Harundale Presbyterian Church Beliefs

 

 

We believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  God is the creator; God's creation is good.  Humankind sinned against God.  In spite of humankind’s sinful nature, God so loved the world that he sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem humankind. 

 

Jesus provides a role model for a righteous life.  Accepting Jesus as our savior, our sins are forgiven and through his resurrection we have hope and assurance of eternal life with God.    

 

Since by grace we are saved, in gratitude we respond to God's call by living a Christ-like life.  The Holy Spirit works through Christians to enhance our understanding of scripture, allowing us to share God’s word and fulfill God’s will.  Scripture guides us as we follow Jesus.  Jesus said, -- "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  [Matthew 22: 37 - 39]

 

 

Our Current Mission Environment

 

Harundale Presbyterian Church is centered in an older, low growth area of Glen Burnie.  We are located in Anne Arundel County which has a high cost of living.  While generally reflecting a traditional middle class family structure, there are single parent families, some families with low levels of education and whose financial means are very close to the poverty level and still others with minimal resources and skills to cope with the modern world.  In addition, rapidly occurring changes in our societal structure have created different life styles.  Also, there are families from different cultural backgrounds. These differences challenge us as a congregation accustomed to traditional life style. We do not know the hidden needs of our community--physical, educational or spiritual.

 

Our congregation, in decline, does not fully reflect our community. In general, our congregation is not as diverse, is more elderly and is more successful in education, financial well being and family stability. Harundale Presbyterian Church began as a community church with most members living in the local community.  Our church is physically in the community, but we are no longer a part of it.

 

We are proud of our current mission efforts.  Our church has addressed the obvious suffering of those that are homeless, jobless or in financial difficulties for many years.  We recognize that these children of God must be fed, clothed and housed.  Currently our congregation’s missions are:

Local:

 

  • Providing warm meals to community members. 
  • Providing supplementary foodstuffs and clothing.
  • Providing assistance to those who are unable to pay their utility bills. 
  • Participating as a Habitat for Humanity covenanting church. 
  • Maintaining a church owned house that provides transitional housing.
  • Participating with many denominations in a Winter Shelter and a Transitional Housing program for the homeless.
  • Sponsoring multi-dimensional youth outreach programs that are faith based.
  • Sponsoring a Boy Scout troop.
  • Supporting a weekday nursery school.
  • Making our facility available to community groups.
  • Providing additional spiritual development and mission projects, globally and locally, through Presbyterian Women. 

 

Global:

 

  • Supporting Disaster Relief efforts
  • Funding scholarships for Guatemala children
  • Supporting AIDS programs in Africa

 

In spite of the above programs, we have concerns for our adult and youth spiritual development.  Our Christian Education as well as our mission programs all pursue their own vision.   The understanding of what it means to be Christians and our spiritual growth do not match our mission hopes, resulting in limited support for and participation in our existing programs.  Clearly, a unified and unifying vision is needed.         “… that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. “ ( 1Corinthians 1:10 NVS).

 

 

Our Vision

 

We bear the name of Christ and therefore are called to proclaim in word and deed His faith, love and hope to our congregation and our community of neighbors.

 

We envision growing in spiritual maturity through worship, education and mission, empowering our congregation to hear and respond to our Christian calling. 

 

We envision a community that is unified in the peaceful pursuit of happiness and that continues to grow spiritually.  We envision a community where social justice and equality are paramount, where all members of the community have a true sense of security and have opportunities for the future.  We envision a community where everyone has an opportunity to be elevated out of poverty and is confident in God’s saving grace. 

 

As instruments of God’s grace we are called to pursue this vision with our many talents and gifts to the glory of God.           "Your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10 NVS).

 

 

 

 

Mission Analysis

 

Gaps exist between our beliefs, our vision and our current mission.  We must:

 

  • Promote meaningful worship services that inspire and empower
  • Advance spiritual development of our congregation and our community
  • Nourish and expand our caring fellowship
  • Revitalize, strengthen and expand our commitment to our existing community programs
  • Expand our programs to meet new needs of the community

 

As we pursue our vision we must actively involve ourselves in God’s work.  To this end, Harundale Presbyterian Church must provide the foundation for meaningful worship in a welcoming environment, with spiritually enriching programs.  This congregation will pray and work for and with the community to extend God's love and grace to all.  

"... I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."  (John 13: 34 – 35)

 

 

 

Three Year Initiatives

 

We believe that Harundale Presbyterian Church should focus on the following initiatives:

 

  1. SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT – We will enhance our congregation’s spiritual growth through preaching of the Word and revitalizing our total Christian Education, family nurture and discipleship ministries.
  2. COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH – We will intensify our publicity efforts with the hope of better communicating with both our congregation and community about the programs of our church.  In doing so, we will spread the Word of God to all.
  3. MISSION – We will expand mission projects to encourage greater participation of the congregation and community.
  4. WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT – We will provide a more welcoming environment by enhancing the physical attributes of the church and personally reaching out to all who enter through our doors.
  5. WORSHIP STYLES – We will expand the opportunities for more varied styles of worship available to the congregation and community.

 

 

Justification for Three Year Plan

 

We are a church in decline.  The initiatives that follow are attempts to physically and spiritually reverse the trend.

 

  1. THE SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE – The lifeblood of any successful church is a vibrant, active Christ-centered ministry and Christian Education program.  To this end, we seek to encourage our congregation to expand its own spiritual growth.
  2. THE COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH INITIATIVE – The gap between our community and our church is wide.  In order to narrow this gap, we must seek ways to communicate to and inform the community about our church.  This will enable us to better identify and meet their needs.
  3. THE MISSION INITIATIVE – We believe a gap exists between our current mission efforts and the community’s knowledge of these projects.  In our mission projects, we seek to involve the congregation and community.
  4. THE WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE – We have not taken full advantage of our desirable location to make our church more attractive to potential members.  Therefore, we wish to enhance our physical appearance.  In addition, we will offer ourselves in Christian fellowship to all who enter to enhance their worship experience.
  5. THE WORSHIP STYLE INITIATIVE – Our worship is very traditional and those attending feel good about it.  However, there is a need to develop alternative styles to attract new members and those currently not attending. 

 

First Year Strategies

 

  1. Create and expand Christian Education programs to assist the congregation in recognizing, developing and using their spiritual gifts.
  2. Expand and invigorate all internal and external forms of communication.
  3. Educate congregation and community regarding current on-going mission projects.
  4. Initiate possible options for internal and external physical enhancements in order to create a more welcoming environment.  We will also educate the congregation in welcoming and reaching out to all who enter through our doors.
  5. Pursue options for alternative worship experiences.