Since 1993

Here’s a snapshot of the vision!

My work coaching pastors has taught me that staying focused is both one of the hardest and most important things a pastor does.   Sharpening this focus and being willing to say “no” is one of the most important things a pastor does.  Our church is called “Focus Church” to remind us to stay focused on Discipleship, and to emphasize to others the extreme single-mindedness of our task.

1. Discipleship is best done in Grace-filled, Spirit-lead communities of faith, rather than by individuals. Churches have typically emphasized one-to-one discipleship and one-to-many discipleship and these have their place, but the emphasis in scripture and the most organic approach is many-to-many discipleship.  Focus Church will be heavily small group-centric providing a space for the Grace of God to do the work of discipleship through people serving people with their gifts.

2. Every church knows that small groups are important but rarely are the training, resources, support and assessment focused upon these groups in a way that they live up to the promise.  At Focus Church we will start training our small group leaders even before we officially launch (and their continued training will be one of my most important jobs as Pastor); then we will launch our small groups before we launch any kind of weekly service; only then will we launch our weekly services as a support for our small groups rather than the other way around. Our structure will serve our small groups rather than the other way around.  At Focus Church,  resources, training, assessment and accountability will all be around and for the small groups.

3. As we are discipled through these groups in the midst of life we will find better integration of our lives under the leadership of Christ. We will become a people who clearly follow one leader.  In all our diversity we will clearly stand out in unity as people who walk a different path:  surprising in our love, secure in our holiness, courageous in our faith, and refreshing in our hope.

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