Mission and Vision of Springville First United Methodist Church, 474 E. Main St., Springville, NY 14174 (716)592-7451

Our mission at the Springville First United Methodist Church is to make disciples.  Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:19–20 provide the Church with our mission: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you."  This is in agreement with the mission of the United Methodist Church.

Vision statements: Worship, Learning/Equipping, Community, Outreach

Worship:   Experiencing God through praise, prayers, music, thanksgiving, traditions, stories, scripture and sacraments.

Quotes from the Bible guiding our Worship vision statement:  

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  

I Corinthians 14:26  When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation.  All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.

Ephesians 5:19-20  Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Complete vision statement for Worship:  

Expect the unexpected as Springville First United Methodist Church comes alive in praise, adoration, and glory to our risen Lord and Savior.  Join us as we worship God through our songs, music, traditions, stories, and sacraments.  You will experience the warmth and joy of God’s love and the power of His spirit as he speaks to each of us through the reading of His word, singing hymns of praise, offering our thanks, and praying on behalf of all His people.

Note: The “God’s Leading…We’re Reaching” program which began in 2000 responded to the need for additional seating during worship services by remodeling the sanctuary to add 50 seats with space to set up folding chairs if necessary.  The new Family Life Center which was built provides an alternate space for up to 400 people to gather for worship.  

Learning/Equipping:  Learning for the purpose of growing spiritually and equipping each person to do good works.

Quotes from the Bible guiding our learning/equipping vision statement:

Ephesians 4:11-13  It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for words of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

2 Timothy 3:16-17  All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Complete vision statement for Learning/Equipping:

At Springville First United Methodist Church we will endeavor to provide a broad spectrum of Biblically-based, practically-applied instruction which cuts across generational boundaries, encourages personal interaction and addresses the needs represented by its members and friends.  We will engage in comprehensive discipling for the purpose of equipping each person to carry out his/her unique ministry within the church as well as beyond its doors.

Note: The “God’s Leading…We’re reaching” program responded to the need for five additional classrooms and a children’s activity area.

Community: Loving and caring for the needs of the people who attend this church.

Quotes from the Bible guiding our community mission statement:

I Corinthians 12: 12-13  The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts…So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body.

Acts 2:42-47  They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread together in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Matthew 18:30  For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them.

Complete vision statement for Community:

We are looking for people who want to become part of a warm, friendly, caring church.  As we share, sing, pray, worship, serve, and learn together, we experience unity through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Just as we take care of our own bodies, we are committed to loving and caring for the needs of the body of Christ—the Christian Community.

Note: The “God’s Leading….We’re Reaching” program responded to our growing congregation’s need for space to meet.  The new Family Life Center is a multiple-purpose facility that will offer a wide variety of activities and be open to the entire community.  The traditional “parlor” has been transformed into space for mingling that offers a coffee bar, additional space for coats, direct access to a library, and a garden patio overlooking a park-like setting.    

Outreach:  Putting love for Christ into action by reaching out and caring for others.

Bible quotation guiding our vision statement for outreach:

Matthew 25: 37-40:  Then the righteous will answer Him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you?”  The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Complete vision statement for Outreach:

At Springville First United Methodist Church, we will show love and compassion by reaching out and caring for those who are in need.  We will also care for brothers and sisters in our community as well as area churches.  As we model the example of our servant-leader, Jesus Christ, by nurturing, caring for, providing support and offering prayers for others, we proclaim by our example the gospel of salvation and win hearts and souls for Christ.

Note: One of the “God’s Leading….We’re Reaching” program goals was increasing accessibility by adding ground level access to the sanctuary and elevator access to all other levels of the building.  

Revising our vision statements: Every few years a brainstorming group representative of all facets of our church population is formed to examine the vision statements and suggest new ways to carry out our mission statement.  The Dream Team II, beginning in October 2001, came up with over 100 new ideas.  The ideas are evaluated, prioritized and developed into programs.