Vision
Centered in Jesus and compelled by His mission, we dream of being a church that fully experiences the rugged depths of life and fights and bleeds for the raw authenticity of Jesus. We dream of being an instrument for awakening the spiritually marginalized of our community, nation and world.
The above statement is our heart…our vision. Here’s how this vision breaks down:
1. Centered in Jesus: We believe that Jesus is the hero of the Bible and the center of all history. As such we could not imagine being Jesus’ church without placing him at the center of all we are and all we do. We preach Jesus, we worship Jesus and we seek to walk in the ways of Jesus. More than our theology…more than our music…more than our preaching…more than ANYTHING else we do as a church, we want to be known for our relentless pursuit and passion for Jesus. When people here the name “CityView Church”, we want them to say “that’s the church where everything seems to be about Jesus”.2. Compelled by His Mission: It is our conviction that many of the churches in today’s world follow missions that are rooted in man’s dreams and hopes for the church. We’re pretty simple. We believe that Matthew 28:18-20 was not only a great commission…but the mission for Jesus’ Church. When we talk mission, we refer to Matthew 28:18-20 and take our cues from the text.
3. Fully experienced the rugged depths of life: While many people cling to the promises of John 10:10, we believe that “abundant life” does not mean “the good life” or the American Dream. We believe the abundant life is filled with highs and lows…and we want CityView to be the kind of place where people can experience both the highest highs and the lowest lows in a community where mourning and celebration take place simultaneously.
4. The raw authenticity of Jesus: Jesus didn’t always say popular things…but he spoke truth. We want to be truth-tellers…even when the truth is that we are rougher around the edges than we like to admit. We dream of a place where people can confess their junk and be healed, not condemned. We dream of a place where we can speak truth, give and receive forgiveness and grant grace to one another in areas of struggle.
5. An instrument for awakening the marginalized: We want to be a part of the awakening occurring around the globe with those of great need in the third world. Through partnerships, funding and sending, we want to affect the life of people who live half way around the globe. Specific to the United States, we want to reach the average man that rarely darkens the door of a church. We believe men are the key to renewal in our churches and families. We want to take Jesus and His church back to men. We want to reinvigorate the church’s passion for manhood and fatherhood in positive ways that help families and neighborhoods. We want to return to the church’s roots that started with 12 young men that led a movement that continues to change the world.
While many more things could be said about our vision, this is the heart of the matter for us. We feel called to these things and are willing to spend and be spent for this vision.