Some smart individual once suggested that living out a Vision is 5% inspiration and 95% perspiration! That seems about right to me. The fact is, dramatic dreams require diligent execution, vision is empty without action. The real work occurs in taking our hopes and dreams and putting them into practice.
This Sunday is Vision Sunday 2023. This is not a moment of blue sky dreaming or a place for a handbrake-turn in direction. Rather it’s a time to reaffirm our core commitments and to outline some of the ways we plan to turn vision into action in this next season.
Our vision remains to:
“Call our City to Life”.
We believe in the power of Jesus to transform people and places. Our desire is to see the inhabitants of our city and surroundings impacted and transformed through encounter with the living God.
We build upon the same pillars:
• Engaging in bold outreach
• Encountering God (Father, Son and Spirit)
• Encouraging transformative relationships.
“Let all the people praise you” is a rallying cry as we begin the next season.
Psalm 67
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us
2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.
This is a heart cry that expresses the desire of God: Father, Son and Spirit, to sweep us up and into the circle of their shared life. It is an outburst of praise that gives voice to the rich life-changing encounter that God promises to all who chase after him.
It’s a passion to see many others caught up in this life of God as they hear, see and respond to the good news. Of course that requires us to be brave and to share our stories of lives touched by Him and His story of enduring and costly love.
To help us call people to know and praise him we will be relaunching the Alpha course from 4th October. We have an experienced and enthusiastic team. However, it’s not an Alpha course without guests! So please be thinking and praying about who to invite.
And did I mention, Sept 17th will be an Alpha service, with a special guest speaker?
Look out too for “Life the Universe and Everything” -an evening with Prof David Wilkinson on Fri. 27th October aimed at helping believers and non-believers make connections between science and faith.
Look out for details and save the dates on the “What’s on?” leaflet.
And remember, check out the website www.qpbc.org
We all have stories to tell about God at work in our lives and we will celebrate those on Sunday. You might like to prepare by thinking of a “Before God” and an “After God “moment you have experienced that you can put into a handful of words that you would be happy to write out when we gather. We won’t be asking you to share your brief testimony from the front – so don’t panic, but we are also open to offers!
The following Sunday (10th Sept) will be our “Vision Giving Sunday”. This year we will highlight the offering of ourselves, our abilities and gifts, rather than our finances – though we will have a shout-out for our general fund giving which is our core financial base and which we are seeking to rebuild.
Thinking about how we connect and contribute, this may also be a time to consider getting involved in a life group. These meet regularly in people’s homes and are a great place to get to know people, to learn and serve together.
For more info see the website and to get connected contact brodie@qpbc.org
Come on, join in – may all the people praise you
I will mention some resources on Sunday to help us all share faith here are some ideas that will help build confidence in the message
Books
- Justin Brierley, ‘The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God’ (out in September)
- Tom Holland, “Dominion” -The incontestable positive impact of Christian faith on Western values
- Stephen Meyer “The Return of the God Hypothesis” – for science geeks!
Podcast
- Re-enchanted interviews with people who have come to faith
Iain