OUR VISION
Our vision for (the future of) Calverton Baptist Church is based on what Scripture teaches us regarding our purpose, on the fuelling and directing of the Spirit amongst us, and on the open-door opportunities for translating the Gospel for an expanding suburban village in the 21st century. Since the Calverton Baptist cause is almost 200 years old, we are very much aware that we need to transition from ‘inherited church’ to ‘emerging church’. Because of the age imbalance of our present membership, our priority concern must be to relate – and relate the gospel of Jesus - to younger people and especially to young families, many recently arrived. We need to plant and nurture a renewed church for them.
To that end, we have adopted – from 2022 onwards – a 5-year ‘Carey Project’ with C A R E Y as the acronym for a progressive programme of Commending, Acquainting, Restoring, Engaging and Yielding. We’ve sought to emphasize themes from Carey’s work in India – outreach, biblical fidelity, New Testament church principles, involvement with local community, and submitting to God’s will for the future (and the future staffing) of our church. Throughout this process, we really are ‘expecting great things from God and attempting great things for God’
Look at this picture. The ‘new’ would seem to grow out of – and be nourished by – the existing ‘old.’ But it would need to develop differently. The sapling in the picture grows in and out of the old stump but it may not be growing from a seed of the old tree. A bird may have dropped a seed from a different kind of tree from somewhere else. The old stump would nevertheless adopt and nurture the new growth toward a brighter future long after the old had crumbled.
Our primary function, nurtured by our inheritance (as Bible-believing Baptists) must be to faithfully and sacrificially fulfil our commission to reach out and build up Jesus’ church (Matthew 28:16-20) - and conduct our life together in the awareness that we are accountable to Him (Ephesians 4:14-16).
Because we are also aware of how communication and community ‘works’ in our village of Calverton, we are concerned to put all our resources – time, energy, and funding – into developing a ‘nonconformist’ Jesus-style church life that majors on friendship, openness, availability - and helping people discover their true identity as children of God. Our premises and our property must therefore be utilised, modified, developed, and equipped with that in mind.
In terms of church growth, it is our expectation that as we learn to function in a Spirit-led and Christ-centred way, we will be blessed with ‘enlargement’ as the Lord adds to our number – as in the beginning (Acts 2:42-7). But our ‘discipleship’ orientation -
(see DISCIPLESHIP tab) puts the target of faithfulness and commitment before that of numerical increase.
Our Vision is primarily that of listening to what the Spirit is saying to our church – in a society where many churches are closing - and being as flexible, adaptable, and obedient as Jesus requires. And if it is his desire that we ‘mutate’ into something hitherto unprecedented we must be prepared for the shift. Because of our Baptist heritage, however, our Declaration of Principle -
(see WHAT WE BELIEVE tab) provides us with foundational security as we grow into an adventurous and exciting future. For growth and fruits, we need roots as well as shoots.
To that end, we have adopted – from 2022 onwards – a 5-year ‘Carey Project’ with C A R E Y as the acronym for a progressive programme of Commending, Acquainting, Restoring, Engaging and Yielding. We’ve sought to emphasize themes from Carey’s work in India – outreach, biblical fidelity, New Testament church principles, involvement with local community, and submitting to God’s will for the future (and the future staffing) of our church. Throughout this process, we really are ‘expecting great things from God and attempting great things for God’
Look at this picture. The ‘new’ would seem to grow out of – and be nourished by – the existing ‘old.’ But it would need to develop differently. The sapling in the picture grows in and out of the old stump but it may not be growing from a seed of the old tree. A bird may have dropped a seed from a different kind of tree from somewhere else. The old stump would nevertheless adopt and nurture the new growth toward a brighter future long after the old had crumbled.
Our primary function, nurtured by our inheritance (as Bible-believing Baptists) must be to faithfully and sacrificially fulfil our commission to reach out and build up Jesus’ church (Matthew 28:16-20) - and conduct our life together in the awareness that we are accountable to Him (Ephesians 4:14-16).
Because we are also aware of how communication and community ‘works’ in our village of Calverton, we are concerned to put all our resources – time, energy, and funding – into developing a ‘nonconformist’ Jesus-style church life that majors on friendship, openness, availability - and helping people discover their true identity as children of God. Our premises and our property must therefore be utilised, modified, developed, and equipped with that in mind.
In terms of church growth, it is our expectation that as we learn to function in a Spirit-led and Christ-centred way, we will be blessed with ‘enlargement’ as the Lord adds to our number – as in the beginning (Acts 2:42-7). But our ‘discipleship’ orientation -
(see DISCIPLESHIP tab) puts the target of faithfulness and commitment before that of numerical increase.
Our Vision is primarily that of listening to what the Spirit is saying to our church – in a society where many churches are closing - and being as flexible, adaptable, and obedient as Jesus requires. And if it is his desire that we ‘mutate’ into something hitherto unprecedented we must be prepared for the shift. Because of our Baptist heritage, however, our Declaration of Principle -
(see WHAT WE BELIEVE tab) provides us with foundational security as we grow into an adventurous and exciting future. For growth and fruits, we need roots as well as shoots.