New Vision For Ithaca UMC
On June 14, 2021, the Administrative Board adopted the work of the Vision Framing Team as the new official Mission and Vision guidelines for Ithaca United Methodist Church. This vision will give us clarity as we seek to follow where God is leading us and determine the future direction of our ministry.
The work began in May of 2019, when a group of people from within the Ithaca United Methodist Church (under the guidance of outside consultants) began to develop what we call a Vision Frame. This group of faithful, hard-working servants, who love this church, spent about 60 hours together, over a two-year period, as they worked to learn, think, discuss, pray, and put ideas down to try to discern God’s will for the future direction of our church.
The process that this “Vision Framing Team” went through led them to think about how we as a unique church...
· can leverage our strengths and spiritual gifts,
· using the passions that God has put within us
· to minister to our unique community (which has its own unique set of needs)
so that we can effectively do what Jesus has commanded us to do: go and make disciples.
The specific process that the team followed helped them come up with a vision frame that will guide in picturing the Where and What of how Christ wants us to carry out his great commission. They did not try to come up with ideas about what kind of ministry we should be doing now because whatever ministry is started today may likely be outdated and irrelevant in a just a few years.
The team worked on a framework for guiding our church so that as we change what we do, we will still be going the same direction. Our vision frame will keep us focused on the mountain that God wants us to climb even as the terrain of the mountain changes. It will show us what we want our church to look like as we are going. And our vision will also show us what we don’t want to do. In other words, it will keep us from chasing rabbits in a different direction from the vision that God has given us.
As you view the video and ponder the information regarding our Vision Frame, consider how you might be willing to be a part of this growing vision for our church.
On June 14, 2021, the Administrative Board adopted the work of the Vision Framing Team as the new official Mission and Vision guidelines for Ithaca United Methodist Church. This vision will give us clarity as we seek to follow where God is leading us and determine the future direction of our ministry.
The work began in May of 2019, when a group of people from within the Ithaca United Methodist Church (under the guidance of outside consultants) began to develop what we call a Vision Frame. This group of faithful, hard-working servants, who love this church, spent about 60 hours together, over a two-year period, as they worked to learn, think, discuss, pray, and put ideas down to try to discern God’s will for the future direction of our church.
The process that this “Vision Framing Team” went through led them to think about how we as a unique church...
· can leverage our strengths and spiritual gifts,
· using the passions that God has put within us
· to minister to our unique community (which has its own unique set of needs)
so that we can effectively do what Jesus has commanded us to do: go and make disciples.
The specific process that the team followed helped them come up with a vision frame that will guide in picturing the Where and What of how Christ wants us to carry out his great commission. They did not try to come up with ideas about what kind of ministry we should be doing now because whatever ministry is started today may likely be outdated and irrelevant in a just a few years.
The team worked on a framework for guiding our church so that as we change what we do, we will still be going the same direction. Our vision frame will keep us focused on the mountain that God wants us to climb even as the terrain of the mountain changes. It will show us what we want our church to look like as we are going. And our vision will also show us what we don’t want to do. In other words, it will keep us from chasing rabbits in a different direction from the vision that God has given us.
As you view the video and ponder the information regarding our Vision Frame, consider how you might be willing to be a part of this growing vision for our church.
Welcome Back To Worship!
As of June 22nd, the Governor of the State of Michigan has rescinded all her COVID-19 pandemic orders regarding gatherings and masking restrictions, reopening the state for normal business. We, too, are no longer asking you to abide by the safe worship guidelines we set up in May of 2020. That means that regarding…
· Face Masks – You don’t need to be concerned about wearing a face mask.
· Handshakes – You may shake hands and hug if the other person is comfortable with that.
· Social Distancing – You no longer need to remain six feet apart, although some space helps others to feel more comfortable. We may not get COVID-19 from one another, but we may accidentally pass along a cold.
· Seating – No seats will be roped off so you may sit wherever and with whomever you like in the Sanctuary.
· Hand Sanitation stations will remain around the building. It is always a good idea to clean your hands regularly after being in contact with people and objects in a public building.
Regarding bulletins, how we receive the offering, and the method we will use to participate in communion – those things will continue to be evaluated and nuanced for effectiveness and observing the best sanitary practices.
Streaming our Worship will remain. We will continue to conduct our Sunday Morning Worship service in a way that will help those watching online to feel as much a part of the service as those who are attending in person.
One factor that is constant in life is change. The COVID-19 pandemic has sped up some changes for us. It has changed us individually and it has changed us and the way we function and worship as a church. We have come through this pandemic and will continue to grow and change as we worship and serve the Lord Jesus Christ together.
As of June 22nd, the Governor of the State of Michigan has rescinded all her COVID-19 pandemic orders regarding gatherings and masking restrictions, reopening the state for normal business. We, too, are no longer asking you to abide by the safe worship guidelines we set up in May of 2020. That means that regarding…
· Face Masks – You don’t need to be concerned about wearing a face mask.
· Handshakes – You may shake hands and hug if the other person is comfortable with that.
· Social Distancing – You no longer need to remain six feet apart, although some space helps others to feel more comfortable. We may not get COVID-19 from one another, but we may accidentally pass along a cold.
· Seating – No seats will be roped off so you may sit wherever and with whomever you like in the Sanctuary.
· Hand Sanitation stations will remain around the building. It is always a good idea to clean your hands regularly after being in contact with people and objects in a public building.
Regarding bulletins, how we receive the offering, and the method we will use to participate in communion – those things will continue to be evaluated and nuanced for effectiveness and observing the best sanitary practices.
Streaming our Worship will remain. We will continue to conduct our Sunday Morning Worship service in a way that will help those watching online to feel as much a part of the service as those who are attending in person.
One factor that is constant in life is change. The COVID-19 pandemic has sped up some changes for us. It has changed us individually and it has changed us and the way we function and worship as a church. We have come through this pandemic and will continue to grow and change as we worship and serve the Lord Jesus Christ together.
Spring/Summer Sermon Series
There is a danger for all of us to substitute religious thoughts and activities for genuine Christian teaching and behaviors. We try to DO Christianity rather than BE a Christian. This spring and summer we are going to consider how we can be a Christian without being religious as we look at the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome. Paul’s letter to the Romans is perhaps the most complete and clear statement in the Bible of what it means to be a Christian.
But as we look at the book of Romans with our intellect and try to get God’s thoughts into our heads, let’s allow His great love and grace to soak into our souls, as well. Try to understand the truth – but hear the music of God's power, enjoy the fragrance of God's love, feel the rich texture of His grace for you, and dance to the rhythm of God's joyful presence. Don’t be religious, be a Christian.
There is a danger for all of us to substitute religious thoughts and activities for genuine Christian teaching and behaviors. We try to DO Christianity rather than BE a Christian. This spring and summer we are going to consider how we can be a Christian without being religious as we look at the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome. Paul’s letter to the Romans is perhaps the most complete and clear statement in the Bible of what it means to be a Christian.
But as we look at the book of Romans with our intellect and try to get God’s thoughts into our heads, let’s allow His great love and grace to soak into our souls, as well. Try to understand the truth – but hear the music of God's power, enjoy the fragrance of God's love, feel the rich texture of His grace for you, and dance to the rhythm of God's joyful presence. Don’t be religious, be a Christian.
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Regular (Non-COVID) Office Hours
Sunday: 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM Monday: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Thursday: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Friday: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Saturday: Closed |
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