Clear Vision for Clearwater
What Jesus Christ is leading us to be and to do for Him.
By Pastor Randy Kroening and the Elders
The leadership of Clearwater has been listening together to our Lord Jesus, the Head of our church, to direct us about His heart and mission for our church. We believe we have heard Him clearly; we welcome you to partner with us as we obey Him courageously. He directs us to:
Love God + Love People!
This is the simplest way to express the two greatest commandments. Matthew 22:37-40.
Everything we are and do at Clearwater we desire to be in fulfillment of these two commands.
A. Our Core Values
We detail below the values that loving God brings us to pursue here at Clearwater.
1. Centrality of Christ – We pursue the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
• We at Clearwater are centered in Jesus Christ, the Living Water of Life. John 4:10, 7:28.
• Symbolized by the centered cross, lifting up Christ is our intentional way of “doing” church.
• We seek to become fully devoted to Jesus, and we seek to share His heart for people.
• We pursue a Spirit-led decision-making process, honoring the Holy Spirit in our leaders.
• Our leaders humbly trust the Spirit in one other. He leads us to know the mind of Christ.
2. Presence-Based Ministry – His presence is primary to all that we do at Clearwater.
• In our gatherings and private lives, we live in love with God, Who is “right here, right now.”
• We embrace God’s omnipresence, His indwelling presence, and His manifest presence.
• If His presence is not tangible to all of us, we might as well lock the doors and go home.
• We pursue His presence through “Open Worship.” — God’s open heaven joined with our open hearts in this very moment. We value open worship, over merely “blended worship.”
• Thus, we long for God’s presence to establish a fresh, unifying heavenly culture among us.
3. Listening Prayer – This value allows for the full enthronement of Christ at Clearwater.
• For Christ truly to be head of His church, we, the members of His Body, must LISTEN!
• Training our Covenant Partners in listening prayer is the key to unity and anointing.
• The preamble to our Bylaws sets listening prayer at the heart of our church governance.
• Our leadership commitment is: “Lord, if You speak clearly, we will obey courageously.”
• We want to be a church of growing influence, not just growing numbers. Prayer is the key.
• Numbers will come, we believe, as we hear God clearly, and obey Him courageously.
4. Spirit-Led Relationships – We love and serve a relational God Who loves us.
• People receive Christ as His truth is applied to life within the context of relationships.
• People mature in Christ as His truth is applied to life within the context of relationships.
• Life Groups, therefore, are a central core of Clearwater, a part of our spiritual DNA.
• We encourage everyone in the Clearwater Family be part of a Life Group.
B. Our Mission Focus
This is what we are pursuing in order to become effective in loving people.
1. The Great Commission Is Still Great! It’s our purpose in Christ’s Kingdom.
• It’s an unfinished mandate from our Master. That’s why we’re still here. Let’s help finish it.
• Christ’s Great Commission given in Matthew 28:18-20 has two parts:
- Make committed, well-grounded disciples (v. 19) , and
- Train them up into Christ-like character and ministry (v. 20).
• That is why Clearwater pursues evangelism and teaching as of highest priorities.
• Since we’re “ambassadors” for Christ, we envision Clearwater as a “Kingdom Embassy.”
• Every person in the Clearwater Family is a valuable part of our evangelistic endeavors.
• Specifically, every one of us can pray passionately, invite intentionally, welcome lovingly, and worship authentically; we are all “way preparers” by our humble, authentic love.
• So, we at Clearwater love people by bringing them to Christ, and then to Christ-likeness.
2. Seeker-Sensitive – Note: We are Seeker-sensitive, with a capital “S.” Luke 19:10
• Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus continues to seek through us.
• Evangelism is so important that we give it priority in the 10:30 a.m. Sunday gathering.
• When spirit-filled saints meet for worship and the Word at the 10:30 service, and as the presence of the Lord is tangible, the way is prepared for lost people to be found by Jesus.
• Saving souls is a miracle only the Spirit of God can do, but he uses anointed folks like us.
• Let’s engage the “Never Churched.” We all can be trained and faithful to love lost people.
• Growth should come more from winning lost people, than from Christians transferring in.
• Winning people to Christ and training them up into Christ-likeness – that’s how we grow.
• We love lost people by telling them the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
• We refrain from a false strategic mindset that panders to the flesh, or “niche markets.”
• Jesus’ love can meet the deepest longings people have for authentic spiritual experience.
3. Calling Back the “Dis-Churched” – We have a word from the Lord for His distant children: “Your Father wants you back!”
• “Dis-Churched” people may not have given up on God, only on “cultural Christianity.”
• Clearwater is pledged to represent the Jesus correctly, in grace and truth.
• Dropping out of church saddens the heart of Jesus. He wants them back, and so do we.
• Authenticity of our love is essential and attractive to displaced, spiritually hurting people.
• A broken, contrite heart God will not despise. Neither will we. This is a safe place to heal.
• Our church must be a healthy model of Christ’s kingdom on earth — of radical grace.
• So, we will tune in to our heavenly Father’s heart and be a “Prodigal-Friendly” church.
4. World Impact — Clearwater is a mission, with both a local and global mandate.
• While our primary mission field is Fort Collins, our love for lost people is world-wide.
• We have come to fashion our global mission in terms appropriate to the 21st Century.
• We link with viable indigenous pastors, working to lift up their hands with love and support.
• We focus on a few strategic locations strongly, such as in Guatemala and Pakistan.
• Short-term team trips are carefully selected, planned, and resourced for maximum impact.
Love God + Love People!
These bullet-points will help us all appreciate these two foundational directives from Jesus
• This is the simplest way to express the two greatest commandments. Matthew 22:37-40.
• Love is central to the very character and personality of God. God is relational – totally!
• God first loved us, as evidenced at Calvary. We respond by loving Him back. 1 John 4:10
• Loving God requires faith that He is “right here, right now,” pouring out love on each of us.
• Loving God is done through worship AND in keeping Christ’s commandments. John 14:15
• Loving people – “neighbors” – is inclusive: Lost people. Church people. Hurting people.
• Jesus gave us a new command, “. . . that you love one another just as I have loved you.”
• Jesus said, “By this all men know that you are My disciples, that you love one another.”
Stewarding the Vision for Clearwater Church
For the Clearwater Family, for inquiring Christians, and for unchurched seekers.
1. Who Are You. Clearwater Church is a miracle of God’s grace. He has brought together two healthy churches in a unique “Faith Venture” that models the beauty of unity in a badly divided world. Intentionally, two pastors, Randy and David, were lead of the Lord, and are seeking to minister better together than separately. You will be thrilled to see the result. Clearwater is a welcoming family where the Lord Jesus is truly central, where His presence is tangibly real, and where relationships are as refreshingly as an oasis in a desert. Authentic spiritual encounter with God abounds as together we “LOVE GOD” AND “LOVE PEOPLE.” We seriously strive for the fullness of Christ through the fullness of the Word and the fullness of the Spirit. We are a safe place, and you are so welcome.
2. Where Are You Going: The pastors and staff of Clearwater are embarking on an exciting fresh adventure. We are partnering together to serve our Lord Jesus in a meaningful way. We are helping Jesus find people who want to share His life and love forever. When they discover the reality of Jesus in their hearts and lives personally, they are captured by his love, too. This relationship with the Lord – “right here, right now” – is transforming!
If you have been a church attender before, you might understand this. We at Clearwater embrace the whole of Jesus’ Great Commission — to win people to Christ, and to bring them to Christ-likeness.
3. Why Are You Doing This? Because that’s what God wants. LOVE GOD + LOVE PEOPLE! It’s that simple. We just can’t help ourselves. God loves us. He always has. And He always will. When we consider how He first loved us by coming down to rescue us at the personal cost of His own brutal execution in our place, we are more than delighted to welcome Him into our lives and for us to love Him right back. We want to be fully devoted to Jesus and we are sharing His heart of love for people. That means YOU, too, if you will let us. Why, you ask? Because the Love of Christ has captured and thrilled us. 2 Corinthians 7:14. Jesus is inside of us, loving you through us! We cannot NOT love you, okay?
4. Will I Be Accepted or Condemned? No, no! We don’t do condemnation here. We are not legalistic. We want to be quick to say this. Many people have a wrong, unbiblical view of what God is like. We want do dispel the myths, such as picturing God as angry, impatience, peeved, scolding, frowning, and ready to drop the hammer to shame on you. Rather, we want to liberate you by truth about God that will set you free. He loves you. He is looking for you. He welcomes you into His eternal plan for you. He has already handled your guilt and shame by taking your place in His death as a substitute sacrifice. There is therefore no condemnation for those who give their lives over to Christ Jesus. And we are His agents of love and acceptance. When you come to Clearwater, you’re coming home.
5. What It Feels Like? We have discovered at Clearwater that when we welcome Jesus Christ into our lives, He really does make His presence known. Here’s what it feels like: We have peace, hope, purpose, acceptance, freedom, joy, clean laughter, confidence, and empowered to survive and excel in life. All this comes because Jesus has come. We have a true Friend in Jesus. We are secure in His love forever. As we serve Him willingly, we discover our true purpose and destiny in life.