Welcome to the third chapter of our story. Following the New Beginnings process we worked with a coach to help us develop a vision for APC as a partner in our South Arlington Community. These are our stories during the summer of 2012.
chapter 3:
visioning

Remember or Re-Member
The New Beginnings process gave us some data and much needed breathing room. Everyone who wanted a voice had a chance to speak. We'd voted to pursue a mission redefinition. However, we still needed a vision. While ‘no’ (to affordable housing) was the...

Vision and Desire
Engaging the imagination requires understanding two things: your beliefs and your community. Imagination is a creative process. It melds what we know and what we are experiencing. Prophetic imagination adds the potential of envisioning how God is still speaking to...

Walks, Talks, and Dreams
The summer of 2012 was a time of walks and talks and dreams. Late spring, 2012, we hired Rev. Shannon Kiser to coach a vision team through the mission redefinition process. At the same time, our pastor, Rev. Sharon Core, went on sabbatical. We learned from the past to...

Vulnerable and Grounded
Going out into the community is a vulnerable thing to do. It’s easy to welcome people into our community rather than seek to be a part of theirs. Jesus, in sending his disciples before him, made them face the world with vulnerability. There’s comfort in engaging in...

Christ Builds the Church
Not only did we learn to open the doors wide to creating our vision. We learned the importance of communicating what was happening. During that summer we told our story repeatedly. We shared what we heard in scripture, prayer, conversation and reflection. Every week...