Vision and Mission

A Purpose for the Congregation
Liberty Grove UMC January 1, 2008

We are to encourage communion with God [1], to create a community of people with one another [2], and show compassion to a broken and hurting world[3]. We will do this as a five STARS purpose driven church working on our communion with God through Adoring/Worship and Training/Discipleship. We will work on our community of people through Relating/Fellowship, and we will work on our compassion to a broken & hurting world through Serving/Missions and Sharing/ Evangelism as it is described in Acts 2: 42-47.

Acts 2 (NIV) The Five Purposes of the Church:
Missions, Discipleship, Worship, Fellowship, and Evangelism
Serving, Training, Adoring, Relating, Sharing (using S T A R S)

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching (Training) and to the fellowship (Relating), to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need (Serving). 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts (Adoring). They broke bread in their homes and ate together (Relating) with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number (Sharing) daily those who were being saved.

The unique opportunity of Liberty Grove UMC in the heart of Burtonsville calls us to develop as a “Five Stars Church”. This means using every creative way for everyone to grow in their faith, to take the next step in their walk following Jesus Christ [4]. The church will provide the ministry to equip and train each person to grow in their five areas of ministry.

[1] 28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.[5] 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'[6] (Mark 12: 28-30)

[2] 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[7] There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12: 31)

[3] 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' (Matt. 25: 35,36)

[4] 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in [1] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt. 28:19-20)