Vision Statement
If God loved us this way, we also ought to love one another. – 1 John 4:11
We, the people of Fountain City Presbyterian Church, dream to be a loving, caring family for all who hunger and thirst for the kind of world Jesus made possible.
Putting feet to the Vision
Our vision has meaning when we put it into action, and will guide our Session, Staff, and congregation
in the development and implementation of ministries:
As Dreamers
- We love our heritage and history, yet we also see God moving in the here and now. We want to be
open to fresh ways of loving God and loving our neighbor. “We’ve always done it that way” is not a
rule in our church. - Like Joel 2:28, we believe in listening for the wind of the Spirit, no matter what age, background,
rank, or hair color of the person God might be speaking through. - Programs, activities, organizational structures and procedures, should never be regarded as fixed
and immutable, but rather new wineskins for what God is doing in and through us now. - Worship especially opens us up to what God has for us. We hear the Word, lift our praise, confess
our need for mercy, and spend some special time with God and each other.
A loving, caring family
- A check on 1 Corinthians 13 shows that the love Jesus modeled and enables in us works in the
realities of daily living. We don’t just flip a switch and “love” on Sunday mornings for an hour or so.
Often, it’s not even overtly religious. Yet it always resembles the love God has for us. We know we
won’t always do it right, and that’s why we have grace and help from Christ and for each other. - Jesus taught a way of living that helps people flourish, which is what good families do. In our
common life as followers of Jesus, we want to be like the old hymn envisions: “Join hands then,
siblings of the faith, whate’er your race may be; Who serves the Father as a child is surely kin to
me”
For all who hunger and thirst
- We know as followers of Jesus, we’re part of something much larger than just our congregation.
We want to build bridges, connect with others who share our pursuit. - We especially want to see the kingdom of God flourish in our own church neighborhood.
- As a congregation of the PCUSA, we value our relationships with other Presbyterians. Engagements
that foster accountability and support for the work of ministry are a key focus of our Presbyterian
identity.
The kind of world Jesus made possible
- Jesus called it the “Kingdom of God” or the “Kingdom of Heaven”. You see it everywhere people
live the way He taught: love, forgiveness, respect, truth, help (see Matthew chapters 5 through 7). - When controversies or difficult issues come up, we raise our love for God and each other higher.
Try to understand different views, let people share. Those who share should do so thoughtfully and
respectfully. If we don’t get “our way”, we see if God can help us hang in there and keep loving. If
not, we might take some time away, but we’ll talk it over with others and do so graciously. - We shouldn’t air our grievances in public. Social media and other highly visible communications are
for building up, not tearing down. - As we practice love for each other, we’re equipped to spread it: at home, at work, with our
neighbors, at the store, on the roads. Sometimes we’ll love others who struggle by sharing food,
clothing, shelter, and human kindness. - What Jesus did for us fuels our dream of expanding a world of love and care for people, one
church family at a time, especially Fountain City Presbyterian Church!
Adopted by the Session of Fountain City Presbyterian Church on April 17, 2024