The most hopeless people in the world are people who recognize that they have a problem, but have no vision from God about how to solve that problem. Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
Everybody ends up somewhere in life. A few people end up somewhere on purpose. Those are the ones with vision. The most practical advantage of vision is it sets a direction for our lives. It serves as a road map.
Vision provides the push through the problems. Vision provides the energy for the effort. Without vision our passion leaks, our agendas surface, our production falls, and our people scatter.
In the pages of the Old Testament is a journal of a man who stands tall as a person with vision and rebuilt what was broken. Nehemiah’s name means “The Lord’s Comfort.” Nehemiah’s visionary efforts brought comfort to God’s people in a time of need.
The lessons in Nehemiah are so relevant today. We need vision to learn:
- How to pray about our problems.
- How to plan our work and work our plans
- How to set God-given goals
- How motivate others when morale is low
When these spiritual things are transformed, physical things can be seen. For fifteen years Pastor Barton has led our church through changes that would prepare us for ministry in the future. We have gone through ministry change—eliminating fruitless efforts and scheduling burdens. We have gone through location change—moving from an area of town that was proving to be ineffective to a more centralized location that is highly visible. We have gone through financial change—despair and near bankruptcy to freedom and being debt free.
While there have been changes, these were foundational in helping us with our operative. These following things never change and I am excited to continue leading this congregation to fulfill the dream and reach our potential in these areas:
- CONNECTING as a church family through fellowship.
- WORSHIPPING God through meaningful services.
- PROVIDING for ministry through Biblical stewardship.
- ENVISIONING the future with a strategic plan
"...that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel." - Philippians 1:27
Some of the goals we have are to continue adding Connection Classes and small groups for the congregation. People need to identify with people, not a logo or purpose statement.
We hope to begin Central Baptist Preschool for one to three year old's. This ministry can allow us to be a minster in our community to mostly young families, allowing us to reach them with the Gospel.
Gifted as a teacher, our Pastor wants to expand his pulpit ministry, Central Connection through the internet and local television, while expanding a national radio outreach.
Realizing that music drifts with the culture, we hope to institute the Central Music Academy that work with members of area churches in the matter of individual voice, choral, and orchestral instruments for the advancement of the kingdom work at Central and with other ministries.
See the vision? We are establishing faith before works; spiritual before physical; preparation before performance and God before man.