our vision
What is the vision for our local churches and ministries?
our vision at adk mission
Relationship-based communities of Christ-followers
who love God, love others, and make disciples of Jesus
across every corner of the Adirondack Mountain region.
this vision inspires us as we work with pastors and leaders!
Relationship based
Our vision is for churches and ministries characterized by genuine, life-giving relationships with God and each other, steering away from the temptation toward a more comfortable, ritualistic religion, or a consumer-oriented, spectator-based Christianity.
Our vision is for churches that are small enough to be genuine communities where everyone knows each other and grows in their walks with Jesus together.
communities
OF CHRIST FOLLOWERS
We envision a family of believers who follow Jesus with their lives, and with one another. Together, we are pursuing a pure and simple devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2-3), fully embracing that Jesus came to start a revolution, not a religion, and that he is not a powerless teacher, safe hobby, or spiritual vending machine; he is the Lord of our lives, and reigns as King.
We embrace the Father’s love, and love him in return, to worship him and walk confidently in our identities as sons and daughters of the living God.
who love god
Love Others
We love each other, and we love the people outside our churches – both within our own neighborhoods, and through significant giving to local outreach, domestic and international missions, and community revitalization.
Our vision is to counter cultural trends by lowering the bar on what it means to “do” church, while also raising the bar on what it means to be a disciple of our Lord. Each follower of Jesus serves as an actively functioning member in the Body of Christ – growing together as disciples and working to make disciples of those around them. We want everyone to move closer to Jesus – from those with serious doubts to more seasoned followers.
and make disciples
across every corner of the adirondack region
Although we are based in Saranac Lake, we long for a day when thousands of believers will gather from across the region to worship Jesus together as one. We know that the largest oak tree came from just one tiny acorn, but we need to expand our thinking even further. Within that single acorn is not just the potential for a huge tree, but rather an entire forest of trees. And while that may take a lifetime to achieve, the investment is worth it.
We believe this vision expressed across denominations is the most effective way to live out the list of “one anothers” found throughout the New Testament.
Click here for more information.
Why are we so ecumenical and cross-denominational in our work?
We are firmly convinced this is the best way to fulfill the Great Commission in the post-Christian, rural context of the Adirondack Mountain region.
The Bible makes it very clear that unity across the Body of Christ was critically important to both Jesus and the early church.
In the final hours of his earthly ministry, John 17:20-23 records that Jesus prayed to the Father for his disciples and for unity across those who would believe in him through their message.
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
Jesus’s prayer has not yet been answered.
When we fail to seek unity around our common mission, and instead emphasize our differences, we are contradicting the will of Jesus and the leadership of the church’s founding fathers. Jesus prayed that we would be one, as he is one with the Father. Our unity with one another should reflect the perfect unity found in the Trinity.
For more information, please click below to open a printer friendly pdf.
Get in touch with ADK Mission
CONTACT US
