My friends, the winds of change are blowing in our day. In our world, in our nation, in our community, we see change happening at an ever-increasing pace. Southview is committed to the eternal, never changing truths of Scripture, but how we communicate those truths and how we do ministry is always changing. Like Paul, we want to do whatever it takes to reach our community for Jesus Christ. We have received a great message of salvation, love, and forgiveness, and loving our neighbor means we do whatever it takes to help others hear that same message. We want to help all people become fully devoted followers of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
We know that 57% of the population of northern Virginia says that they have no religious affiliation at all. Despite a multitude of churches and other religious structures and organizations, 57% of our community affiliates with none of them, and if we narrow our parameters to those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord, that number goes up dramatically. The reasons for a lack of impact by Jesus’ church in this community are varied, but we can all agree that there is MUCH to be done.
In recent weeks and months, the Elders and staff have been brainstorming and working hard to discern not only Southview’s vision and direction for the coming days, weeks, months, and years, but also to determine if there are new or more effective ways we can reach out to those around us. In the past few years, we have sought to utilize new technologies and social networks as a medium for the communication of our ministry and our message of hope, and that will increase in the days ahead. We have sought to equip our members to “invest and invite” our friends, coworkers, neighbors, and family to Southview or Southview sponsored events. We want to provide opportunities for you to extend that invitation, and in the days ahead we’re going to be much more intentional in our planning and our promotion of those events. We want to make our message of hope and God’s love crystal clear to this community; we want others to know beyond a shadow of a doubt where we stand with Jesus, and we want them to know that we are dispensers of the same grace and forgiveness that we have received. We have sought to provide clear, relevant, Biblical teaching that informs our faith and equips us to live our lives completely devoted to God and His Kingdom, and in the days ahead we are committing to up the bar on this. We want to provide teaching that empowers and equips each person here to grow to spiritual maturity and reach out to those who do not yet place their trust in Jesus.
We want to be a church committed to Loving, Growing, and Serving. Loving God and others; growing to spiritual maturity in community together; and serving others in Jesus’ name. We want our people to move through a process toward spiritual maturity – from worship, to small group community in SMBS and small groups, to serving and using our spiritual gifts for the local church and the Kingdom of God.
We want to be a church committed to teaching and equipping people to reach others for Jesus Christ. God has gifted this body with many teachers who use their gifts regularly, and we want to affirm and utilize those gifts to teach and equip others, with the ultimate goal of reaching our community for Jesus. We received that mission from Jesus, and we want that to drive everything we do.
Please continue praying for us as we seek God’s clear leading as we make some strategic decisions regarding Southview’s direction and focus. We will be communicating a lot with you in the days ahead as we discern a clear path, and we want us to move forward unified, with our hearts linked together around the mission that Jesus gave us. We want to make sure that we hear His voice, and when we do, we want to move with intentionality, passion, and purpose. We’re working on a unified, complete proposal regarding Southview’s specific focus and direction for the next few years, and as soon as we have it ready to share, we will. The Elders and staff are unified in what we are hearing from God, and that is so encouraging!
I continue to say it – I believe the best days of Southview’s ministry are ahead of us. As long as we seek to follow God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, He will use us to accomplish His mission. We exist to share God’s message of love with this community, and I believe there are ways of doing ministry that no one has thought of yet. Together, we have a mission; I’m ready to get to it!
Thanks for being a part of this community of faith. Thanks for being committed to our mission, not content to just sit around and make ourselves comfortable and happy, but for being committed to reach those who do not yet know. We will do whatever it takes (short of sin) to reach this community for Christ. That’s a mission we can all get behind, and together, we can accomplish more than we ever could alone.
More details to come soon – be praying with us – and let’s be ever vigilant in looking for the opportunities that God brings our way to share about the salvation that we have received. Let’s be ever vigilant in listening for God’s voice. Let’s be committed to obeying God’s voice before we hear it.
Serving together with you, and loving every minute of it!
--Pastor William
We know that 57% of the population of northern Virginia says that they have no religious affiliation at all. Despite a multitude of churches and other religious structures and organizations, 57% of our community affiliates with none of them, and if we narrow our parameters to those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord, that number goes up dramatically. The reasons for a lack of impact by Jesus’ church in this community are varied, but we can all agree that there is MUCH to be done.
In recent weeks and months, the Elders and staff have been brainstorming and working hard to discern not only Southview’s vision and direction for the coming days, weeks, months, and years, but also to determine if there are new or more effective ways we can reach out to those around us. In the past few years, we have sought to utilize new technologies and social networks as a medium for the communication of our ministry and our message of hope, and that will increase in the days ahead. We have sought to equip our members to “invest and invite” our friends, coworkers, neighbors, and family to Southview or Southview sponsored events. We want to provide opportunities for you to extend that invitation, and in the days ahead we’re going to be much more intentional in our planning and our promotion of those events. We want to make our message of hope and God’s love crystal clear to this community; we want others to know beyond a shadow of a doubt where we stand with Jesus, and we want them to know that we are dispensers of the same grace and forgiveness that we have received. We have sought to provide clear, relevant, Biblical teaching that informs our faith and equips us to live our lives completely devoted to God and His Kingdom, and in the days ahead we are committing to up the bar on this. We want to provide teaching that empowers and equips each person here to grow to spiritual maturity and reach out to those who do not yet place their trust in Jesus.
We want to be a church committed to Loving, Growing, and Serving. Loving God and others; growing to spiritual maturity in community together; and serving others in Jesus’ name. We want our people to move through a process toward spiritual maturity – from worship, to small group community in SMBS and small groups, to serving and using our spiritual gifts for the local church and the Kingdom of God.
We want to be a church committed to teaching and equipping people to reach others for Jesus Christ. God has gifted this body with many teachers who use their gifts regularly, and we want to affirm and utilize those gifts to teach and equip others, with the ultimate goal of reaching our community for Jesus. We received that mission from Jesus, and we want that to drive everything we do.
Please continue praying for us as we seek God’s clear leading as we make some strategic decisions regarding Southview’s direction and focus. We will be communicating a lot with you in the days ahead as we discern a clear path, and we want us to move forward unified, with our hearts linked together around the mission that Jesus gave us. We want to make sure that we hear His voice, and when we do, we want to move with intentionality, passion, and purpose. We’re working on a unified, complete proposal regarding Southview’s specific focus and direction for the next few years, and as soon as we have it ready to share, we will. The Elders and staff are unified in what we are hearing from God, and that is so encouraging!
I continue to say it – I believe the best days of Southview’s ministry are ahead of us. As long as we seek to follow God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, He will use us to accomplish His mission. We exist to share God’s message of love with this community, and I believe there are ways of doing ministry that no one has thought of yet. Together, we have a mission; I’m ready to get to it!
Thanks for being a part of this community of faith. Thanks for being committed to our mission, not content to just sit around and make ourselves comfortable and happy, but for being committed to reach those who do not yet know. We will do whatever it takes (short of sin) to reach this community for Christ. That’s a mission we can all get behind, and together, we can accomplish more than we ever could alone.
More details to come soon – be praying with us – and let’s be ever vigilant in looking for the opportunities that God brings our way to share about the salvation that we have received. Let’s be ever vigilant in listening for God’s voice. Let’s be committed to obeying God’s voice before we hear it.
Serving together with you, and loving every minute of it!
--Pastor William
