The Need, Focus & Mission
Mission Statement
Believing that the Scriptures are the essential means by which God chooses to reveal himself and empower his church in ministry and mission, Connections provides support and resources for pastors in leading their congregations into a consistent regular encounter with God in his Word.The Need
Pastors and churches across the country face significant challenges in mission and ministry in this changing culture.Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, a leading spokesman for the Evangelical movement, recently expressed his alarm at the results of a ministry effectiveness survey taken of his 20,000-member congregation. The survey revealed a spiritual hunger among those coming into the faith, but even more alarming, a spiritual stagnation for believers desiring to grow in their faith.
Shock waves from this study, published in “Reveal: Where Are You?” by Greg Haskins and Cally Parkinson, are reverberating throughout the Evangelical world and causing many church leaders to question the common emphasis on bigger and better programs.
These studies demonstrate the overwhelming need for ministries that develop disciples through teaching, personal and small group Bible study, prayer, and other spiritual disciplines for each willing member of a congregation. The need for resources and tools to meet this spiritual hunger, and for spiritual nourishment of the pastors who are challenged in providing for the needs of their congregation, is clearly evident.
Pastors Need Resources and Support
Professor Andre Purvis, author of The Crucifixion of Ministry, writes about pastors and others in Christian leadership, “Many of us are professionally, spiritually and financially depressed… Excessive demands on time, conflicts within congregations and between ministers and members, loss of personal spiritual life, and loneliness, account for a deep malaise within our professional and personal lives.”
Connections seeks to meet the need of over-burdened ministers by providing resources that enable them to preach well-planned sermon series from the scriptures that are directly tied to congregation-wide small group Bible discussions.