PRESENCE!

Here's what our WHY is beginning to look like! HOW and WHAT follow closely as we re-imagine ourselves as church in missional mode. The dynamic idea is contained in the term PRESENCE! 
Now: artists- songsters, image-creators, wordsmiths, designers, architects, planners, painters, dancers, social media inhabitants, film makers, change agents, innovators, entrepreneurs, connectors, APEPTS- what could you do with this? 

In the common parlance, how do we BRAND this?

Start with Why

Simon Sinek's book Start with Why is serving as a sort of guide as we embark on a "branding" journey at Southside. His central idea is that "people buy, not WHAT you do, but WHY you do it. It's a fascinating idea and quite Biblical! Explore his ideas by watching the video and reading some of the stuff here: www.startwithwhy.com. So what is Southside's WHY? Join the conversation with the following prompters from our teaching and learning over the past year.

Jesus said that the Kingdom was "near." God's Kingdom is coming and already here. The Kingdom is God's future arriving in our present. We long for people to experience the reality of God's Kingdom in their lives. The Gospel is literally the "good news." It is the good news about the kingdom of God. What sounds like good news to the people in our neighbourhoods? in our town? in our country? in our world? What would it look like if the Kingdom of God arrived in their lives?

Why do we exist as a church? What is at the heart and soul of our lives individually and as a community? Our (draft) vision statement is to "realize God's Future arriving in our Present." Our (draft) mission statement is to "invite families to experience the reality of God's Kingdom in their lives." Our prayer is "Your Kingdom Come!" Does a WHY pop out yet?

Add to these the power of living out of the reality and strength of having been loved and forgiven by our gracious God and King. Gratitude!