Our Vision: Detailed in One Page

As you can see from this blog, our vision of Experience Jesus, much like the ministry of Jesus himself, is at times both simple and complex. To help better explain all that our vision entails, we've created a one-page document. You can download a PDF copy or simply read below. As always, we welcome your thoughts or feedback.

Our Vision:

Shepherd of the Valley invites all people to experience the Welcome, Transformation, and Sending of Jesus Christ.

WELCOME
Jesus lived out welcome as an active, intentional, and passionate ministry. He did not wait for people to come to Him. In the parable of the lost sheep (Matthew 18), he challenges us to be on the lookout for every single lost sheep.

Shepherd of the Valley must be a community of invitation and welcome with:

• A visible and inviting presence with caring connections to our neighborhoods and community;
• Attractive, well-maintained, and accessible buildings and grounds;
• Volunteers thoughtfully deployed so all feel invited and cared for.

TRANSFORM
Jesus taught that the essence of the Christian life is to love God (Matthew 22). The goal of worship is to express that love in praise and thanksgiving to Jesus Christ with all that we are. The goal of teaching is to learn who Jesus is and become equipped to live a life of faith in him.

Shepherd of the Valley must offer transformational experiences with:

• A variety of worship experiences,offered at various times weekly;
• Consistently accessible and high quality preaching and music;
• Dynamic and relevant Biblical preaching;
• Learning experiences that appeal to both mind and heart;
• Small groups that build community, supportive relationships, and vibrant faith;
• Excellent technology that supports and enhances worship and learning.

SEND
The ministry of Jesus was simple: he welcomed all, they were transformed by their encounter with him, and he sent them out to enact the same experience for others. He commands us to do the same in the Great Commission (Matthew 28).

Shepherd of the Valley must send people out into the world to share their experiences, with:

• Tools and resources for sharing information about our ministry;
• Guidance and support for all people on their journeys of faith in worship, learning and service;
• Expanded opportunities for fellowship and service in our community and in the world.

Sunday, June 2 in Pictures

Sunday, June 2, 2013 was a big day at Shepherd of the Valley. We held our first "Hot Breakfast" in the Great Hall from 9:00 - 11:30 a.m. and experienced our first band-led worship at 11:00 in the Sanctuary.

Both events were a great success! The vibes and energy in both rooms on Sunday were positive, the food was delicious, and the message and music were especially resonant and worshipful.

Sunday's success was thanks to the hard work of many volunteers - who cooked and served food, set up and cleaned, welcomed and greeted, rehearsed and performed, and invited others to experience Jesus, through their dedication and presence.

Not everything was perfect. Immediately following 11:00 worship, volunteer and staff teams began a series of debrief and planning meetings that will continue in the weeks and months to come. We've heard many great comments regarding both worship and fellowship, and are working hard to make sure each Sunday is better and better. Everything from the volume of the preacher, to traffic flow, to little details like providing sugar-free syrup are being analyzed and considered. If you have an idea - please share it!

Eating breakfast at church or worshiping with a band may not be for you. But they are important first steps to reaching out to new people - as we've learned from our own extensive research and through conversations with growing churches across the country. We are also designing transformations with the many faithful, long time members of SOTV very much in mind. Jesus continually calls us through the Gospels, especially through the Great Commission, to get out of our comfort zones. Please pray for us as we work toward fulfilling this challenging vision, and please continue to share your thoughts and ideas with Pastors Chris and Randy, online, or by filling out a comment card at church.

The next Hot Breakfast will be July 14, but fellowship with coffee and donuts will continue to be offered each week in the Great Hall. Below are pictures from this past weekend. Thank you Patty Zwiefel for capturing them!

A few of the hard workers in the kitchen on Sunday.

Sunday's menu included french toast, bacon, eggs and sausage.

The Great Hall was full of energy and people enjoying food and fellowship.

One of our youngest volunteers, was also one of the busiest!

A/V tech John Pollock (middle) helps the band set up.

 Jan Nicolai gets the elements ready for weekly Holy Communion.

A new multi-camera system allows views of worship to be captured from all angles of the Sanctuary.

A great crowd came out for 11:00 worship.

Omar Reyes and Steve Genrich have everything under control

Come to the Annual Meeting - Sunday, June 9

 

From Steve Mueller, Council President:

As you travel on your lifelong journey of faith, we are grateful for your commitment to Shepherd of the Valley. SOTV is you. And you have made SOTV a great place.

SOTV is fortunate to be led by great leaders like Pastor Chris and Pastor Paul before him. They are leaders who are not willing to coast. 

Think back. Remember the welcome you felt when you first came to SOTV. We want to create that for others. We want this to be an alluring place to worship. The Gospel calls us to serve others and invite them to the Gospel. Our Vision helps us to bring the Gospel to others.   

We are glad that you are here. We really believe it is not an accident that you are here right now. God has a plan for you: continuing our service toward the Great Commandment; helping us realize the invitation of the Great Commission; or even better—both! 

Come to the annual meeting and dream with us about our future. 

The 2013 Annual Congregational Meeting is Sunday, June 9 at Noon with lunch provided.  

Learn more about our Church Council and view minutes from recent meetings.

June is Almost Here!

June brings big things to SOTV and our excitement is building to a crescendo as we begin to implement Our Vision! Since May is a busy time for many of us, we thought a recap and some short updates were in order.

• Our Annual Congregational Meeting is Sunday, June 9 at Noon. Together, we will enjoy a delicious lunch and discuss Our Vision and what's in store for the fall and beyond. Please RSVP at the Welcome Center or online so we can plan enough food.

• Beginning in June, all weekend services will be in the Sanctuary. Worship times remain the same: Saturdays at 5:00 p.m., Sundays at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 a.m.

• Our popular summer "Cabin Worship" returns, Mondays at 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel, beginning on June 3.

• Our band-led worship, The Table, will move from the Great Hall to the Sanctuary at 11:00 a.m. Last week the Table band had a dress rehearsal in the Sanctuary, and everything sounded great, transitions worked smoothly, the band is pumped. Exciting times at SOTV!

• Major technological enhancements are underway over the next few weeks to bring the Sanctuary up to the 21st century including video cameras, video screens, improved sound, and lighting.

Omar Reyes

• This process has been overseen by our new resident tech mastermind, Production Manager Omar Reyes. Three new HD cameras are now installed and look great! They are mounted in different parts of the Sanctuary and will be operated by volunteers. Pretty soon you won't have to squint or crane your neck to see what's going on in the front of the church from the back rows, like a baptism or children's production. We can't wait for you to see these new worship enhancements in action!

• In June, the Great Hall will be transformed into a place for fellowship. Coffee and donuts will remain available for a freewill offering. No more will you have to fear getting trampled in the busy Narthex when reaching for a chocolate-frosted donut.

• In addition, we will have a full, hot breakfast once a month this summer (June 2, July 14, and August 18) and in the fall on dates to be announced. Guests and visitors eat for free! Kids (3-10) & Seniors: $4, Adults $6, Kids 2 and under: free. Fellowship in Christ: priceless! For the first time ever, we will be able to take debit and credit cards in the church. The finalized menu for June 2 includes cinnamon swirl french toast, bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, yogurt, fruit and cereal. Mmmm... are you drooling yet?

With the thrill and excitement of new ministries, comes the realization that things won't stay the way that we're used to. Hey, we get it, change is hard. So we appreciate your willingness to try something new or step out of your comfort zone.

We also really appreciate all of the comments and feedback we've heard over the last couple months, including the comments at our Congregation Dialogues. Please know that we value each and every one of them. If you still have questions, see if Pastor Chris answered them in any of our videos from last week or if they are on our list of Frequently Asked Questions.

We, the pastors and staff of SOTV, are so very honored to serve you. Our goal is to live out Jesus' Great Commission to "go and make disciples." We believe June is a great first step into making our church more welcoming to newcomers and more worshipful for all of us.

Come Sunday, though (or Saturday, or Monday), this is still YOUR church, and we want you to be just as excited as we are. So please come to our Annual Meeting on June 9 to dream along with us, or drop us a line with your thoughts and ideas.

See you in church!

Pastor Chris Answers Your Questions

Since many of you had similar questions and concerns at our recent Congregation Dialogues, we thought we would answer them in a series of videos. Don't see a question that you have answered? Ask away on our website, or scroll back through this blog. Thank you again to everyone who attended our dialogues!

Why Do We Need A Vision?

Was the Vision Created with Any Direction from Members?

How Will New People Find SOTV?

Besides Worship and Fellowship, How Else Will We Reach People with the Gospel?

Why Are We Changing "The Table?"

Growing Into Our Vision

In December 2012, Growing Into Our Vision was created and published in the Winter 2013 News for the Flock, as well as a standalone publication.

It explains in great detail how and why the Vision was created, and many of the steps that Shepherd of the Valley will take in the months and years to come as we seek to live out Our Vision. In particular:

• The Great Commission: What Jesus Asks of Us
• Welcoming All People
• Worship is Our Center
• The Path to Common Ground
• Expanding Beyond Our Walls

Download a PDF of Growing Into Our Vision