“From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded.” (Exodus 17:1)

“I can see clearly now the rain is gone / I can see all obstacles in my way / Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind” (Johnny Nash)

“Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again.” (Joseph Campbell)

The council/session of the Open Door Church met Saturday, February 10th for a special retreat/workshop. A report will be shared with the congregation Sunday, March 10th following worship. This post is a reflection on a couple of the areas we discussed and discerned: the church’s vision and mission; the need for office and worship space.

Vision/Mission: The goal was to discern or make clear the vision of where God is leading Open Door. Mission follows vision: What will the church DO to fulfill the vision? Both vision and mission were clarified. It was somewhat surprising to discover both were already in plain sight. More later on 3/10.

Space: Rental agreements with the Union Project (office space) and The Neighborhood Academy (worship space) were reviewed. A task force will be created to determine if current agreements and space allocations are adequate now and for the future.

All three (vision, mission, space) are about the identity of Open Door and will impact the search for your next Pastor. After 20 years, what has changed about Open Door? Who are you now? Who does God want you too be in… 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? And what skills will your next Pastor need to possess in order to help you fulfill your mission?

Questions, questions, questions. Now it’s time to look for answers.