Why do we need a common vision?

If we don’t have a common vision, the three congregations won’t stay together. We’ll see each other as burdens to tolerate—not people for whom to sacrifice, for the sake of the gospel.

And if the three congregations separate, the next generation will inherit our problems. The Cantonese and Mandarin congregations will struggle in making disciples of their own children now, and the same problems will arise in the next generation. An English congregation will grow up out of the youth group, and the same questions and tensions that haunt us today will haunt them tomorrow.

But if we can forge a healthy structure that will allow all congregations to thrive together, maybe we can serve the gospel today and our children tomorrow. If we can forge a healthy structure, maybe we won’t need another Transition/Assessment Team in five years.

So we should ask: How can we all thrive? How can we serve the gospel today and our children tomorrow? How can our vision thrive?

What is our common vision?

The vision is to make disciples in the Sacramento area and beyond. We want to reach all nations, including those who speak Cantonese, English, and Mandarin.

And we do this best when we do two things:

1. Have unity without uniformity–be united in belief and vision, without requiring uniformity in practice.
2. Partner together.

What would this look like?

The Cantonese and Mandarin congregations let us make disciples in the Sacramento area and beyond, focusing on Chinese-speaking immigrant communities. And the English congregation partners with them in helping teach and train their children, and allowing immigrant families to remain together as a family in church and community.

The English congregation lets us make disciples in the Sacramento area and beyond—for both Chinese and non-Chinese communities. And the Cantonese and Mandarin congregations partner with them by allowing them the freedom to do this. In this way, the English congregation directly partners in the Chinese-speaking congregations’ vision, but can also reach out to a multi-ethnic community.

The Cantonese and Mandarin congregations shouldn’t resent the English congregation; instead, they should love the English congregation. The English congregation doesn’t have to stay at CGBC. In many ways, church would be easier without having three congregations; there wouldn’t be as many disagreements, and things could move faster. But the English congregation stays out of love of the Cantonese and Mandarin congregations—to help in practical ways, like sharing children’s ministry, youth ministry, and finances.

And the English congregation shouldn’t resent the Cantonese and Mandarin congregations; instead, they should love these congregations. What better way could there be to help reach the Chinese immigrant population in Sacramento and beyond? And what a blessing these congregations are to the English congregation! They have helped provide the building and financial security all of us enjoy, and they continue to provide much of the youth group and the emerging leaders who arise there.

Next page: Interim preaching