It is with great joy and humility that we introduce to you Faithfully Building Together: A 2-Year Plan for Vista Lutheran. This strategic plan, beginning in November 2021, will help guide us over the next 2 years to live into our mission of building relationships, creating opportunities, and making spaces to act on God’s love. This path forward is the result of visioning sessions held in early 2020, a church council retreat, various meetings of the Visioning Ministry, and of course the conversations that happen every day in our community. As we begin our faithful work together through this plan, we know that we will be asked to take risks, let go of some things, and jump into the unknown. But we take heart, knowing that nothing is impossible with God. You can view a recording of the presentation announcing this plan on November 14, 2021 here. If you have any questions or are want to get involved in bringing this plan to life, reach out to our Pastor, or stop by the church office.


Our Vision: We envision a community where all people are spiritually fulfilled, their needs are met, and God’s love abounds.

Our Mission: We are a faith community actively exploring how to love God, our neighbors, and ourselves through building relationships, creating opportunities, and making spaces to act on that love. 

Faith Formation

Faith formation is the name given to all opportunities and experiences intentionally created to nurture and grow Christian faith and practice for all ages. This includes classes, programs, events, service-learning, and much more.

Strategic Goals:

  • Create a culture where families are actively involved in children’s faith formation.

  • Create adult small group ministries to facilitate deeper relationships and faithful exploration of God, others, and self.

  • Create opportunities and spaces for individuals in the 3rd age to explore God’s love and calling in their current stage of life.

  • Provide regular public learning opportunities for exploring how God calls us to live in the world. 

  • Provide hands-on faith forming experiences outside the walls of Vista through regular service/immersive learning opportunities and always with a lens of accompaniment.

Invitation and Welcome

Invitation and welcome are intentional practices that meet people where they are and encompass people’s experience of being seen, accepted, celebrated for who God has made them to be, and invited into our community.

Strategic Goals:

  • Identify our mission field and target audiences and develop strategy for reaching and inviting them.

  • Establish a new member and visitor pathway.

  • Create a culture of inclusion through congregational initiatives and actions.

  • Create a model of shared ownership of community life that invites full participation and affirmation of each person.

Worship

Worship is a living embodiment of our relationship to God, we are connected as we express and live our faith as individuals and community.  

Strategic Goals:

  • Create a Worship Visioning team for the purpose of exploring and deepening the worship experience and growing/adapting our practice.

  • Examine and reform exclusive worship language and practices.

  • Investigate methods of digital worship and congregational gathering and develop and execute a strategy for greater presence and connection in the community.

  • Train volunteers and implement a home communion ministry to strengthen connection with those that are homebound.

  • Implement the new audio and video equipment for use in worship and equip members to participate in its use.

Justice and Community Partnership

Justice is a Gospel imperative. By exploring and engaging in work that seeks justice and community partnership, we live into our role as followers of Jesus. 

Strategic Goals:

  • Develop a racial justice statement that is affirmed by the congregation and guides Vista’s actions.

  • Develop and execute a strategy and framework for building equitable partnerships with community organizations and groups.

  • Establish a relevant presence in our community through attending community gatherings and being responsive to community needs.  

  • Establish a clear and participatory process for philanthropic giving to the community.

  • Discern congregational passions, identify relevant community needs, and engage in issue advocacy.

Governance and Operations

Coherent, intentional, and participatory governance structures and operations systems are important to supporting our mission and moving forward into who God is calling us to be.

Strategic Goals:

  • Update the governance and leadership structure of the congregation to be more mission-driven.

  • Finalize the Mission Endowment Fund bylaws, goals, and structures.

  • Evaluate operating, staffing, and financial processes and structures and make necessary changes to ensure effectiveness, sustainability, and mission-alignment.

Assets and Building

Effective stewardship of the assets and building we have available to us is crucial as we seek to grow and serve the world around us. Financial and property assets are tools for sharing Christ’s love and creating spaces and opportunities for others to do the same
Strategic Goals:

  • Evaluate the long-term financial sustainability of the congregation in the current model and investigate additional revenue streams.

  • Form a Building Visioning group to complete a building audit and identify possible future needs and opportunities that align with our mission.

  • Create an annual projected building and grounds maintenance calendar.

  • Develop an intentional and mission-aligned culture of generosity in the congregation.

Timeline

You can find an initial timeline of Faithfully Building Together in a graphic form here or a list form here. It may shift as we continue to work together over the next two years. While work on each goal will start in a specific time period, that work will often continue beyond the time period in which they are listed. You can see the graphic timeline for a different look at when each goal will be worked on.