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The mission of the church, even as expressed in our statement, calls us to be new creatures and witnesses to Christ, his good news and his kingdom. How that affects—or ought to affect—every member of FPCU gives us grounds for a vision of who we can be with God's help. Imagine our church when we are truly on mission. How great would it be to be a part of a congregation wherein every member was deeply-committed, ever-growing, deeply-connected, and ever-sharing in their walk with Christ? How would you feel about pursuing such a vision?

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1. Deeply-Committed

It is only too easy to criticize mainline Christianity in America for being half-hearted and unenthusiastic about their high calling to serve Christ and his gospel. We all know within ourselves that to be "slightly committed" is the same thing as being uncommitted. The rich, young ruler who turns away; the servant with the buried talent; the would-be disciple who has other business on his mind—scripture does not bless an easy faith or partial Christianity. We are called to carry a cross or not follow. Everything or nothing, either/or. We seek to be Christians who are disciples, deeply committed and growing into deeper commitment with every year. Jesus is Lord of our hearts, lives and livelihoods—we surrender all to him. Staff & Elders: We are not the real players; the congregation is. We seek to create an environment where our leaders are seen as empowerers and enablers for the ideas and energies of others.

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2. Ever-Growing

We never arrive. As we seek to follow Christ and be formed into his image by the Holy Spirit, we are ever-growing, ever-learning, ever-seeking new forms of faithfulness and service. We have things to learn and mission to enact every day we wake up alive. This is our humility—that we remain ever-hungry to grow closer in our walk with Christ, ever-curious to search out the mysteries of God's goodness and the wonders of God's Word. Until the day the Lord calls us home, we will be working on ourselves, ever-striving to align our hearts and minds with the will of God. There is no arriving here and now; the journey is the destination, and our joy is in walking with God and growing as a result. Staff & Elders: Those who serve must also be fed and encouraged. We each must commit to connectedness—be it a small group or mentorship—in order to be accountable and helpful to other leaders.

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3. Deeply-Connected

The digital age has given us vast fields of humanity all with their noses down in their cell phones, tablets and laptops. We are becoming increasingly alienated from one another and isolated in our spirituality. We seek a different direction. We seek to know and serve God not in isolation or alienated from the rest of the Body, but in connection with other Christians. We believe that relationships are the measure of our spiritual health. We seek to connect with other Christians not over trivia, but over the shared depths of our new life in Christ. The depth of our relationship with Christ affects our conversations not only with our brothers and sisters in faith, but with everyone we meet wherever we are planted. To be deeply connected means we seek to connect in order to deepen relationships. Small talk is pointless in and of itself, but is good as it leads to deeper connections: faith, hope, love and the good news of Jesus. Staff & Elders: We come to know our value in relationship. Meetings are not for mere business so much as for vision-casting, skill-building and mutual encouragement. Imagine meetings that people could look forward to attending—connections matter.

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4. Ever-Sharing

The Gospel is not for the insiders but the outsiders. We are called to share the good news of God's love, and we never tire of giving and serving in Jesus' name. Our every activity and mission project mean to show the love and grace of Jesus, whom we are eager to share. Ever-sharing also means that we seek to be givers rather than takers—to give of ourselves in every way for the good of the gospel. Time, treasure and talents have been given to us by God for the uses he sets before us and it is our joy to give back all we can for God's glory. Staff & Elders: ministry is not ours to keep or preserve, but to multiply through sharing. As we empower others, we see the ministry develop in breadth, shape, and depth.