Over the past couple years, with prayerful discussion and reflection, the StoneBridge Elder Board reassessed our church's mission statement and revised it.
 
In a unanimous vote made in January, 2023, StoneBridge's elders approved the following mission statement:

to share the hope of Jesus,
to deepen our community in faith,
and to extend God's love to others.
 
This updated mission statement clarifies aspects of StoneBridge's mission. Over the next few weeks, I'll address each of the three sections of the new mission statement.

Part 1: To share the hope of Jesus
 
The hope that Jesus proclaimed revealed God's love for the world and God's willingness to sacrifice for it. God's victory over death in the resurrection of Jesus is at the center of the hope of Jesus. Nothing is more important than the work God did in Jesus' life, death and resurrection. It is the solution to the world's problems and it is the basis of our Christian hope.
 
Jesus established the church so that this hope would be shared. The Apostle Paul and the early Christians gave their lives so that this hope would spread throughout the world. Following their lead, StoneBridge wants the world to know that death does not win in the end. Instead, there is hope in Jesus Christ's victory!