Something New
By Ryan Dawson
God is doing something new and exciting at Sequoia. We sense that the Lord is on the move in our midst, and we are filled with anticipation. The words of God spoken to Isaiah resonate with our hearts in these days…
Isaiah 43:19-21 (NLT) “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland…Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed. I have made Israel for myself, and they will someday honour me before the whole world.”
We believe that God is making a way for us a Church, and He is opening news doors of opportunity. God is bringing His Spirit of refreshment, and He promises to empower us towards His good purposes. God has made us for a purpose, and we are called to display His glory to the world. On Sunday at our Vision Night and AGM, we shared some key areas we are leaning into this year. We are asking God to lead us and empower us with His Spirit as we prioritize the following…
Renewed Commitment to Prayer
•Partner with City on Our Knees to start the year in prayer.
•Schedule 3-4 corporate prayer gatherings.
•Grow the prayer team (Tuesday Prayer Meeting).
•Reinforce ACTS and Listening Prayer within Impact Communities.
Renewed Leadership & Ministry Team Development
•Establish a new culture in the Worship and Tech ministry with new leadership, membership, and processes.
•Increase capacity within serving teams (Coffee, Hospitality, Set-up, Logistics, Guest Services & Community Outreach) by developing leaders & recruiting new members.
•Reorganize staff roles and celebrate Donna’s role transition.
•Complete Servant-Leadership Cohort #4 & launch #5 in the Fall.
Renewed Investment in the Next Generation
•Recruit, train, & develop strong team members for Kids Ministry & Youth Ministry.
•Equip parents to disciple their children through resourcing & connection.
•Equip children & youth with transferable discipleship rhythms (Bible reading, prayer, sharing faith).
•Engage the community through two on-site summer camps where children can invite their friends & youth can serve.
Renewed Kingdom Partnerships
•Increase engagement in justice issues through Courageous Justice series.
•Develop a partnership with Safe Families to support families in need.
•Increase engagement with Jericho Road & Ottawa Inner-city Ministries.
•Establish a sustainable ministry partnership to serve New Canadians.
•Serve our community & those in need through the Big Give.
•Explore additional ways to partner with Ottawa Christian School.
Renewed Evangelism Initiatives
•Host several Baptism services (Easter, Summer, Fall).
•Build relationships in our community through Canada Day Celebration.
•Host Sequoia Kids Day Camp (July).
•Partner with Athletes in Action through multi-sport camp (August).
•Host multiple Movies in the Park in partnership (July / August).
•Leverage Alpha Course & Marriage Alpha to help people find & follow Jesus.
Renewed Digital Engagement
•Develop a Digital Engagement Team to help reach & disciple more people through digital spaces.
•Harness Text-in-Church for more effective follow-up & connection.
•Leverage Sequoia website & app for greater discipleship effectiveness.
•Develop our social media presence to reach more people for Jesus.
•Harness Search-Engine-Optimization for increased exposure.
Renewed Impact Community Engagement
•Develop Impact Community leaders through more effective coaching.
•Create excitement around Gospel centred communities & invite new people into existing Impact Communities.
•Launch several new Impact Communities through multiplication.
•Develop digital tools for training & development of IC leaders & IC’s.
Renewed International Mission Focus
•Host “Reaching the Nations” mission focus - Potluck & Giving Opportunity.
•Partner with Bromley Road Baptist on El Salvador Mission (Summer).
•Highlight “Reaching the Nations” updates in services to increase awareness & passion for global missions.
•Research opportunities to engage unreached people groups, internationally & domestically.
•Develop plans to support work in Dominican Republic for 2024.
•Develop plans to send a Mexico Youth Mission trip in 2024.
Renewed Impact Centre Strategy
•Continue to work with consultants to explore phasing options for Impact Centre.
•Complete a development study with BGI exploring affordable housing option, to advance the Impact Centre vision.
Let me know if you have questions about our strategic imperatives at ryand@sequoiachurch.org. Thank you for praying and for serving with us, as we trust God to do great things in and through us for His glory.
For Christ and His Kingdom, Ryan
God is doing something new and exciting at Sequoia. We sense that the Lord is on the move in our midst, and we are filled with anticipation. The words of God spoken to Isaiah resonate with our hearts in these days…
Isaiah 43:19-21 (NLT) “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland…Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed. I have made Israel for myself, and they will someday honour me before the whole world.”
We believe that God is making a way for us a Church, and He is opening news doors of opportunity. God is bringing His Spirit of refreshment, and He promises to empower us towards His good purposes. God has made us for a purpose, and we are called to display His glory to the world. On Sunday at our Vision Night and AGM, we shared some key areas we are leaning into this year. We are asking God to lead us and empower us with His Spirit as we prioritize the following…
Renewed Commitment to Prayer
•Partner with City on Our Knees to start the year in prayer.
•Schedule 3-4 corporate prayer gatherings.
•Grow the prayer team (Tuesday Prayer Meeting).
•Reinforce ACTS and Listening Prayer within Impact Communities.
Renewed Leadership & Ministry Team Development
•Establish a new culture in the Worship and Tech ministry with new leadership, membership, and processes.
•Increase capacity within serving teams (Coffee, Hospitality, Set-up, Logistics, Guest Services & Community Outreach) by developing leaders & recruiting new members.
•Reorganize staff roles and celebrate Donna’s role transition.
•Complete Servant-Leadership Cohort #4 & launch #5 in the Fall.
Renewed Investment in the Next Generation
•Recruit, train, & develop strong team members for Kids Ministry & Youth Ministry.
•Equip parents to disciple their children through resourcing & connection.
•Equip children & youth with transferable discipleship rhythms (Bible reading, prayer, sharing faith).
•Engage the community through two on-site summer camps where children can invite their friends & youth can serve.
Renewed Kingdom Partnerships
•Increase engagement in justice issues through Courageous Justice series.
•Develop a partnership with Safe Families to support families in need.
•Increase engagement with Jericho Road & Ottawa Inner-city Ministries.
•Establish a sustainable ministry partnership to serve New Canadians.
•Serve our community & those in need through the Big Give.
•Explore additional ways to partner with Ottawa Christian School.
Renewed Evangelism Initiatives
•Host several Baptism services (Easter, Summer, Fall).
•Build relationships in our community through Canada Day Celebration.
•Host Sequoia Kids Day Camp (July).
•Partner with Athletes in Action through multi-sport camp (August).
•Host multiple Movies in the Park in partnership (July / August).
•Leverage Alpha Course & Marriage Alpha to help people find & follow Jesus.
Renewed Digital Engagement
•Develop a Digital Engagement Team to help reach & disciple more people through digital spaces.
•Harness Text-in-Church for more effective follow-up & connection.
•Leverage Sequoia website & app for greater discipleship effectiveness.
•Develop our social media presence to reach more people for Jesus.
•Harness Search-Engine-Optimization for increased exposure.
Renewed Impact Community Engagement
•Develop Impact Community leaders through more effective coaching.
•Create excitement around Gospel centred communities & invite new people into existing Impact Communities.
•Launch several new Impact Communities through multiplication.
•Develop digital tools for training & development of IC leaders & IC’s.
Renewed International Mission Focus
•Host “Reaching the Nations” mission focus - Potluck & Giving Opportunity.
•Partner with Bromley Road Baptist on El Salvador Mission (Summer).
•Highlight “Reaching the Nations” updates in services to increase awareness & passion for global missions.
•Research opportunities to engage unreached people groups, internationally & domestically.
•Develop plans to support work in Dominican Republic for 2024.
•Develop plans to send a Mexico Youth Mission trip in 2024.
Renewed Impact Centre Strategy
•Continue to work with consultants to explore phasing options for Impact Centre.
•Complete a development study with BGI exploring affordable housing option, to advance the Impact Centre vision.
Let me know if you have questions about our strategic imperatives at ryand@sequoiachurch.org. Thank you for praying and for serving with us, as we trust God to do great things in and through us for His glory.
For Christ and His Kingdom, Ryan