek to serve to hopeless, the helpless, and the spiritual homelessThe room is never full 10: We believe God can do itIf He's in it, He's going to do it – and we want Him to use us

Mission, Vision, Values, Culture To know who we are, we need to know where we're going.To know where we're going, we need to know what we're going to do to get there.To know what we're going to do to get there, we need to know who we're going to be doing it with. And to know who we're going to be doing it with, we need to know what we're doing. We need a clear understanding of our mission – given by Jesus Himself.We need a rallying vision – a picture of a preferred future that keeps us rooted in the mission.We need a known set of values – the things that we choose to high-center on that will hold us high-and-tight to our vision.We need a culture – an established code that defines the hills we're willing to die on that will drive our values, help us accomplish our vision, and will keep us on mission. We need a Firm Foundation. Mission >>> We are called to awaken the hearts of the hopeless, the helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' love for all people and His perfect plan for our lives. Hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritual homelessness present differently depending on where you are looking, but these three realities are the norm of the human condition. We have all been there. Some of us may be there now, experiencing a version of one or all three of these conditions. Regardless of our current situation, Jesus is always the answer. Jesus has sent The Spirit to be a Help. Jesus is the Hope of The World. And The Father sent Jesus to lay the foundation for how He desires a Spiritual Home – His Church – to be built. Bring Hope: Jesus is the Hope of the World and He has chosen His Church to be the vehicle He uses to bring hope to those who are at the end of their rope and don't know their next steps. Sometimes people just need a little hand-up to help them get back on their feet, and we are here to serve. Hope can be restored when real needs are met; and, when real needs are met, doors can open to real spiritual conversations about The Hope that Jesus provides. (Psalm 41:1-2) We exceed the need.  Be a Help: We are called to be a help to those who don't have the resources they need to thrive (James 1). Jesus promised His followers that He would send The Spirit to be a Help for His people (another Helper). When we walk with Jesus, we are guided by The Spirit, gifted by The Spirit, and empowered by The Spirit. And when the Spirit Guides, Gifts (1 Cor 12), and Empowers (Gal 5) it is always for building up and growing The Church and putting Jesus on display. When we step into these Good Works, we honor The Father in the process (Matthew 5).  We value the vulnerable.  Build a Family: We are called to be a safe space - a spiritual home - for those who need Jesus and a Church Family. The Church has been built to honor The Father. He sent Jesus to establish a new covenant with His people and to bring us into His flock. This is not easy work. And for this work to be accomplished in a God-honoring way, we must build families that are not only strong, but resilient. Families who consistently show-up. Families who serve out of an overflow. Families who give sacrificially and generously and radically. Families who bend, but don't break. Families who get back up again. Families with thick skin and soft hearts. Families who learn and grow and shine like Jesus. We build resilient families.  Multiply the Mission: We understand that it can't end with us. God has given each of us a part in this Body, and He desires for His Body to grow and multiply. As we respond to His call for His Church, we believe we will see a multiplication of ministry efforts that look and sound and feel like Venture. Ministry efforts that are born of our DNA and are committed to replicating it here, near, and far. This looks like localized ministry efforts. This looks like new-to-the-world Parachurch Organizations that see the need and meet it, find a hurt and heal it, see a problem and fix it. This looks like new church plants that take this beautiful Gospel far and wide. What we're doing is good, but it will never be enough. We need to take Jesus to more places. This will make Venture a John 14 Greater Works Church. We multiply the Mission.  Vision >>> Vision is aspiration – the picture we paint of a preferred future. The things God allows us to see as we follow Him more closely. In John 14, Jesus promised His disciples (including us!) that we would be equipped with the very presence of The Holy Spirit and, through Him, we would accomplish even Greater Works than what they saw Jesus Himself do. Later in the New Testament, James talks about these ‘works' as being the evidence of our faith and belief in Jesus. These ‘works' that Jesus and James talk about always extend towards and into the segments of our population that find themselves hopeless, helpless, and, very often, spiritually homeless. As we follow Christ more closely and become more aware of how we can work for His Glory, we want to be a Church that displays our love and devotion to Jesus by being a part of these Greater Works that He calls us to and equips us for. We are called to be a Greater Works Church. We have an enemy that prowls around, seeking to devour us – especially the weak and vulnerable. He steals, he kills, and he destroys. As we embrace and step-into the hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritually homelessness that surround us, we seek to create solutions to these problems that can't be stolen, killed, or destroyed.  Bring hope that can't be taken awayBe a help that brings lifeBuild a Family that can't be destroyedMultiply the Mission We will accomplish this by launching multiple interdependent ministry efforts across the metroplex, surrounding areas, and globally – each seeking to partner with and potentially even share space with like-minded and spiritually-aligned organizations that serve the needs of their local community. This presents solutions to multiple problems at once:1.    We serve our partnerships with their biggest need: volunteers and resources!2.    We sharpen our focus on the thing that that The Church is uniquely commissioned to: provide Peace and Hope for the soul!3.    We rally resources to meet the indigenous needs of each ministry effort's community4.    We redeem each community's specific needs, hurts, and problems into Greater Works opportunities Per our Elder Mandate and, as we develop practices for spiritual maturity and create environments for leadership development, we will build pathways to multiply ministry efforts. Develop healthy disciples / Cultivate leaders worth following / Build resilient families / Multiply the Mission We bring Hope / We are here to help / We build resilient families / We multiply the Mission  Values >>> Values are the things an organization hold in high-esteem – they are Values because they are valuable to us. Values are valuable because they drive culture up and down and left and right and in and out and all throughout the organization. Some of these Values and Culture pieces are actual, others are aspirational. And that's ok – we should always be on the path to valuing the things that make us more like Jesus.  We value deep roots … because in a world that doesn't stop changing, we need a firm foundationWe want Venture to be the church you can always call Home We value open hands … because it's how people can see the Jesus in us·      Jesus gave His life to love and serve and so will we We value movement … because we're all on the path to becoming more like Jesus·      It's ok to be where you are, but we believe God wants more for you We value true worship … because it aligns our heart and minds with The Father·      How we love, live, and lead should point people to Jesus We value the vulnerable … because everybody needs somebody to love them·      Jesus trusts the vulnerable to the care of His Church We value leaving a legacy of faith … because the next generation must not be the last generation·      We're here to help you take your next step with Jesus  Culture >>> Culture are the things that we do, say, and put into action that make us unique. Not better, simply unique. There has never been a Church like Venture because, as Jesus taught us, a Church is a Body. A living organism and, although most bodies have the same body parts, each part is unique to that particular body. Never before has this collection of Christ-followers been united to form this Body. And as unique as it is today, we desire it to be unique each day moving forward as The Lord adds new Members to His Body known as Venture Church. These cultural elements are hills worth dying on. When we protect the Culture, we protect our Values. When we protect our Values, we protect our Vision. And when we protect our Vision, we ensure that we stay true to our Mission – To awaken the hearts of the hopeless, helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' Love for us all and His perfect plan for our lives. 1: We are here to serveWe serve because it prioritizes our lives properlyNo strings attached·      See a need, meet the needIf something catches your attention it deserves your attentionSee a need and meet itFind a hurt and heal itFind a problem and fix it  2: What we do matters, but you matter moreWe don't sacrifice relationships on the altar of ministryPeople > TasksWe can use people to get ministry done, but we'd rather use ministry to get people done 3: We have a Heart for The HouseWe want Venture to be The Church you will always call Home 4: We have a Heart for The CitiesYou live where you live because God wants His Light to shine there 5: We are defiantly joyfulWe choose joy even when we don't feel like itWe are thermostats, not thermometers – we set the temp 6: We are all hands in, all hands openWe are outrageously generousWe give until it hurts and then we give some moreWe serve and we give because what we do together matters 7: We make it feel like homeWe turn an old grocery store into a HomeWe open the door and save you a seatThere's a seat at the table for youWe appreciate the privileges and embrace the responsibilities 8: We have eyes for the sunriseTomorrow > YesterdayUnderstand your part in the bigger pictureEyes for opportunityWe're not there yet 9: We Love the 99, AND go after the 1We seek to serve to hopeless, the helpless, and the spiritual homelessThe room is never full 10: We believe God can do itIf He's in it, He's going to do it – and we want Him to use us

Mission, Vision, Values, Culture To know who we are, we need to know where we're going.To know where we're going, we need to know what we're going to do to get there.To know what we're going to do to get there, we need to know who we're going to be doing it with. And to know who we're going to be doing it with, we need to know what we're doing. We need a clear understanding of our mission – given by Jesus Himself.We need a rallying vision – a picture of a preferred future that keeps us rooted in the mission.We need a known set of values – the things that we choose to high-center on that will hold us high-and-tight to our vision.We need a culture – an established code that defines the hills we're willing to die on that will drive our values, help us accomplish our vision, and will keep us on mission. We need a Firm Foundation. Mission >>> We are called to awaken the hearts of the hopeless, the helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' love for all people and His perfect plan for our lives. Hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritual homelessness present differently depending on where you are looking, but these three realities are the norm of the human condition. We have all been there. Some of us may be there now, experiencing a version of one or all three of these conditions. Regardless of our current situation, Jesus is always the answer. Jesus has sent The Spirit to be a Help. Jesus is the Hope of The World. And The Father sent Jesus to lay the foundation for how He desires a Spiritual Home – His Church – to be built. Bring Hope: Jesus is the Hope of the World and He has chosen His Church to be the vehicle He uses to bring hope to those who are at the end of their rope and don't know their next steps. Sometimes people just need a little hand-up to help them get back on their feet, and we are here to serve. Hope can be restored when real needs are met; and, when real needs are met, doors can open to real spiritual conversations about The Hope that Jesus provides. (Psalm 41:1-2) We exceed the need.  Be a Help: We are called to be a help to those who don't have the resources they need to thrive (James 1). Jesus promised His followers that He would send The Spirit to be a Help for His people (another Helper). When we walk with Jesus, we are guided by The Spirit, gifted by The Spirit, and empowered by The Spirit. And when the Spirit Guides, Gifts (1 Cor 12), and Empowers (Gal 5) it is always for building up and growing The Church and putting Jesus on display. When we step into these Good Works, we honor The Father in the process (Matthew 5).  We value the vulnerable.  Build a Family: We are called to be a safe space - a spiritual home - for those who need Jesus and a Church Family. The Church has been built to honor The Father. He sent Jesus to establish a new covenant with His people and to bring us into His flock. This is not easy work. And for this work to be accomplished in a God-honoring way, we must build families that are not only strong, but resilient. Families who consistently show-up. Families who serve out of an overflow. Families who give sacrificially and generously and radically. Families who bend, but don't break. Families who get back up again. Families with thick skin and soft hearts. Families who learn and grow and shine like Jesus. We build resilient families.  Multiply the Mission: We understand that it can't end with us. God has given each of us a part in this Body, and He desires for His Body to grow and multiply. As we respond to His call for His Church, we believe we will see a multiplication of ministry efforts that look and sound and feel like Venture. Ministry efforts that are born of our DNA and are committed to replicating it here, near, and far. This looks like localized ministry efforts. This looks like new-to-the-world Parachurch Organizations that see the need and meet it, find a hurt and heal it, see a problem and fix it. This looks like new church plants that take this beautiful Gospel far and wide. What we're doing is good, but it will never be enough. We need to take Jesus to more places. This will make Venture a John 14 Greater Works Church. We multiply the Mission.  Vision >>> Vision is aspiration – the picture we paint of a preferred future. The things God allows us to see as we follow Him more closely. In John 14, Jesus promised His disciples (including us!) that we would be equipped with the very presence of The Holy Spirit and, through Him, we would accomplish even Greater Works than what they saw Jesus Himself do. Later in the New Testament, James talks about these ‘works' as being the evidence of our faith and belief in Jesus. These ‘works' that Jesus and James talk about always extend towards and into the segments of our population that find themselves hopeless, helpless, and, very often, spiritually homeless. As we follow Christ more closely and become more aware of how we can work for His Glory, we want to be a Church that displays our love and devotion to Jesus by being a part of these Greater Works that He calls us to and equips us for. We are called to be a Greater Works Church. We have an enemy that prowls around, seeking to devour us – especially the weak and vulnerable. He steals, he kills, and he destroys. As we embrace and step-into the hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritually homelessness that surround us, we seek to create solutions to these problems that can't be stolen, killed, or destroyed.  Bring hope that can't be taken awayBe a help that brings lifeBuild a Family that can't be destroyedMultiply the Mission We will accomplish this by launching multiple interdependent ministry efforts across the metroplex, surrounding areas, and globally – each seeking to partner with and potentially even share space with like-minded and spiritually-aligned organizations that serve the needs of their local community. This presents solutions to multiple problems at once:1.    We serve our partnerships with their biggest need: volunteers and resources!2.    We sharpen our focus on the thing that that The Church is uniquely commissioned to: provide Peace and Hope for the soul!3.    We rally resources to meet the indigenous needs of each ministry effort's community4.    We redeem each community's specific needs, hurts, and problems into Greater Works opportunities Per our Elder Mandate and, as we develop practices for spiritual maturity and create environments for leadership development, we will build pathways to multiply ministry efforts. Develop healthy disciples / Cultivate leaders worth following / Build resilient families / Multiply the Mission We bring Hope / We are here to help / We build resilient families / We multiply the Mission  Values >>> Values are the things an organization hold in high-esteem – they are Values because they are valuable to us. Values are valuable because they drive culture up and down and left and right and in and out and all throughout the organization. Some of these Values and Culture pieces are actual, others are aspirational. And that's ok – we should always be on the path to valuing the things that make us more like Jesus.  We value deep roots … because in a world that doesn't stop changing, we need a firm foundationWe want Venture to be the church you can always call Home We value open hands … because it's how people can see the Jesus in us·      Jesus gave His life to love and serve and so will we We value movement … because we're all on the path to becoming more like Jesus·      It's ok to be where you are, but we believe God wants more for you We value true worship … because it aligns our heart and minds with The Father·      How we love, live, and lead should point people to Jesus We value the vulnerable … because everybody needs somebody to love them·      Jesus trusts the vulnerable to the care of His Church We value leaving a legacy of faith … because the next generation must not be the last generation·      We're here to help you take your next step with Jesus  Culture >>> Culture are the things that we do, say, and put into action that make us unique. Not better, simply unique. There has never been a Church like Venture because, as Jesus taught us, a Church is a Body. A living organism and, although most bodies have the same body parts, each part is unique to that particular body. Never before has this collection of Christ-followers been united to form this Body. And as unique as it is today, we desire it to be unique each day moving forward as The Lord adds new Members to His Body known as Venture Church. These cultural elements are hills worth dying on. When we protect the Culture, we protect our Values. When we protect our Values, we protect our Vision. And when we protect our Vision, we ensure that we stay true to our Mission – To awaken the hearts of the hopeless, helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' Love for us all and His perfect plan for our lives. 1: We are here to serveWe serve because it prioritizes our lives properlyNo strings attached·      See a need, meet the needIf something catches your attention it deserves your attentionSee a need and meet itFind a hurt and heal itFind a problem and fix it  2: What we do matters, but you matter moreWe don't sacrifice relationships on the altar of ministryPeople > TasksWe can use people to get ministry done, but we'd rather use ministry to get people done 3: We have a Heart for The HouseWe want Venture to be The Church you will always call Home 4: We have a Heart for The CitiesYou live where you live because God wants His Light to shine there 5: We are defiantly joyfulWe choose joy even when we don't feel like itWe are thermostats, not thermometers – we set the temp 6: We are all hands in, all hands openWe are outrageously generousWe give until it hurts and then we give some moreWe serve and we give because what we do together matters 7: We make it feel like homeWe turn an old grocery store into a HomeWe open the door and save you a seatThere's a seat at the table for youWe appreciate the privileges and embrace the responsibilities 8: We have eyes for the sunriseTomorrow > YesterdayUnderstand your part in the bigger pictureEyes for opportunityWe're not there yet 9: We Love the 99, AND go after the 1We seek to serve to hopeless, the helpless, and the spiritual homelessThe room is never full 10: We believe God can do itIf He's in it, He's going to do it – and we want Him to use us

Mission, Vision, Values, Culture To know who we are, we need to know where we're going.To know where we're going, we need to know what we're going to do to get there.To know what we're going to do to get there, we need to know who we're going to be doing it with. And to know who we're going to be doing it with, we need to know what we're doing. We need a clear understanding of our mission – given by Jesus Himself.We need a rallying vision – a picture of a preferred future that keeps us rooted in the mission.We need a known set of values – the things that we choose to high-center on that will hold us high-and-tight to our vision.We need a culture – an established code that defines the hills we're willing to die on that will drive our values, help us accomplish our vision, and will keep us on mission. We need a Firm Foundation. Mission >>> We are called to awaken the hearts of the hopeless, the helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' love for all people and His perfect plan for our lives. Hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritual homelessness present differently depending on where you are looking, but these three realities are the norm of the human condition. We have all been there. Some of us may be there now, experiencing a version of one or all three of these conditions. Regardless of our current situation, Jesus is always the answer. Jesus has sent The Spirit to be a Help. Jesus is the Hope of The World. And The Father sent Jesus to lay the foundation for how He desires a Spiritual Home – His Church – to be built. Bring Hope: Jesus is the Hope of the World and He has chosen His Church to be the vehicle He uses to bring hope to those who are at the end of their rope and don't know their next steps. Sometimes people just need a little hand-up to help them get back on their feet, and we are here to serve. Hope can be restored when real needs are met; and, when real needs are met, doors can open to real spiritual conversations about The Hope that Jesus provides. (Psalm 41:1-2) We exceed the need.  Be a Help: We are called to be a help to those who don't have the resources they need to thrive (James 1). Jesus promised His followers that He would send The Spirit to be a Help for His people (another Helper). When we walk with Jesus, we are guided by The Spirit, gifted by The Spirit, and empowered by The Spirit. And when the Spirit Guides, Gifts (1 Cor 12), and Empowers (Gal 5) it is always for building up and growing The Church and putting Jesus on display. When we step into these Good Works, we honor The Father in the process (Matthew 5).  We value the vulnerable.  Build a Family: We are called to be a safe space - a spiritual home - for those who need Jesus and a Church Family. The Church has been built to honor The Father. He sent Jesus to establish a new covenant with His people and to bring us into His flock. This is not easy work. And for this work to be accomplished in a God-honoring way, we must build families that are not only strong, but resilient. Families who consistently show-up. Families who serve out of an overflow. Families who give sacrificially and generously and radically. Families who bend, but don't break. Families who get back up again. Families with thick skin and soft hearts. Families who learn and grow and shine like Jesus. We build resilient families.  Multiply the Mission: We understand that it can't end with us. God has given each of us a part in this Body, and He desires for His Body to grow and multiply. As we respond to His call for His Church, we believe we will see a multiplication of ministry efforts that look and sound and feel like Venture. Ministry efforts that are born of our DNA and are committed to replicating it here, near, and far. This looks like localized ministry efforts. This looks like new-to-the-world Parachurch Organizations that see the need and meet it, find a hurt and heal it, see a problem and fix it. This looks like new church plants that take this beautiful Gospel far and wide. What we're doing is good, but it will never be enough. We need to take Jesus to more places. This will make Venture a John 14 Greater Works Church. We multiply the Mission.  Vision >>> Vision is aspiration – the picture we paint of a preferred future. The things God allows us to see as we follow Him more closely. In John 14, Jesus promised His disciples (including us!) that we would be equipped with the very presence of The Holy Spirit and, through Him, we would accomplish even Greater Works than what they saw Jesus Himself do. Later in the New Testament, James talks about these ‘works' as being the evidence of our faith and belief in Jesus. These ‘works' that Jesus and James talk about always extend towards and into the segments of our population that find themselves hopeless, helpless, and, very often, spiritually homeless. As we follow Christ more closely and become more aware of how we can work for His Glory, we want to be a Church that displays our love and devotion to Jesus by being a part of these Greater Works that He calls us to and equips us for. We are called to be a Greater Works Church. We have an enemy that prowls around, seeking to devour us – especially the weak and vulnerable. He steals, he kills, and he destroys. As we embrace and step-into the hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritually homelessness that surround us, we seek to create solutions to these problems that can't be stolen, killed, or destroyed.  Bring hope that can't be taken awayBe a help that brings lifeBuild a Family that can't be destroyedMultiply the Mission We will accomplish this by launching multiple interdependent ministry efforts across the metroplex, surrounding areas, and globally – each seeking to partner with and potentially even share space with like-minded and spiritually-aligned organizations that serve the needs of their local community. This presents solutions to multiple problems at once:1.    We serve our partnerships with their biggest need: volunteers and resources!2.    We sharpen our focus on the thing that that The Church is uniquely commissioned to: provide Peace and Hope for the soul!3.    We rally resources to meet the indigenous needs of each ministry effort's community4.    We redeem each community's specific needs, hurts, and problems into Greater Works opportunities Per our Elder Mandate and, as we develop practices for spiritual maturity and create environments for leadership development, we will build pathways to multiply ministry efforts. Develop healthy disciples / Cultivate leaders worth following / Build resilient families / Multiply the Mission We bring Hope / We are here to help / We build resilient families / We multiply the Mission  Values >>> Values are the things an organization hold in high-esteem – they are Values because they are valuable to us. Values are valuable because they drive culture up and down and left and right and in and out and all throughout the organization. Some of these Values and Culture pieces are actual, others are aspirational. And that's ok – we should always be on the path to valuing the things that make us more like Jesus.  We value deep roots … because in a world that doesn't stop changing, we need a firm foundationWe want Venture to be the church you can always call Home We value open hands … because it's how people can see the Jesus in us·      Jesus gave His life to love and serve and so will we We value movement … because we're all on the path to becoming more like Jesus·      It's ok to be where you are, but we believe God wants more for you We value true worship … because it aligns our heart and minds with The Father·      How we love, live, and lead should point people to Jesus We value the vulnerable … because everybody needs somebody to love them·      Jesus trusts the vulnerable to the care of His Church We value leaving a legacy of faith … because the next generation must not be the last generation·      We're here to help you take your next step with Jesus  Culture >>> Culture are the things that we do, say, and put into action that make us unique. Not better, simply unique. There has never been a Church like Venture because, as Jesus taught us, a Church is a Body. A living organism and, although most bodies have the same body parts, each part is unique to that particular body. Never before has this collection of Christ-followers been united to form this Body. And as unique as it is today, we desire it to be unique each day moving forward as The Lord adds new Members to His Body known as Venture Church. These cultural elements are hills worth dying on. When we protect the Culture, we protect our Values. When we protect our Values, we protect our Vision. And when we protect our Vision, we ensure that we stay true to our Mission – To awaken the hearts of the hopeless, helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' Love for us all and His perfect plan for our lives. 1: We are here to serveWe serve because it prioritizes our lives properlyNo strings attached·      See a need, meet the needIf something catches your attention it deserves your attentionSee a need and meet itFind a hurt and heal itFind a problem and fix it  2: What we do matters, but you matter moreWe don't sacrifice relationships on the altar of ministryPeople > TasksWe can use people to get ministry done, but we'd rather use ministry to get people done 3: We have a Heart for The HouseWe want Venture to be The Church you will always call Home 4: We have a Heart for The CitiesYou live where you live because God wants His Light to shine there 5: We are defiantly joyfulWe choose joy even when we don't feel like itWe are thermostats, not thermometers – we set the temp 6: We are all hands in, all hands openWe are outrageously generousWe give until it hurts and then we give some moreWe serve and we give because what we do together matters 7: We make it feel like homeWe turn an old grocery store into a HomeWe open the door and save you a seatThere's a seat at the table for youWe appreciate the privileges and embrace the responsibilities 8: We have eyes for the sunriseTomorrow > YesterdayUnderstand your part in the bigger pictureEyes for opportunityWe're not there yet 9: We Love the 99, AND go after the 1We seek to serve to hopeless, the helpless, and the spiritual homelessThe room is never full 10: We believe God can do itIf He's in it, He's going to do it – and we want Him to use us

Mission, Vision, Values, Culture To know who we are, we need to know where we're going.To know where we're going, we need to know what we're going to do to get there.To know what we're going to do to get there, we need to know who we're going to be doing it with. And to know who we're going to be doing it with, we need to know what we're doing. We need a clear understanding of our mission – given by Jesus Himself.We need a rallying vision – a picture of a preferred future that keeps us rooted in the mission.We need a known set of values – the things that we choose to high-center on that will hold us high-and-tight to our vision.We need a culture – an established code that defines the hills we're willing to die on that will drive our values, help us accomplish our vision, and will keep us on mission. We need a Firm Foundation. Mission >>> We are called to awaken the hearts of the hopeless, the helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' love for all people and His perfect plan for our lives. Hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritual homelessness present differently depending on where you are looking, but these three realities are the norm of the human condition. We have all been there. Some of us may be there now, experiencing a version of one or all three of these conditions. Regardless of our current situation, Jesus is always the answer. Jesus has sent The Spirit to be a Help. Jesus is the Hope of The World. And The Father sent Jesus to lay the foundation for how He desires a Spiritual Home – His Church – to be built. Bring Hope: Jesus is the Hope of the World and He has chosen His Church to be the vehicle He uses to bring hope to those who are at the end of their rope and don't know their next steps. Sometimes people just need a little hand-up to help them get back on their feet, and we are here to serve. Hope can be restored when real needs are met; and, when real needs are met, doors can open to real spiritual conversations about The Hope that Jesus provides. (Psalm 41:1-2) We exceed the need.  Be a Help: We are called to be a help to those who don't have the resources they need to thrive (James 1). Jesus promised His followers that He would send The Spirit to be a Help for His people (another Helper). When we walk with Jesus, we are guided by The Spirit, gifted by The Spirit, and empowered by The Spirit. And when the Spirit Guides, Gifts (1 Cor 12), and Empowers (Gal 5) it is always for building up and growing The Church and putting Jesus on display. When we step into these Good Works, we honor The Father in the process (Matthew 5).  We value the vulnerable.  Build a Family: We are called to be a safe space - a spiritual home - for those who need Jesus and a Church Family. The Church has been built to honor The Father. He sent Jesus to establish a new covenant with His people and to bring us into His flock. This is not easy work. And for this work to be accomplished in a God-honoring way, we must build families that are not only strong, but resilient. Families who consistently show-up. Families who serve out of an overflow. Families who give sacrificially and generously and radically. Families who bend, but don't break. Families who get back up again. Families with thick skin and soft hearts. Families who learn and grow and shine like Jesus. We build resilient families.  Multiply the Mission: We understand that it can't end with us. God has given each of us a part in this Body, and He desires for His Body to grow and multiply. As we respond to His call for His Church, we believe we will see a multiplication of ministry efforts that look and sound and feel like Venture. Ministry efforts that are born of our DNA and are committed to replicating it here, near, and far. This looks like localized ministry efforts. This looks like new-to-the-world Parachurch Organizations that see the need and meet it, find a hurt and heal it, see a problem and fix it. This looks like new church plants that take this beautiful Gospel far and wide. What we're doing is good, but it will never be enough. We need to take Jesus to more places. This will make Venture a John 14 Greater Works Church. We multiply the Mission.  Vision >>> Vision is aspiration – the picture we paint of a preferred future. The things God allows us to see as we follow Him more closely. In John 14, Jesus promised His disciples (including us!) that we would be equipped with the very presence of The Holy Spirit and, through Him, we would accomplish even Greater Works than what they saw Jesus Himself do. Later in the New Testament, James talks about these ‘works' as being the evidence of our faith and belief in Jesus. These ‘works' that Jesus and James talk about always extend towards and into the segments of our population that find themselves hopeless, helpless, and, very often, spiritually homeless. As we follow Christ more closely and become more aware of how we can work for His Glory, we want to be a Church that displays our love and devotion to Jesus by being a part of these Greater Works that He calls us to and equips us for. We are called to be a Greater Works Church. We have an enemy that prowls around, seeking to devour us – especially the weak and vulnerable. He steals, he kills, and he destroys. As we embrace and step-into the hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritually homelessness that surround us, we seek to create solutions to these problems that can't be stolen, killed, or destroyed.  Bring hope that can't be taken awayBe a help that brings lifeBuild a Family that can't be destroyedMultiply the Mission We will accomplish this by launching multiple interdependent ministry efforts across the metroplex, surrounding areas, and globally – each seeking to partner with and potentially even share space with like-minded and spiritually-aligned organizations that serve the needs of their local community. This presents solutions to multiple problems at once:1.    We serve our partnerships with their biggest need: volunteers and resources!2.    We sharpen our focus on the thing that that The Church is uniquely commissioned to: provide Peace and Hope for the soul!3.    We rally resources to meet the indigenous needs of each ministry effort's community4.    We redeem each community's specific needs, hurts, and problems into Greater Works opportunities Per our Elder Mandate and, as we develop practices for spiritual maturity and create environments for leadership development, we will build pathways to multiply ministry efforts. Develop healthy disciples / Cultivate leaders worth following / Build resilient families / Multiply the Mission We bring Hope / We are here to help / We build resilient families / We multiply the Mission  Values >>> Values are the things an organization hold in high-esteem – they are Values because they are valuable to us. Values are valuable because they drive culture up and down and left and right and in and out and all throughout the organization. Some of these Values and Culture pieces are actual, others are aspirational. And that's ok – we should always be on the path to valuing the things that make us more like Jesus.  We value deep roots … because in a world that doesn't stop changing, we need a firm foundationWe want Venture to be the church you can always call Home We value open hands … because it's how people can see the Jesus in us·      Jesus gave His life to love and serve and so will we We value movement … because we're all on the path to becoming more like Jesus·      It's ok to be where you are, but we believe God wants more for you We value true worship … because it aligns our heart and minds with The Father·      How we love, live, and lead should point people to Jesus We value the vulnerable … because everybody needs somebody to love them·      Jesus trusts the vulnerable to the care of His Church We value leaving a legacy of faith … because the next generation must not be the last generation·      We're here to help you take your next step with Jesus  Culture >>> Culture are the things that we do, say, and put into action that make us unique. Not better, simply unique. There has never been a Church like Venture because, as Jesus taught us, a Church is a Body. A living organism and, although most bodies have the same body parts, each part is unique to that particular body. Never before has this collection of Christ-followers been united to form this Body. And as unique as it is today, we desire it to be unique each day moving forward as The Lord adds new Members to His Body known as Venture Church. These cultural elements are hills worth dying on. When we protect the Culture, we protect our Values. When we protect our Values, we protect our Vision. And when we protect our Vision, we ensure that we stay true to our Mission – To awaken the hearts of the hopeless, helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' Love for us all and His perfect plan for our lives. 1: We are here to serveWe serve because it prioritizes our lives properlyNo strings attached·      See a need, meet the needIf something catches your attention it deserves your attentionSee a need and meet itFind a hurt and heal itFind a problem and fix it  2: What we do matters, but you matter moreWe don't sacrifice relationships on the altar of ministryPeople > TasksWe can use people to get ministry done, but we'd rather use ministry to get people done 3: We have a Heart for The HouseWe want Venture to be The Church you will always call Home 4: We have a Heart for The CitiesYou live where you live because God wants His Light to shine there 5: We are defiantly joyfulWe choose joy even when we don't feel like itWe are thermostats, not thermometers – we set the temp 6: We are all hands in, all hands openWe are outrageously generousWe give until it hurts and then we give some moreWe serve and we give because what we do together matters 7: We make it feel like homeWe turn an old grocery store into a HomeWe open the door and save you a seatThere's a seat at the table for youWe appreciate the privileges and embrace the responsibilities 8: We have eyes for the sunriseTomorrow > YesterdayUnderstand your part in the bigger pictureEyes for opportunityWe're not there yet 9: We Love the 99, AND go after the 1We seek to serve to hopeless, the helpless, and the spiritual homelessThe room is never full 10: We believe God can do itIf He's in it, He's going to do it – and we want Him to use us

Mission, Vision, Values, Culture To know who we are, we need to know where we're going.To know where we're going, we need to know what we're going to do to get there.To know what we're going to do to get there, we need to know who we're going to be doing it with. And to know who we're going to be doing it with, we need to know what we're doing. We need a clear understanding of our mission – given by Jesus Himself.We need a rallying vision – a picture of a preferred future that keeps us rooted in the mission.We need a known set of values – the things that we choose to high-center on that will hold us high-and-tight to our vision.We need a culture – an established code that defines the hills we're willing to die on that will drive our values, help us accomplish our vision, and will keep us on mission. We need a Firm Foundation. Mission >>> We are called to awaken the hearts of the hopeless, the helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' love for all people and His perfect plan for our lives. Hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritual homelessness present differently depending on where you are looking, but these three realities are the norm of the human condition. We have all been there. Some of us may be there now, experiencing a version of one or all three of these conditions. Regardless of our current situation, Jesus is always the answer. Jesus has sent The Spirit to be a Help. Jesus is the Hope of The World. And The Father sent Jesus to lay the foundation for how He desires a Spiritual Home – His Church – to be built. Bring Hope: Jesus is the Hope of the World and He has chosen His Church to be the vehicle He uses to bring hope to those who are at the end of their rope and don't know their next steps. Sometimes people just need a little hand-up to help them get back on their feet, and we are here to serve. Hope can be restored when real needs are met; and, when real needs are met, doors can open to real spiritual conversations about The Hope that Jesus provides. (Psalm 41:1-2) We exceed the need.  Be a Help: We are called to be a help to those who don't have the resources they need to thrive (James 1). Jesus promised His followers that He would send The Spirit to be a Help for His people (another Helper). When we walk with Jesus, we are guided by The Spirit, gifted by The Spirit, and empowered by The Spirit. And when the Spirit Guides, Gifts (1 Cor 12), and Empowers (Gal 5) it is always for building up and growing The Church and putting Jesus on display. When we step into these Good Works, we honor The Father in the process (Matthew 5).  We value the vulnerable.  Build a Family: We are called to be a safe space - a spiritual home - for those who need Jesus and a Church Family. The Church has been built to honor The Father. He sent Jesus to establish a new covenant with His people and to bring us into His flock. This is not easy work. And for this work to be accomplished in a God-honoring way, we must build families that are not only strong, but resilient. Families who consistently show-up. Families who serve out of an overflow. Families who give sacrificially and generously and radically. Families who bend, but don't break. Families who get back up again. Families with thick skin and soft hearts. Families who learn and grow and shine like Jesus. We build resilient families.  Multiply the Mission: We understand that it can't end with us. God has given each of us a part in this Body, and He desires for His Body to grow and multiply. As we respond to His call for His Church, we believe we will see a multiplication of ministry efforts that look and sound and feel like Venture. Ministry efforts that are born of our DNA and are committed to replicating it here, near, and far. This looks like localized ministry efforts. This looks like new-to-the-world Parachurch Organizations that see the need and meet it, find a hurt and heal it, see a problem and fix it. This looks like new church plants that take this beautiful Gospel far and wide. What we're doing is good, but it will never be enough. We need to take Jesus to more places. This will make Venture a John 14 Greater Works Church. We multiply the Mission.  Vision >>> Vision is aspiration – the picture we paint of a preferred future. The things God allows us to see as we follow Him more closely. In John 14, Jesus promised His disciples (including us!) that we would be equipped with the very presence of The Holy Spirit and, through Him, we would accomplish even Greater Works than what they saw Jesus Himself do. Later in the New Testament, James talks about these ‘works' as being the evidence of our faith and belief in Jesus. These ‘works' that Jesus and James talk about always extend towards and into the segments of our population that find themselves hopeless, helpless, and, very often, spiritually homeless. As we follow Christ more closely and become more aware of how we can work for His Glory, we want to be a Church that displays our love and devotion to Jesus by being a part of these Greater Works that He calls us to and equips us for. We are called to be a Greater Works Church. We have an enemy that prowls around, seeking to devour us – especially the weak and vulnerable. He steals, he kills, and he destroys. As we embrace and step-into the hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritually homelessness that surround us, we seek to create solutions to these problems that can't be stolen, killed, or destroyed.  Bring hope that can't be taken awayBe a help that brings lifeBuild a Family that can't be destroyedMultiply the Mission We will accomplish this by launching multiple interdependent ministry efforts across the metroplex, surrounding areas, and globally – each seeking to partner with and potentially even share space with like-minded and spiritually-aligned organizations that serve the needs of their local community. This presents solutions to multiple problems at once:1.    We serve our partnerships with their biggest need: volunteers and resources!2.    We sharpen our focus on the thing that that The Church is uniquely commissioned to: provide Peace and Hope for the soul!3.    We rally resources to meet the indigenous needs of each ministry effort's community4.    We redeem each community's specific needs, hurts, and problems into Greater Works opportunities Per our Elder Mandate and, as we develop practices for spiritual maturity and create environments for leadership development, we will build pathways to multiply ministry efforts. Develop healthy disciples / Cultivate leaders worth following / Build resilient families / Multiply the Mission We bring Hope / We are here to help / We build resilient families / We multiply the Mission  Values >>> Values are the things an organization hold in high-esteem – they are Values because they are valuable to us. Values are valuable because they drive culture up and down and left and right and in and out and all throughout the organization. Some of these Values and Culture pieces are actual, others are aspirational. And that's ok – we should always be on the path to valuing the things that make us more like Jesus.  We value deep roots … because in a world that doesn't stop changing, we need a firm foundationWe want Venture to be the church you can always call Home We value open hands … because it's how people can see the Jesus in us·      Jesus gave His life to love and serve and so will we We value movement … because we're all on the path to becoming more like Jesus·      It's ok to be where you are, but we believe God wants more for you We value true worship … because it aligns our heart and minds with The Father·      How we love, live, and lead should point people to Jesus We value the vulnerable … because everybody needs somebody to love them·      Jesus trusts the vulnerable to the care of His Church We value leaving a legacy of faith … because the next generation must not be the last generation·      We're here to help you take your next step with Jesus  Culture >>> Culture are the things that we do, say, and put into action that make us unique. Not better, simply unique. There has never been a Church like Venture because, as Jesus taught us, a Church is a Body. A living organism and, although most bodies have the same body parts, each part is unique to that particular body. Never before has this collection of Christ-followers been united to form this Body. And as unique as it is today, we desire it to be unique each day moving forward as The Lord adds new Members to His Body known as Venture Church. These cultural elements are hills worth dying on. When we protect the Culture, we protect our Values. When we protect our Values, we protect our Vision. And when we protect our Vision, we ensure that we stay true to our Mission – To awaken the hearts of the hopeless, helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' Love for us all and His perfect plan for our lives. 1: We are here to serveWe serve because it prioritizes our lives properlyNo strings attached·      See a need, meet the needIf something catches your attention it deserves your attentionSee a need and meet itFind a hurt and heal itFind a problem and fix it  2: What we do matters, but you matter moreWe don't sacrifice relationships on the altar of ministryPeople > TasksWe can use people to get ministry done, but we'd rather use ministry to get people done 3: We have a Heart for The HouseWe want Venture to be The Church you will always call Home 4: We have a Heart for The CitiesYou live where you live because God wants His Light to shine there 5: We are defiantly joyfulWe choose joy even when we don't feel like itWe are thermostats, not thermometers – we set the temp 6: We are all hands in, all hands openWe are outrageously generousWe give until it hurts and then we give some moreWe serve and we give because what we do together matters 7: We make it feel like homeWe turn an old grocery store into a HomeWe open the door and save you a seatThere's a seat at the table for youWe appreciate the privileges and embrace the responsibilities 8: We have eyes for the sunriseTomorrow > YesterdayUnderstand your part in the bigger pictureEyes for opportunityWe're not there yet 9: We Love the 99, AND go after the 1We seek to serve to hopeless, the helpless, and the spiritual homelessThe room is never full 10: We believe God can do itIf He's in it, He's going to do it – and we want Him to use us

Mission, Vision, Values, Culture To know who we are, we need to know where we're going.To know where we're going, we need to know what we're going to do to get there.To know what we're going to do to get there, we need to know who we're going to be doing it with. And to know who we're going to be doing it with, we need to know what we're doing. We need a clear understanding of our mission – given by Jesus Himself.We need a rallying vision – a picture of a preferred future that keeps us rooted in the mission.We need a known set of values – the things that we choose to high-center on that will hold us high-and-tight to our vision.We need a culture – an established code that defines the hills we're willing to die on that will drive our values, help us accomplish our vision, and will keep us on mission. We need a Firm Foundation. Mission >>> We are called to awaken the hearts of the hopeless, the helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' love for all people and His perfect plan for our lives. Hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritual homelessness present differently depending on where you are looking, but these three realities are the norm of the human condition. We have all been there. Some of us may be there now, experiencing a version of one or all three of these conditions. Regardless of our current situation, Jesus is always the answer. Jesus has sent The Spirit to be a Help. Jesus is the Hope of The World. And The Father sent Jesus to lay the foundation for how He desires a Spiritual Home – His Church – to be built. Bring Hope: Jesus is the Hope of the World and He has chosen His Church to be the vehicle He uses to bring hope to those who are at the end of their rope and don't know their next steps. Sometimes people just need a little hand-up to help them get back on their feet, and we are here to serve. Hope can be restored when real needs are met; and, when real needs are met, doors can open to real spiritual conversations about The Hope that Jesus provides. (Psalm 41:1-2) We exceed the need.  Be a Help: We are called to be a help to those who don't have the resources they need to thrive (James 1). Jesus promised His followers that He would send The Spirit to be a Help for His people (another Helper). When we walk with Jesus, we are guided by The Spirit, gifted by The Spirit, and empowered by The Spirit. And when the Spirit Guides, Gifts (1 Cor 12), and Empowers (Gal 5) it is always for building up and growing The Church and putting Jesus on display. When we step into these Good Works, we honor The Father in the process (Matthew 5).  We value the vulnerable.  Build a Family: We are called to be a safe space - a spiritual home - for those who need Jesus and a Church Family. The Church has been built to honor The Father. He sent Jesus to establish a new covenant with His people and to bring us into His flock. This is not easy work. And for this work to be accomplished in a God-honoring way, we must build families that are not only strong, but resilient. Families who consistently show-up. Families who serve out of an overflow. Families who give sacrificially and generously and radically. Families who bend, but don't break. Families who get back up again. Families with thick skin and soft hearts. Families who learn and grow and shine like Jesus. We build resilient families.  Multiply the Mission: We understand that it can't end with us. God has given each of us a part in this Body, and He desires for His Body to grow and multiply. As we respond to His call for His Church, we believe we will see a multiplication of ministry efforts that look and sound and feel like Venture. Ministry efforts that are born of our DNA and are committed to replicating it here, near, and far. This looks like localized ministry efforts. This looks like new-to-the-world Parachurch Organizations that see the need and meet it, find a hurt and heal it, see a problem and fix it. This looks like new church plants that take this beautiful Gospel far and wide. What we're doing is good, but it will never be enough. We need to take Jesus to more places. This will make Venture a John 14 Greater Works Church. We multiply the Mission.  Vision >>> Vision is aspiration – the picture we paint of a preferred future. The things God allows us to see as we follow Him more closely. In John 14, Jesus promised His disciples (including us!) that we would be equipped with the very presence of The Holy Spirit and, through Him, we would accomplish even Greater Works than what they saw Jesus Himself do. Later in the New Testament, James talks about these ‘works' as being the evidence of our faith and belief in Jesus. These ‘works' that Jesus and James talk about always extend towards and into the segments of our population that find themselves hopeless, helpless, and, very often, spiritually homeless. As we follow Christ more closely and become more aware of how we can work for His Glory, we want to be a Church that displays our love and devotion to Jesus by being a part of these Greater Works that He calls us to and equips us for. We are called to be a Greater Works Church. We have an enemy that prowls around, seeking to devour us – especially the weak and vulnerable. He steals, he kills, and he destroys. As we embrace and step-into the hopelessness, helplessness, and spiritually homelessness that surround us, we seek to create solutions to these problems that can't be stolen, killed, or destroyed.  Bring hope that can't be taken awayBe a help that brings lifeBuild a Family that can't be destroyedMultiply the Mission We will accomplish this by launching multiple interdependent ministry efforts across the metroplex, surrounding areas, and globally – each seeking to partner with and potentially even share space with like-minded and spiritually-aligned organizations that serve the needs of their local community. This presents solutions to multiple problems at once:1.    We serve our partnerships with their biggest need: volunteers and resources!2.    We sharpen our focus on the thing that that The Church is uniquely commissioned to: provide Peace and Hope for the soul!3.    We rally resources to meet the indigenous needs of each ministry effort's community4.    We redeem each community's specific needs, hurts, and problems into Greater Works opportunities Per our Elder Mandate and, as we develop practices for spiritual maturity and create environments for leadership development, we will build pathways to multiply ministry efforts. Develop healthy disciples / Cultivate leaders worth following / Build resilient families / Multiply the Mission We bring Hope / We are here to help / We build resilient families / We multiply the Mission  Values >>> Values are the things an organization hold in high-esteem – they are Values because they are valuable to us. Values are valuable because they drive culture up and down and left and right and in and out and all throughout the organization. Some of these Values and Culture pieces are actual, others are aspirational. And that's ok – we should always be on the path to valuing the things that make us more like Jesus.  We value deep roots … because in a world that doesn't stop changing, we need a firm foundationWe want Venture to be the church you can always call Home We value open hands … because it's how people can see the Jesus in us·      Jesus gave His life to love and serve and so will we We value movement … because we're all on the path to becoming more like Jesus·      It's ok to be where you are, but we believe God wants more for you We value true worship … because it aligns our heart and minds with The Father·      How we love, live, and lead should point people to Jesus We value the vulnerable … because everybody needs somebody to love them·      Jesus trusts the vulnerable to the care of His Church We value leaving a legacy of faith … because the next generation must not be the last generation·      We're here to help you take your next step with Jesus  Culture >>> Culture are the things that we do, say, and put into action that make us unique. Not better, simply unique. There has never been a Church like Venture because, as Jesus taught us, a Church is a Body. A living organism and, although most bodies have the same body parts, each part is unique to that particular body. Never before has this collection of Christ-followers been united to form this Body. And as unique as it is today, we desire it to be unique each day moving forward as The Lord adds new Members to His Body known as Venture Church. These cultural elements are hills worth dying on. When we protect the Culture, we protect our Values. When we protect our Values, we protect our Vision. And when we protect our Vision, we ensure that we stay true to our Mission – To awaken the hearts of the hopeless, helpless, and spiritually homeless to the reality of Jesus' Love for us all and His perfect plan for our lives. 1: We are here to serveWe serve because it prioritizes our lives properlyNo strings attached·      See a need, meet the needIf something catches your attention it deserves your attentionSee a need and meet itFind a hurt and heal itFind a problem and fix it  2: What we do matters, but you matter moreWe don't sacrifice relationships on the altar of ministryPeople > TasksWe can use people to get ministry done, but we'd rather use ministry to get people done 3: We have a Heart for The HouseWe want Venture to be The Church you will always call Home 4: We have a Heart for The CitiesYou live where you live because God wants His Light to shine there 5: We are defiantly joyfulWe choose joy even when we don't feel like itWe are thermostats, not thermometers – we set the temp 6: We are all hands in, all hands openWe are outrageously generousWe give until it hurts and then we give some moreWe serve and we give because what we do together matters 7: We make it feel like homeWe turn an old grocery store into a HomeWe open the door and save you a seatThere's a seat at the table for youWe appreciate the privileges and embrace the responsibilities 8: We have eyes for the sunriseTomorrow > YesterdayUnderstand your part in the bigger pictureEyes for opportunityWe're not there yet 9: We Love the 99, AND go after the 1We seek to serve to hopeless, the helpless, and the spiritual homelessThe room is never full 10: We believe God can do itIf He's in it, He's going to do it – and we want Him to use us

God is a good giver. Our Father is the ultimate example of The One who gives and gives and gives. All of creation was breathed into existence with such precision so as to create the exact environment that we need to even exist. And so life itself is a precious gift. The air He made to fill the lungs He designed. The water that sustains. The food that nourishes. All gifts given by our God who is a really good giver. God also gives Good. The things He gives are only Good. Creation. Salvation. His Church. Hope. Second chances. Peace. Love. Purpose. People. In fact, the only things He withholds from us are things we would all consider really bad – His wrath and judgment and justice and punishment. And even in those things, and because He is such a good giver of Good things, He made a way around all of the things we truly deserve and He has given us the Goodness of His Son for our salvation. He gives Good. The challenge, though, comes when we turn the good gifts into little g gods. We mismanage and misuse and abuse our time. We tend to worship the people who are really good at what they do. We are drawn to idolize stuff – homes, cars, clothes, jobs, comfort, toys – and the dollar bills that provide them for us. We are tempted to trivialize relationships and exploit them for our benefit, turning people into a product. These goods have been misused, abused, and damaged by so many for so long. But what if we didn't? What if we did it differently?What if we held the good gifts our good God has given us loosely? With wide open hands and a heart that chooses to worship our good God WITH the good gifts He's given us?What if we began to realize that God doesn't so much want things FROM us as much as He wants things FOR us? God desires His good gifts to be used for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. And it should start here.

God is a good giver. Our Father is the ultimate example of The One who gives and gives and gives. All of creation was breathed into existence with such precision so as to create the exact environment that we need to even exist. And so life itself is a precious gift. The air He made to fill the lungs He designed. The water that sustains. The food that nourishes. All gifts given by our God who is a really good giver. God also gives Good. The things He gives are only Good. Creation. Salvation. His Church. Hope. Second chances. Peace. Love. Purpose. People. In fact, the only things He withholds from us are things we would all consider really bad – His wrath and judgment and justice and punishment. And even in those things, and because He is such a good giver of Good things, He made a way around all of the things we truly deserve and He has given us the Goodness of His Son for our salvation. He gives Good. The challenge, though, comes when we turn the good gifts into little g gods. We mismanage and misuse and abuse our time. We tend to worship the people who are really good at what they do. We are drawn to idolize stuff – homes, cars, clothes, jobs, comfort, toys – and the dollar bills that provide them for us. We are tempted to trivialize relationships and exploit them for our benefit, turning people into a product. These goods have been misused, abused, and damaged by so many for so long. But what if we didn't? What if we did it differently?What if we held the good gifts our good God has given us loosely? With wide open hands and a heart that chooses to worship our good God WITH the good gifts He's given us?What if we began to realize that God doesn't so much want things FROM us as much as He wants things FOR us? God desires His good gifts to be used for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. And it should start here.

Once we witness the Jesus who changes everything...well...everything changes. And we are a part of the everything that has changed. The rest of our lives become a to - be - written document or, better yet, a to - be - painted canvas that begins to tell our story of belief.  And while salvation is offered as a free gift, a life lived believing and following will literally cost us everything. This is the cost of discipleship.  Too often, we relegate discipleship to a catch phrase or a Bible study or steps to be taken with a Christ-following friend. These are surely components of discipleship, but at the root of discipleship is a person learning to live their life and shift their behaviors based on a series of beliefs that stem from the teachings and actions of Jesus. Discipleship is committed to becoming more like Jesus; a commitment that, Jesus says, will cost us everything.  He demands it to be so.The ‘becoming more' part of the commitment is central to our understanding of discipleship because nobody ever arrives at becoming Jesus; there is only One. He is The One who calls us, saves us, equips us with His Spirit, and therefore enables us to pursue this kind of life. The life of a disciple. And, as a disciple, it is commanded to us that we show others how to live life as a disciple as well – this is the discipling part of discipleship. And unending action that we are commanded to commit to.As we learn the ropes of discipleship, we must commit to learning together. That's how Jesus did it. 1x1. 1x3. 1x12. Interpersonal and interdependent relationships are key to this lifelong lifestyle of discipleship. And it's one of the best parts about being in The Family of God. Sometimes we get to witness Him together, but we will always get to believe Him together.

Once we witness the Jesus who changes everything...well...everything changes. And we are a part of the everything that has changed. The rest of our lives become a to - be - written document or, better yet, a to - be - painted canvas that begins to tell our story of belief.  And while salvation is offered as a free gift, a life lived believing and following will literally cost us everything. This is the cost of discipleship.  Too often, we relegate discipleship to a catch phrase or a Bible study or steps to be taken with a Christ-following friend. These are surely components of discipleship, but at the root of discipleship is a person learning to live their life and shift their behaviors based on a series of beliefs that stem from the teachings and actions of Jesus. Discipleship is committed to becoming more like Jesus; a commitment that, Jesus says, will cost us everything.  He demands it to be so.The ‘becoming more' part of the commitment is central to our understanding of discipleship because nobody ever arrives at becoming Jesus; there is only One. He is The One who calls us, saves us, equips us with His Spirit, and therefore enables us to pursue this kind of life. The life of a disciple. And, as a disciple, it is commanded to us that we show others how to live life as a disciple as well – this is the discipling part of discipleship. And unending action that we are commanded to commit to.As we learn the ropes of discipleship, we must commit to learning together. That's how Jesus did it. 1x1. 1x3. 1x12. Interpersonal and interdependent relationships are key to this lifelong lifestyle of discipleship. And it's one of the best parts about being in The Family of God. Sometimes we get to witness Him together, but we will always get to believe Him together.

Once we witness the Jesus who changes everything...well...everything changes. And we are a part of the everything that has changed. The rest of our lives become a to - be - written document or, better yet, a to - be - painted canvas that begins to tell our story of belief.  And while salvation is offered as a free gift, a life lived believing and following will literally cost us everything. This is the cost of discipleship.  Too often, we relegate discipleship to a catch phrase or a Bible study or steps to be taken with a Christ-following friend. These are surely components of discipleship, but at the root of discipleship is a person learning to live their life and shift their behaviors based on a series of beliefs that stem from the teachings and actions of Jesus. Discipleship is committed to becoming more like Jesus; a commitment that, Jesus says, will cost us everything.  He demands it to be so.The ‘becoming more' part of the commitment is central to our understanding of discipleship because nobody ever arrives at becoming Jesus; there is only One. He is The One who calls us, saves us, equips us with His Spirit, and therefore enables us to pursue this kind of life. The life of a disciple. And, as a disciple, it is commanded to us that we show others how to live life as a disciple as well – this is the discipling part of discipleship. And unending action that we are commanded to commit to.As we learn the ropes of discipleship, we must commit to learning together. That's how Jesus did it. 1x1. 1x3. 1x12. Interpersonal and interdependent relationships are key to this lifelong lifestyle of discipleship. And it's one of the best parts about being in The Family of God. Sometimes we get to witness Him together, but we will always get to believe Him together.

Once we witness the Jesus who changes everything...well...everything changes. And we are a part of the everything that has changed. The rest of our lives become a to - be - written document or, better yet, a to - be - painted canvas that begins to tell our story of belief.  And while salvation is offered as a free gift, a life lived believing and following will literally cost us everything. This is the cost of discipleship.  Too often, we relegate discipleship to a catch phrase or a Bible study or steps to be taken with a Christ-following friend. These are surely components of discipleship, but at the root of discipleship is a person learning to live their life and shift their behaviors based on a series of beliefs that stem from the teachings and actions of Jesus. Discipleship is committed to becoming more like Jesus; a commitment that, Jesus says, will cost us everything.  He demands it to be so.The ‘becoming more' part of the commitment is central to our understanding of discipleship because nobody ever arrives at becoming Jesus; there is only One. He is The One who calls us, saves us, equips us with His Spirit, and therefore enables us to pursue this kind of life. The life of a disciple. And, as a disciple, it is commanded to us that we show others how to live life as a disciple as well – this is the discipling part of discipleship. And unending action that we are commanded to commit to.As we learn the ropes of discipleship, we must commit to learning together. That's how Jesus did it. 1x1. 1x3. 1x12. Interpersonal and interdependent relationships are key to this lifelong lifestyle of discipleship. And it's one of the best parts about being in The Family of God. Sometimes we get to witness Him together, but we will always get to believe Him together.

The moment we begin to see Jesus as more than just another literary character or just another prophet or just another historical figure or just another name in a book full of names... the moment we begin to see Jesus as who He says He is, everything changes. Jesus is God and, because God is Love, Jesus is Love. Jesus is Lord over sin. Jesus is Savior. Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus is The One who offers you a second chance. Jesus is The Guide by your side that will never leave you and will never forsake you.Jesus is all of these things and so much more. Which is why an iWitness encounter with Jesus will always demand a response. All throughout Scripture we read story after story of real encounters that real people had with the real Jesus.Some questioned while others sought answers.Some begged while others gave.Some listened while others mocked.Some beat Him while others loved him.Some tempted Him while others stood up for Him.Some fought for Him while others betrayed Him.Some followed while others walked away.Regardless of their response, they all had a real encounter. They saw Jesus and heard Jesus. They witnessed Him.  As His Church, as real people who have encountered the real Jesus, we are called and commanded to take our iWitness experiences to the mountaintops. To tell and re-tell of our life-changing, soul-saving experience with our Lord and Savior Jesus. With 5 Simple Truths & Open Hands we can embrace our responsibility and our opportunity to be a part of His cosmic plan to restore humanity to Himself...because an iWitness encounter with Jesus will always demand a response.

The moment we begin to see Jesus as more than just another literary character or just another prophet or just another historical figure or just another name in a book full of names... the moment we begin to see Jesus as who He says He is, everything changes. Jesus is God and, because God is Love, Jesus is Love. Jesus is Lord over sin. Jesus is Savior. Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus is The One who offers you a second chance. Jesus is The Guide by your side that will never leave you and will never forsake you.Jesus is all of these things and so much more. Which is why an iWitness encounter with Jesus will always demand a response. All throughout Scripture we read story after story of real encounters that real people had with the real Jesus.Some questioned while others sought answers.Some begged while others gave.Some listened while others mocked.Some beat Him while others loved him.Some tempted Him while others stood up for Him.Some fought for Him while others betrayed Him.Some followed while others walked away.Regardless of their response, they all had a real encounter. They saw Jesus and heard Jesus. They witnessed Him.  As His Church, as real people who have encountered the real Jesus, we are called and commanded to take our iWitness experiences to the mountaintops. To tell and re-tell of our life-changing, soul-saving experience with our Lord and Savior Jesus. With 5 Simple Truths & Open Hands we can embrace our responsibility and our opportunity to be a part of His cosmic plan to restore humanity to Himself...because an iWitness encounter with Jesus will always demand a response.

The moment we begin to see Jesus as more than just another literary character or just another prophet or just another historical figure or just another name in a book full of names... the moment we begin to see Jesus as who He says He is, everything changes. Jesus is God and, because God is Love, Jesus is Love. Jesus is Lord over sin. Jesus is Savior. Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus is The One who offers you a second chance. Jesus is The Guide by your side that will never leave you and will never forsake you.Jesus is all of these things and so much more. Which is why an iWitness encounter with Jesus will always demand a response. All throughout Scripture we read story after story of real encounters that real people had with the real Jesus.Some questioned while others sought answers.Some begged while others gave.Some listened while others mocked.Some beat Him while others loved him.Some tempted Him while others stood up for Him.Some fought for Him while others betrayed Him.Some followed while others walked away.Regardless of their response, they all had a real encounter. They saw Jesus and heard Jesus. They witnessed Him.  As His Church, as real people who have encountered the real Jesus, we are called and commanded to take our iWitness experiences to the mountaintops. To tell and re-tell of our life-changing, soul-saving experience with our Lord and Savior Jesus. With 5 Simple Truths & Open Hands we can embrace our responsibility and our opportunity to be a part of His cosmic plan to restore humanity to Himself...because an iWitness encounter with Jesus will always demand a response.