As I think about the next chapter in the life of our church, I’m filled with gratitude and excitement for the story we are part of. We’re united in a community with deep roots—saints before us have laid a beautiful foundation. You can’t drive down Clarkson or Iowa, see our building, and not wonder about the prayers, worship, and ministry that have taken place within those walls. The stained glass, the rooms, the pews—all of it ties us into a larger story, a good story, and a chapter we’re living in today.
As I meet with more and more people, I am slowly listening to God personally and in the midst of each of our conversations. I am eager to discern together what God is inviting us into.
In short, my vision for Platt Park Church is: to invite everyone who calls this church home deeper into wonder and awe of God’s goodness.
A community marked by:
- Healing and awareness of God – Each of us carries a backstory and an image of God. My hope is that we would continually draw nearer to Jesus in personal, lived experience.
- Participation, not spectatorship – We long for those who make Platt Park their home to feel like a sense of family. That means cultivating deep friendships and discerning where God is calling us to bless others. No pressure, invitation!
- A sense of calling – At its best, the church both gathers and scatters. We come together in worship, then we scatter into neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and social circles, ready to see how God might use us in the theater of our lives.
- A spirit of wonder and delight – I believe the life of faith makes us young again, filling us with awe and delight in everyday life. Following Jesus should not make us rigid or merely “religious,” but joyful, peaceful, and vibrantly alive. I pray daily for that for all of us!
All of this is already part of who we are. It’s woven into the heart of Platt Park Church! In the years ahead, it will be my great joy to walk alongside you as we discover and live into all that God has prepared for us.
Peace and all blessing,
James