Church Vision Poem

The church of our future

There once was a church in a small market town,

It was known for its heart and historic renown,

Once known as rebels, heretics and fools,

For having one of the nations first baptismal pools

They fought for liberty, fairness and peace,

Fought for the oppressed and freedom of speech.

400 years later, their heart still remains

For the last and the lost, those depressed and in pain

For the rejected and hopeless and those in the dark,

The down and the hurting, those with broken hearts

They open their doors and welcome them in,

No judgement of lifestyle, past mistakes or of sin

Not because their standards are compromised or low,

But because they acknowledge weve all got dirt on our robes!

We all need help when we get into trouble,

We all need kindness, most of us double

So thats who they are and a bit where theyve been,

Now to the future, the bit thats unseen

Theyve wrestled and wondered, theyve thought & theyve dreamed,

Of what church might look like in far distant scenes

And a vision appeared and captured their minds,

Both exciting and scary at the same time,

Of expanding the boundaries of the walls and the floors

Creating a space with more open doors

Not to simply be bigger in size,

But to create a space where community thrives,

A space where family and friendships are formed,

A home where life, hope and laughter are born

Dont get me wrong theyre doing it now,

But this vision was bolder and made them think wow!

What if we did church like it used to be done,

When Gods family reached out and loved everyone!

What if we had rooms that locals could use,

Where community groups crossed and shared passions and views

Where choirs could sing and children could dance,

And the disabled and impaired were given a chance

What if the poor were cared for, respected

Given self-worth, no longer dejected

What if we had coffee and food that was homely

And we invited the isolated, vulnerable and lonely

What if we truly valued our young,

And gave them an example of how life could be done,

And gave them the space to fail and fall

Until they know who they are and stand up tall

And what if this happened every day,

Whether in activities or quiet or chatting or play

What if we saw this growth on all fronts

And all of the above was happening at once!

Perhaps this idea is crazy and daring,

But this church is determined, committed and caring

Well do of our best to make this world warmer

By starting right here, in our own little corner

And of course the church family will benefit too

With more space for worship, for prayer and breakthrough

But this vision isnt selfish or self-serving at all,

Its less about building, but breaking down walls!

Well work hard, well keep going, well push and well heave

Because knowing Our God, with Him well succeed

We wont forget Him in all that we do

Because loving Him first is what keeps us true.

Shane Roche (Church Leader)