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Our Vision

Good Samaritan UMC Congregational Identity Statement
Our Vision: (Where we are going) “Opening Hearts and Minds in a Divided World” 
Our Mission: (What we do) “We are a Christian community of acceptance, nurturing faith and reaching out.” 
Our Motive: (Why we do it)  "Love God, Love Neighbor, Love Self."  (Parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37)
Our Values: (Who we are) Values are the basic principles which should drive all planning, decision making, and behaviors. Values define what is most important to a group. Other words for “values” might include principles, commitments, guidelines, and ethics. 
  1. We are committed to welcome and care about all people. 
  2. We are committed to each individual developing a personal relationship with the triune God.
  3. We are committed to helping each member of Good Samaritan grow in his or her relationship with God, through worship, education and fellowship.
  4. We are committed to being open to help all people as we are able, including members of Good Samaritan and people in our community and beyond.
  5. We are committed to supporting Good Samaritan financially within our means and participating within our range of talents and interests.
  6. We are committed to providing leadership opportunities for laity and to providing professional growth opportunities for staff.
  7. We are committed to an organization with shared responsibilities (clergy and laity), being willing to involve new people with new ideas.
  8. We value integrity and are committed to ensuring that our actions are consistent with our words.
  9. We are committed to worship excellence where spiritual practices connect human and divine, head and heart.
  10. We are committed to excellence in music as an integral part of our worship experiences.
  11. We are committed to providing excellent programs for children and youth. 
Our Goals: Goals are what members would like to have long term.
  1. We want more opportunities to encounter diversity – racial, economic, philosophical, cultural and sexual orientation – in order to be more understanding and accepting of differences.
  2. We want more education and focus on our theology and relationship with the triune God. 
  3. We want to continue our mission-oriented efforts, and to provide additional service opportunities, particularly those that consist of small groups and/or require short time commitments.
  4. We want to grow in church membership and participation.
  5. We want a financial plan that:
a.   Pays off our debt;
b.   Provides adequate reserves to maintain our physical property;
c.    Allows us to obtain and maintain quality staff and provide that staff with competitive compensation and benefits.
d.   Provides consistency in programming from year to year;
e.   Allows us to pay our apportionments
f.     Allows us to contribute to missions; and
g.  A plan that our congregation can and will support. 

6.  We want excellence in leadership, both church staff and laity.

7.  We want excellence in our worship experiences, both the spoken word and music.

8.  We want strong programs for children and youth, with growing participation in both.

Good Samaritan UMC Age Diversity

The Far-Eastern parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant exists in many versions. In general, the story depicts sight impaired people touching various portions of the great animal and from their single perspective, being asked to describe what an elephant is like. One holds the tail and says an elephant is like a rope, one leans against a leg and says an elephant is like a tree, one touches the tusk and says an elephant is like a spear, one tries to hang on to the trunk and says an elephant is like a snake… Each one understandably perceives the elephant from the perspective of their own experience.
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