Vision
In order to do this, we see Fair Haven as being a church of:
Authentic Relationships. With God- We believe that the most fundamental relationship that people can have is an active, living relationship with God through Jesus Christ His Son. Our worship services will reflect this as we seek to provide an authentic, inspiring and joy-filled worship experience which draws people into God’s Word and into His presence through song, prayer, etc. We believe that this relationship with God is developed fully only in as far as the relationships that we have with other believers are developed fully as well. With Others- Fair Haven will be a church composed of small groups where people experience authentic relationships- forming biblical community. They will be places where people are accepted and loved, encouraged and served, discipled and equipped. These small groups will influence the neighborhoods that they are located in by taking advantage of the opportunities presented to them to be practical expressions of the love of Christ. Our goal is that every neighborhood in Middletown and the surrounding area (Odessa, Townsend, even extending to portions of Newark and Delaware City) will have a small group meeting in it preparing its people for acts of service.
Service. Fair Haven will truly be a church “for the community” engaged in various creative acts of service and ministry in our area of influence. Fair Haven will also build a facility that will do more than accommodate the growth of our congregation- it will be a so-called “hub of the community” in the sense that it will be a central location, accessible to all in the area, being used in a wide variety of creative ways to serve the people living around us. Our goal will be to, one day, have something going on every night so that the Middletown community will know Fair Haven as the place that seeks to serve them and which is constantly finding news ways to demonstrate God’s love.
Acceptance. Fair Haven will be a church that meets people where they are. We realize that people come to us with not only a variety of backgrounds, but a variety of spiritual needs. We envision Fair Haven as being a church that is prepared to meet people where they are in their relationship with God and then help them to grow in that relationship. We begin by providing a Sunday morning service that is welcoming, friendly, creative and inspirational. We will then seek to provide and encourage our people to take advantage of various opportunities for learning and growth geared to their own stage in life and spiritual maturity.
Preparation. We will be a church that trains and prepares people for the specific calling that God has for their life. Our desire is for all of our people- youth as well as adults- to discover their own giftedness so that they are equipped to serve Christ effectively in some ministry either within or outside our church (we believe that every member ought to be a minister). We envision sending many of our members out as missionaries and church planters and we will take pride in the idea that God will use our church as a training ground and a launching pad for Him to send His people out to build His kingdom in other areas of the world.
Mission
To develop a core of mature believers. We understand that in order for our vision to become a reality, we must begin with a strong foundation to build upon and with gaining the resources needed to build. The key resource in God’s economy is committed people: people who are committed to being good stewards of what God has gifted them with- from their spiritual gifts and abilities to their possessions and their time. This type of commitment is a natural byproduct of maturity in the faith. Thus, our immediate mission is to:
1) Attract more people- Our main goal is to attract non-believers so that they may experience the transforming power of Christ’s love and so that God’s kingdom will be expanded. However, we do realize that God does bring to us those who are already part of the faith in order to help us to accomplish the vision He has given us. In either case, we need to reevaluate our ministries to test their appropriateness and effectiveness in attracting new attendees to our congregation.
Some of our current hot spots are:
- We must do our best to make the Everett Theatre and the Annex as welcoming and comfortable as possible to visitors. This includes not only the cleanliness of the facilities (as well as the aesthetics of our set-up), but also the manner in which visitors are greeted and made to feel welcome.
- We must evaluate the types of ministries that are offered to those coming to us. Do we have something that meets the needs of each person regardless of where they are on their spiritual journey? Clearly, our Homegroups are a big part of that equation- but what other things could we be doing for those who may feel initially intimidated by such an intimate setting? How are we meeting the needs of parents with children of various ages?
- We must evaluate our outreach/marketing strategies. How is our name getting out into the community?
2) Develop these people (as well as those who are currently with us) into mature believers through a variety of methods:
- Establish a leadership-training track for all ministry leaders so that leaders are matured and so that they are equipped to mentor others in their growth.
- Establish various doctrine classes as well as felt need groups- allowing for a diversity of topics and levels of intimacy that can be experienced by those attending.
- Structure, structure, structure. We need to reevaluate our structural system and rebuild. How are we training and equipping? What is the path that we seek for our members to walk in their growth?