Our Church’s Elevator Pitch
“This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” Ephesians 4:13
Elevator Pitch
When I worked in the business world, there was a concept known as the “elevator pitch.” It’s a quick statement of a product’s value proposition to capture the interest of your next client. It’s clear the church is not a business and does not sell a product, but it is important to clearly share our purpose to help unchurched and non-believers know and become a part of the church.
A Church’s Elevator Pitch
When I began searching for a church to attend as an adult, I saw firsthand how difficult and confusing it can be. What does a church do? How do I fit into that? Many churches were very focused on organizing for existing members, but in their complex systems, language, actions, and even attitudes, they missed the vital role of evangelism and including new followers of Jesus into the ministry of the church.
As God was calling me into the vocation of pastoral ministry, and in subsequent training, it became clear the church benefits by adopting a kind of elevator pitch clarity to share it’s purpose. Jesus did this when someone asked him, “What is the greatest commandment?” and he replied, “Love God and Love People” (my paraphrase of Matthew 22:36-40). A return to that great commandment and commission guided many pastors and churches in the late 20th century to renewal by filtering out complexity and leaving clarity.
Leeds First Methodist’s Elevator Pitch
I have adopted this as the elevator pitch, or statement of purpose, for our church. We are:
Creating paths for more people to know and grow like Jesus.
The words creating paths indicate not everyone starts at that same point, has made the same progress, or even has the same path in their faith journey. While all faith goes through Jesus, some will take and be on different paths. Some began as a child raised in a Christian home. Others, having fought against God, are now coming to faith. Some will follow Jesus in the career they’ve always had. Others may change vocations to leverage God’s calling. Some will sing on stage, teach in kids ministry, or maintain church facilities. In all these, God is at work transforming lives. Paths for More People.
This statement is rooted in core scriptural understandings. It is clearly rooted in Jesus. He is the resurrected Son of God and Savior of all professing Christians. The Great Commission states the church is God’s instrument in this age to guide people to faith in him (see Matthew 28:16-20). To know … Jesus.
And the life and ministry of Jesus are the normative examples for all to follow. In writing about the purpose of the church, the Apostle Paul states in Ephesians 4:13, “This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” (NLT). Jesus is the standard. To … Grow Like Jesus.
Sermon Series – Your Path to Purpose
In the month of August, I’ll share a sermon series entitled “Your Path to Purpose.” Its core truth is that everyone is created by God and for God, and true purpose is to know and grow like Jesus. The church exists to help you do that and to help you help others do that.
Our four primary paths to purpose are Worship, Grow, Serve, and Reach. As pastor, I hope everyone will be on each of these core paths—at their own current point—and continuing to move closer to Jesus.
In WORSHIP, we celebrate God’s proper place—over everything. It puts us in our proper place as people who need God’s love, grace, and guidance. This includes Biblical preaching, inspiring music and prayer, giving, and the sacraments. These include our Sunday Modern (8:45 a.m.) and Traditional (11 a.m.) services.
As we GROW in our faith, knowledge and trust in God needs to grow. Bible-based teaching and interaction with others anchors our life in God’s wisdom. The right knowledge leads to right actions. Relationships with others sustain and grow faith in the highs and lows of life. Grow Groups include our Sunday school classes, Bible studies, or small groups.
When we SERVE, it puts faith into action. We serve in response to what God has done for us, and we serve God by also serving others. All followers of Jesus are gifted to serve in advancing the mission of the church. Our life is transformed as we impact the lives of others inside and outside the church. Serve Teams include areas like teaching kids, youth, or adults, singing in worship services, maintaining or improving facilities, helping underserved, and more.
We are called to REACH out to others to illustrate God’s love and invite them to faith and church. All followers of Jesus are part of the Great Commission to reach others with the Good News of Jesus. We currently reach out primarily by our Grow Groups and Project 12—a kindness project every month to illustrate God’s love and point people to faith in Jesus and his church.
On-Ramp
An on-ramp is the quick way to get up to speed and going in the direction you need to go. It contrasts with a red traffic light or stop sign which slow your progress. No one likes getting stuck at a light, so, in parallel to the sermon series “Your Path to Purpose,” I’ll invite you—if you call Leeds First Methodist Church your church home—to take the on-ramp to the paths of Worshipping, Growing, and Serving.
Each Sunday, I’ll offer a way for you to sign up anew or again for the Worship Service, Grow Group, and Serve Team you’ll fully engage this fall and until the end of January. We’ll have a paper and online guide for you to know each path and select the ones you’ll be on.
We’re creating paths for more people
to know and grow like Jesus
by worshipping, growing,
serving, and reaching!
I’m grateful to be on this journey and to be on it with you! If you have any questions or if I can be helpful on your faith journey, don’t hesitate to reach out.