Venture Church Sermons

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.

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.

We are called to be rooted in many things. We are calling ourselves to be rooted in scripture, rooted in prayer and fasting, rooted in the house, rooted in the Gospel, and rooted in Generosity. These are just some of the things that we want to define this body of Christ. We want to be scripture readers and prayers, that we are dedicated and committed to God's house, that we are dedicated to the Gospel, and dedicated to generosity. As we become rooted in these things, we will become rooted by these things.

We are called to be rooted in many things. We are calling ourselves to be rooted in scripture, rooted in prayer and fasting, rooted in the house, rooted in the Gospel, and rooted in Generosity. These are just some of the things that we want to define this body of Christ. We want to be scripture readers and prayers, that we are dedicated and committed to God's house, that we are dedicated to the Gospel, and dedicated to generosity. As we become rooted in these things, we will become rooted by these things.

We are called to be rooted in many things. We are calling ourselves to be rooted in scripture, rooted in prayer and fasting, rooted in the house, rooted in the Gospel, and rooted in Generosity. These are just some of the things that we want to define this body of Christ. We want to be scripture readers and prayers, that we are dedicated and committed to God's house, that we are dedicated to the Gospel, and dedicated to generosity. As we become rooted in these things, we will become rooted by these things.

We are called to be rooted in many things. We are calling ourselves to be rooted in scripture, rooted in prayer and fasting, rooted in the house, rooted in the Gospel, and rooted in Generosity. These are just some of the things that we want to define this body of Christ. We want to be scripture readers and prayers, that we are dedicated and committed to God's house, that we are dedicated to the Gospel, and dedicated to generosity. As we become rooted in these things, we will become rooted by these things.

We are called to be rooted in many things. We are calling ourselves to be rooted in scripture, rooted in prayer and fasting, rooted in the house, rooted in the Gospel, and rooted in Generosity. These are just some of the things that we want to define this body of Christ. We want to be scripture readers and prayers, that we are dedicated and committed to God's house, that we are dedicated to the Gospel, and dedicated to generosity. As we become rooted in these things, we will become rooted by these things.

& adds& combines& links together& expands& fills in the gaps& brings more& tells a more complete story Luke loves to use & ...especially when He's telling the story of Jesus' birth.  The Christmas story is full of people who were chosen by God to usher in The Savior of the world.     Zechariah & Elizabeth & John the Baptist & Mary & Joseph & The Innkeeper & Jesus & Shepherds & Wise Men & Herod & Simeon & AnnaSome of these people provide a beautiful picture of honor & submission & faithfulness & obedience. Others paint another picture. One of doubt & selfishness & personal ambition & pride & insecurity.But God's Story will always be told & He still wants to use people like you to tell it!This Christmas season, listen to the story of the birth of Christ with fresh ears.Let the &s of Christmas add to your joyLet the &s of Christmas combine and link together your heart with those around youLet the &s of Christmas expand your adoration of our SaviorLet the &s of Christmas fill in the gaps that the enemy likes to take advantage ofLet the &s of Christmas bring more Peace & Hope & Faith & let the &s of Christmas tell a more complete story of Jesus' full & perfect Love for youLet the &s of Christmas be told through your life as we celebrate the birth of our King Jesus.