Have you ever been a part of something where it was completely unclear what you were actually trying to accomplish? Participating in something with a lack of purpose is like driving at night with the headlights off. You are never sure where the road is and you are bound to crash at some point.
Here at Harvest we are very clear about our Purpose as stated in the Mission and Vision statements. But we go one step further and define in a measurable way what that mission looks like in our every day life. Mission To glorify God by the fulfillment of the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment simply put ... "building complete disciples" Vision To glorify God in the Central Illinois region as we seek to assist others in becoming passionate, contagious followers of Christ. simply put ... "God being famous as we are white-hot on fire for Him" Complete Disciple: If we are building disciples, what does a complete disciple look like? At Harvest we define a complete disciple as one who has a full relationship with the Lord. We summarize this with 4 W's. You will notice these 4 W's are shown as puzzle pieces. In other words, if you don't have them all, your puzzle is incomplete. The 4 W's are:
Definitions: Glorify God: This is a term that is used all over in the Bible. We are called to make sure that this is our goal in all that we do (1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17). It means to make sure that we are spreading God's fame, making Him well known and better understood because He is seen in our lives. Is the person next to you saying, "I want to know the God that rocked your world that way"? If so, then you are doing your job! Great Commission: This is the call by Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18-20 to make complete disciples (passionate, complete, followers) of Jesus. The passage gives two supporting statements as to how to do that:
Great Commandment: This is the explanation by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-39 of what our primary focus should be in life: to love the Lord our God and love our neighbor as ourself.