Our Vision is to lead a movement of people who pursue God passionately, serve others contagiously, and love people recklessly, both within our church and out in our community.
We will see lives changed as we share the good news of Jesus
and our community changed as we expand to multiple Ridgefield Nazarene Church campuses.
In February 2024 we shared our big vision to share Jesus with our community by multiplying our ministries and our church. Watch the video below to hear Jason share our vision publicly for the first time.
Our Motives
We share Jesus more because we get to than because we have to. Check out these Bible verses that commission us to share Jesus.
Matthew 28:19-20
Acts 1:8
2 Peter 3:9
Romans 10:14-15
Matthew 9:36-38
Every news story reminds us that our culture desperately needs the hope and healing of Jesus.
Entire cities are changed when Christ-followers work together to bless and disciple their communities.
We are called to be missionaries to our own communities & cities!
Our Reality
Our parking and room usage is full and our services are nearly full. We need to make space for new people.
Our church is healthy and stable, putting us in a great place to expand without creating division.
Our church is financially healthy, with significant savings. This vision allows us to be good stewards as we invest in Kingdom work.
Our Participation
You get to be part of this vision!
Pray that God will send us a Campus Pastor who will quickly earn the respect of our church.
Ask God to give you opportunities to show love to people in your life who don’t know Jesus.
Join a serving team or start a new small group!
Sign up for the evangelism class later this spring
Our Plan
The Church Board approved a 3 Phase plan that will guide our actions and decisions. We are currently working on phase 1 and the board will oversee progress towards the next phases.
Vision Q&A - May 5, 2024
On May 5, the Church Board hosted a Q&A session and answered many of the questions that have been asked since we shared our vision. Click on the video below to watch the Q&A session.
Vision Q&A - June 23, 2024
On June 23, the Church Board hosted a second Q&A session and answered many of the questions that have been asked since we shared our vision. Click on the video below to watch the Q&A session. (note: due to technical difficulties, the video below will display the Q&A graphics while playing the audio from the Q&A session.)
Get Your Copy of the Frequently Asked Questions!
In addition to the Q&A, we have published a booklet that answers almost 30 questions about our vision and strategy. Pick one up this Sunday, contact us to request a mailed copy, or click on the image below to download a copy.
What Should “Church” Look Like?
We do not want you to settle for a “good enough” life consisting of a decent career, a nice house, and a smiling family. We want you to live your full potential. And we would love to help you get there. We read in the Bible that “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT) Inspired by this, we believe that God has a unique calling on each of our lives. He even gives us abilities, talents, and the passion to fulfill that calling. Unfortunately, so many people, including devout and committed Christ-followers, never discover their calling or embrace their gifts. Our vision is to help you live your full potential in Christ as you give your life to his calling.
We dream of a church full of people who have surrendered their lives to God, developed their gifts and abilities, and are boldly living out their calling.
We dream of a church where we are constantly investing in people as they take steps toward spiritual maturity.
We dream of a church where our staff and leaders are identifying and raising up leaders.
We dream of a church that helps parents to disciple their kids to follow Jesus.
We dream of a church where kids and students of all ages are nurtured and trained to serve their community and the world.
We dream of a church where everyone is working to change the world.
What does it look like for someone to live their full potential in Christ? Check out this story of one of our members who boldly followed God’s call on her life to reach out to disabled children.
Our Values
In order to fulfill this vision of helping everyone to live their full potential, we constantly reinforce these values:
We love others recklessly – Following the example of Jesus, who gave his life for us even while we were still sinners, we can only live our full potential and encourage others to live theirs as we build relationships and connect with people. We value people over programs. We want our leaders to fill their calendars with relationships rather than meetings and ministry programs. We don’t play it safe. We walk through the joys and messes of life together. We regularly look for someone to meet, to encourage, or help. We get outside the comfort of our church building as we love outside of our walls.
We serve others contagiously – Following the example of Jesus, who washed the feet of his disciples, we can only live our full potential as we serve, and as we bring others along to serve with us. We are not content to sit back and watch; rather, we are people of action. We take the initiative. We ask, “how can I help?” Then we help. We believe that serving is a joy, not a chore. So we are not afraid to ask for volunteers. We believe that everyone has something to offer. So we call out the strengths we see in others, and we apprentice them into leaders.
We pursue God passionately – Following the example of Jesus, who stayed connected to the Father, we can only live our full potential as we stay in close relationship with Jesus. We are real about our need for God and we don’t pretend that we have it all together. We acknowledge God for who he is and what he is doing. We give him the credit. We start everything with prayer. We stay hydrated as we spend time daily with God with our Bibles open. We resist the temptation to think that we are doing great things for God. Rather, we pursue a close, devoted relationship with God, and we are simply letting God do great things through us.
Our Growth Plan
How do we plan to help you reach and live your full potential in Christ? We like to illustrate the journey to full potential living with a mountain and a path. Like any long and arduous journey, it is important to mark the waypoints along the path. Our Full Potential Pathway outlines the steps you will take as you discover and live your full potential. While the order of the steps might vary from person to person, every step is essential.
Attend Church – At this first waypoint, we want you to be active in our church family. You will experience a sense of community and be encouraged to take steps of faith. You engage the family of God as you attend weekend worship services, join a small group, and join a ministry team
Follow Jesus – As you attend church and take steps of faith, we hope you will personally respond to Jesus, accepting what he has done for you and in you, and let him be your Savior and the Lord (or director) of your life. We can help you take that first step, get baptized, learn how to read your Bible (The Hydrate Course), and join a group of others who are also learning the follow the way of Jesus.
Serve – One of the best ways to grow in your faith and to build relationships with other Christ-followers is to serve. Whether you are serving at church in the community, we will help you join a serving team where you can put your faith in action and made a real difference in someone else’s life. To learn more about where you can serve, please fill out this form!
Overcome Roadblocks – You will never live your full potential if you are living with unresolved relational or emotional wounds, addictions, a broken marriage or financial trouble. These are just a few of the issues that will hold you back and block the path to full potential. We want to help connect you with a counselor, support group, recovery group or Financial Peace University class that will get you the help that you need. Along the way you will meet some people who have discovered that their full potential is to help people like you to find freedom and healing.
Discover Your Calling – We believe that God has a calling on your life – something that only you can do, something that you were made for! The YouNique course will help you discover your calling, name it and create an action plan. Then you will continue to meet with your cohort and your coach to put it into action.
Leadership Training – Yes, you have leadership potential. Your leadership might never include a title or a paycheck, but we want you to be prepared to have a positive influence on the people around you. We will help you discover your spiritual gifts. We will get you into an apprenticing relationship where you will get on-the-job leadership training and discipleship. We will place you in leadership and make sure you have a coach.
If this seems like a long process, that’s because it is! This full potential pathway is not intended to be completed in a month – or even a one year. In fact, the goal is not to get to the top of the mountain. The goal is simply to take a step towards what is next.
When you look at the waypoints on the pathway, where are you now? What is your next step? If you are not sure, we can help you assess your personal health and growth and your report will include an action step or two. It is a great next step.