Our Mission and Vision

Our New Light Leadership Community had an opportunity to spend a full day together this week on a little leadership retreat. We shared morning prayer and worship together, had lunch together, and broke for prayer several times over the course of the morning and afternoon. In the midst of this prayerful setting, our primary task was to consider some larger-picture issues of leadership and vision as we continue to develop this exciting new faith community in Portland.

Here are some of the fruits of our prayer and discussion:

A new mission statement for New Light:

• The New Light community exists as a safe place to explore the way of Jesus and to express God’s love in our neighborhood and world.

A new vision statement for New Light:

• New Light envisions a world that embraces community, celebrates inclusivity, expresses creativity, seeks transformation, and practices simplicity.

And then further exploration of the core values identified in the vision statement:

• Community: Faith is a journey best traveled with others who share common values and a common commitment to life together. We strive to be formed as a community steeped in God’s love, expressed in loving relationships with one another, and engaged in the larger community in which we live.
  
• Inclusivity: No one is outside the bounds of God’s grace. We strive to practice generous hospitality, welcoming and embracing everyone with the same love we have received from God. We affirm the sacred worth of every human being – no exceptions.
  
• Creativity: At the foundation of our faith is the story of a God we call Creator – a God who is continually in the process of creating, who gifts us with creativity and invites us to create. We strive to incorporate music, drama, visual arts, dance, and other creative elements in all that we do.
  
• Transformation: As we journey inward, we strive for transformed lives that better reflect the love of Christ; as we journey outward, we strive for a transformed world that better reflects God’s vision of peace and justice.
  
• Simplicity: In a world preoccupied with materialism, consumption, and greed, we long for a simpler way. We strive to live simply, both individually and in our life together; to generously share our resources and practice faithful stewardship of God’s Creation.

What do you think? Do these faithfully represent your experience of the New Light community? Are they statements that express your vision for our community and for God's kingdom?