VIENNA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

1 VIENNA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 124 Park Street NE, VIENNA , VA 22180 VIENNA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH This Is Who We Are We seek to lead people into a transforming relationship with Jesus, authentic community with each other, and purposeful engagement in Christ's work in the world . We want everyone in Northern Virginia and beyond to experience the abundant life Jesus offers people. "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." ~ Acts 8:48 VISION Pure and simple: we want to engage more people in Christ's mission. Jesus commissions his CHURCH to go and make disciples. Our broken, hurting world compels all of us to take up Jesus' call. Every person we meet is worthy of Christ's love. We pledge to seek each other's welfare and promote good will. We place a high value on authentic community.

2 COMMIT TO THE WORK OF CHRIST We take up Christ's commission to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). We commit to Christ's ongoing mission in the world by serving our CHURCH and wider community. Service: God has given us spiritual gifts to enrich our CHURCH and bless the world . Whether your gift is welcoming the stranger, working with young people, or helping behind the scenes, there is a vital role for you to play. Outreach: As followers of Christ, he sends us by word and deed to extend reconciliation to a broken, hurting world . We share the Good News with bold compassion - to care for people in need and to dare to stand up for justice. VPC is engaged in evangelism and mission efforts internationally, nationally, and locally. We connect with Christ's ongoing work of meeting tangible and spiritual needs through deepening relationships with our neighbors.

3 Generosity: Everything we own is on loan from God. We participate in Christ's work in the world through our giving of our time, money, and talents. The mission of VIENNA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH prospers when we give generously to the Lord's work through our CHURCH . COMMIT TO THE BODY OF CHRIST We strive to connect in genuine community with each other. Life is better together than alone. Sharing life with Christ together is the best way for us to grow spiritually. We are created for relationships, so we foster community in multiple ways: Group Life: Small groups meet at various times and locations offering options to fit what is right for each person, regardless of schedule, stage of life, or level of spiritual maturity. Children and Students: We provide an environment where a person of any age, including the very youngest, has the opportunity to grow into becoming a lifelong follower of Jesus.

4 Our NextGen ministry is the CHURCH and the family working together to raise the next generation in the faith. Care and Support: VPC seeks to create an environment where care, support, and mutual encouragement are available to everyone. We have ministries that train members to offer compassion and healing to people in need. MISSION Becoming like Christ Together for the world Becoming like Christ is a lifelong pursuit. None of us ever arrives at Christ- likeness on earth. We are learning all our lives what it means to follow Jesus. Becoming like Christ is an ambition we pursue together. None of us can successfully go it alone. We grow best in company with fellow believers. Becoming like Christ together is for the world he came to save. None of us lives for our sakes alone. We seek to love, witness, and serve in the manner Jesus did. CORE VALUES Jesus is Lord.

5 We affirm that God offers the world something absolutely unique in Jesus Christ. That s why we bestow on Jesus the designation Lord with a capital L. No other deity, king, or sovereign is worthy of such honor. We acknowledge Jesus as our leader, head of the CHURCH and Lord over the world . Scripture is our authority. We acknowledge Scripture as reliable and dependable. We trust the Bible to tell us the truth about God, ourselves, and the world . There is a growing tendency in our common culture to place personal experience over Scripture. We sit under the authority of Scripture, not over it. Everyone is called to follow Jesus. We are learning all our lives what it means to become committed followers of Jesus. We do not regard discipleship as some super sort of Christianity. Following Jesus in every area of life is fundamental to our calling.

6 We are becoming like Christ together for the world . COMMIT TO THE PERSON OF CHRIST We endeavor to live in a transforming relationship with Jesus at the center of our lives. The most important thing in life is not what we do, but who we become. We seek to become like Christ in both attitude and behavior. Worship We are created to glorify God, so we make worship a high priority. We gather as community with fellow believers. Worship is the heartbeat of our spiritual lives. Worship, both individual and corporate, provides opportunity for renewal in the abundant life Christ offers people. God created us for worship and service. This is our highest calling and supreme joy. Spiritual Formation We are redeemed in Christ to become like Christ. So we encourage everyone to engage in practices that will enable each person to become like Christ by following a spiritual growth plan to connect to Christ, his followers, and his work in the world .

7 Chief among these practices are prayer, reading the Word, and fostering spiritual friendships.