Compelling Vision Bible Studies

Introduction

The compelling vision conversations affirmed the centrality of God’s word in our life together—God’s Word as recorded in scripture and God’s Word as revealed through Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.

God’s Word as recorded in scripture is our written rule for faith and discipleship. However, it is not a static document, but rather, “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). By the power of the Holy Spirit, as we gather around the Word in the context of community, God still speaks to us.

As we prepare for discussions about the compelling vision at Annual Conference and as your congregation imagines what it might look like to live into the vision, we encourage you to spend time in Bible study and prayer. We have designed this Bible study series to help you do just that. Each of the thirteen studies focuses on a different word or phrase from the compelling vision, inviting us to engage with God’s Word with the hope of deepening and enriching our understanding of each word or phrase in particular and the vision as a whole.

Each session has been written by a different writer. This was an intentional choice. Our team of writers reflects the rich theological, geographical, ethnic, and gender diversity of our beloved denomination. Not only does this enrich our collective perspective, but also fosters understanding—a value that has undergirded the entire process of discernment. We are grateful for their willingness to share their gifts in support of this project and hope you will be inspired by their contribution.

In scripture, we are told that God is doing a new thing. “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19a) It is our fervent prayer that these Bible studies—and the compelling vision itself–will inspire greater openness to, awareness of, and focus for that new that God wants to do through us.