Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish ...

In order for a vision to be valued and appreciated it must be defined specifically. We believe God is leading us somewhere very exciting!

The vision statement of Church on the Horizon is . . .

To be a center for ministry reproduction enlarging the Kingdom of God in our community and around the world one life at a time.

This simple statement, rich in meaning, includes twelve specific things that God has given us a vision to enlarge:

1. It is our vision to enlarge our ministry.

•  Focused on church planting.

We desire to identify and mentor men and women who are called by God and anointed by the Holy Spirit to lead new dynamic churches. Our goal is to systematically plant and mother a new church every few years. This ensures our ministry to enlarge beyond our present region as modeled by the early church of the New Testament.

•  Focused on establishing creative ministries.

It is our dream to “find a need and fill it; find a hurt and heal it!” We believe creative ministries are birthed and blossom through small groups such as single moms, single dads, biblical finance, motorcycle riders, expecting mothers, special interest, topical studies, computer training, fishing, golf, stay-at-home moms, drama, ministries that help people break free from addictions and bondages ... We will be creative in our ministry of the gospel.

•  Focused on city transformation.

We envision the people of our church revived and active in our community reforming their homes, neighborhoods, reforming the schools, the laws, the politics, the PTA, their businesses, etc ... We envision a community being transformed by the church in every area.

2.  It is our vision to enlarge our effectiveness.

•  Effective through prayer.

We envision prayer teams, prayer chains, prayer nights, prayer small groups, corporate prayer and fasting seasons, a prayer and fasting network, prayer walks, prayer rallies, spiritual warfare teaching and practice, etc ... We believe that our effectiveness as a church depends on our prayer investment.

3.  It is our vision to enlarge our spiritual maturity.

•  Deepening our maturity through discipleship.

It is our dream to see a discipleship ministry that will systematically walk new believers from their salvation experience into a solid devotion to Jesus Christ through classes and one-on-one coaching.

•  Deepening our maturity through conferences & seminars.

It is our dream to periodically host conferences and seminars to train and educate people in Christian life.

•  Deepening our maturity through retreats.

Retreats deal with targeted issues in a short period of time, offer few distractions, provide vital rest, and open friendships through fun and fellowship. We believe that retreats are an effective tool to solidify and root people in their relationship and submission to God.

4. It is our vision to enlarge our spiritual experience.

•  Experiencing God through praise and worship.

We believe our number one biblical priority as a church is to minister unto the Lord, and we do this through praise and worship. We desire to have cutting-edge contemporary praise and worship rather than traditional forms, using lighting, special effects, and multi-media. We desire God’s presence to so fill our services that people are delivered, touched, healed, encouraged, refreshed, and revived.

•  Experiencing God through the gifts of the Spirit.

The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit gave gifts to the church for the purpose of edification, exhortation, and restoration. We envision our church training people through classes, seminars, and small groups how to discover their spiritual gifts, equipping them to effectively minister within the church in their gifts, and releasing them to make a difference in the lives of others.

•  Experiencing God through the miraculous.

It is our dream for God’s miraculous power to be evident in our church, allowing us to witness the healing of the sick, deliverance from demonic powers and additions, freedom from prisons of depression and oppression, healing of marriages, healing of minds, etc. We desire to be a church that lives in the miraculous presence of God and to leave a legacy with the next generation of God’s power.

5. It is our vision to enlarge our fellowship.

•  Adding through evangelism.

It is our dream to lead thousands of people in our region into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

We desire to reach our community through our life-changing ministries, relevant outreaches, cutting-edge productions, dynamic weekly services, one-on-one relationships, community involvement, and many other methods.

We believe that the mandate of the Great Commission not only focuses on the unbeliever, but also includes the wayward. We believe that evangelism can save the lost and redeem the wayward. We desire to be a church for unchurched people and for away-from-church people.

•  Multiplying through small groups.

We envision every person in our church to be part of an exciting, loving, and life-changing small group where they can make new friends, grow spiritually, and multiply the church by reaching out to others.

•  Strengthening through fellowship events.

We will incorporate many fellowship events in our church such as dinner theatres, Christian entertainment nights, family outings, church carnivals, and much more. Our vision for fellowship will ensure our church to be healthy and strong as it grows larger

6. It is our vision to enlarge our circle of love.

•  Being a church of many colors.

We desire to be a church congregation uniting people of all color, ethnicity, background, class, social standing, and nations to worship God.

•  Being a church for the broken and hurting.

We will strive to be a church that hurting and broken people can find love, acceptance, healthy relationships, and ministry that focuses on rebuilding and restoring their lives and families.

7.  It is our vision to enlarge our homes.

•  Empowering marriages.

It is our dream to eliminate divorce and empower marriages through teaching, small groups, retreats, seminars, counseling, and more.

•  Empowering parents.

It is our dream to train parents in areas such as discipline, communication, time management, home values and standards, spiritual leadership, etc., equipping them with biblical tools in order to be godly and successful parents in this hectic and busy world.

•  Empowering families.

It is our dream to provide many enriching family activities within our church for the purpose of healthy family interaction through church carnivals, family picnics, family game nights, family theatres, family productions, etc.

8.  It is our vision to enlarge our generational impact.

•  Impacting the children.

It is our dream to develop a children’s ministry with technology and presentations that rival other children’s productions such as Sesame Street Live and Disney, as we instill in our children godly character and spiritual disciplines. We envision training our children to minister in God’s house.

It is our dream to evangelize the children of our community, touching them where they are with the love of Jesus, and to offer Christian arts training where children can enhance and develop their skills for life productivity.

It is our dream to open a state-of-the-art preschool for the purpose of training and ministering to our children during their impressionable years, using excellent in education, excellence in leadership, excellence in facilities, and excellence in godliness.

•  Impacting the teenagers.

It is our dream of revolutionizing the lives of our teenagers. We envision a YOUTH CHURCH rather than a youth group where youth not only learn about God, but have a powerful life-changing experience with God.

We envision a youth church that not only ministers to their spiritual needs, but also meets their social needs. We desire to provide a fully equipped facility with an arcade, café with television monitors, fellowship area with comfortable seating, computer terminals, pool table, foosball, rock-climbing wall, outdoor skate ramps, etc.

•  Impacting through spiritual fathering and mothering.

We are living in a fatherless and motherless generation. As godly men and women show a genuine interest in the kids by taking them out for a hamburger after school, a round of golf on Saturday, a shopping excursion, a fishing trip, an ice cream cone, a football game, a walk in the part, etc., we will mentor the next generation of leaders.

•  Impacting through after-school programs.

It is our dream to host the most exciting after-school programs of our community, open to all young people regardless of their church affiliation. Our goal is to use these programs as a teen evangelism tool.

9.  It is our vision to enlarge our influence.

•  Providing leadership training.

It is our dream to equip godly men and women by teaching and coaching on subjects that pertain to character, godliness, spiritual disciplines, and life choices. We envision training in these areas through one-on-one mentoring, small groups, classes, seminars, retreats, and many other avenues.

•  Providing ministry training.

We envision a church where every member has discovered their spiritual gifts and talents, and provide training for them to be productive in an area that compliments their gifts and talents. We will accomplish this through organized and effective apprenticeships.

•  Providing workplace training.

It is our desire to train adults in moral excellence, people skills, professionalism, integrity, loyalty, punctuality, and initiative ... important traits for business ethics and character.

10.  It is our vision to enlarge our borders.

It is our dream to not only make a regional impact, but also make a global impact. We will enlarge our borders through:

•  Annual short-term mission trips.

It is our dream to sponsor and send out teams from our congregation (teens and adults) to various countries, touching the lives of people from other nations with the gospel of Jesus Christ and power of the Holy Spirit.

•  Annual missions giving.

It is our dream to tithe a tenth of our annual income to foreign missions because we believe that one vital way to ensure the windows of heaven stay open over our ministry is to have a strong output of resources to foreign missions.

11. It is our vision to enlarge our prosperity.

•  Prospering through financial empowerment.

It is our dream to see God’s people free from debt and lack. We envision financial counselors training within our church on topics such as investing money, setting up financial goals and strategies, purchasing property, investing in real estate, small business finance, etc.

•  Prospering through stewardship training.

It is our dream that everyone in our church is a proper steward of what God entrusts to them. We envision ongoing stewardship training such as Crown Financial Ministries to teach God’s people how to properly tithe, pay off debts, save money, set up stewardship commitment plans, etc.

12.  It is our vision to enlarge our territory.

•  Purchase property.

It is our dream to locate and purchase 50 acres of land on which will be built a regional church for DeSoto County and the surrounding area.

•  Build a ministry campus.

Church on the Horizon’s ministry campus will be home to our:

• stadium seating worship center, modern in architectural design
• state-of-the-art children's ministry center
• dynamic youth church and recreation zone
• family life center complete with
  • gymnasium
  • fitness center completely furnished with the latest exercise equipment, locker rooms, steam rooms, etc.
  • training rooms for aerobics, ballet, Lamaze, etc ...
• fellowship center featuring a large exquisite banquet room
• prayer and counseling center
• ministry center featuring classrooms, workrooms, Christian arts training, etc.
• technologically advanced recording studio to highlight music, vocal, and instrumental talent
• administration building providing our offices and operational needs.
• beautiful garden landscape with recreational areas for family fun, complete with ponds, bridges, children's play centers, gazebos, picnic tables, and more.

•  Touch the world.

It is our dream to become a mothering church making a global impact by giving birth to ministries that are changing lives with the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ touching the world one life at a time.