Theological Vision
Our Vision: To Be Found Faithful As God's People
At Dawson, what does faithfulness look like?
1. God’s word is our authority.
We submit to God’s word as our authority because the Bible is true, transformative, and timely.
Demonstrated by:
Our commitment to evaluate and execute every ministry of our church through the lens of Scripture.
Based upon:
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:9–11)
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)
For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21)
2. Prayer is our priority.
We equip believers to foster a dependence upon God through prayer because apart from Him we can do nothing.
Demonstrated by:
Our commitment to discern God’s vision for our church family and to
align all of our activities and ministries to His will through personal and corporate prayer.
Based upon:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
(Psalm 145:18)
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
3. Worship is our response.
We respond to God’s revelation because He has displayed His greatness and love for us in Jesus and by His Holy Spirit through the Bible.
Demonstrated by:
• Our commitment to gather together weekly to focus our mind’s attention and heart’s affection on the hope offered through the Gospel of Jesus.
• Our commitment to proclaim the Gospel through active participation in historically rich, culturally relevant, and biblically diverse expressions of worship and prayer to the glory of God.
• Our commitment to remember and celebrate the Gospel corporately, inspiring a life of worship at home, school, and work.
Based upon:
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:1–3)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1)
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)
4. Discipleship is our focus.
We equip believers to grow as disciples of Jesus because the Lord’s commission and our calling is to make disciples of all nations.
Demonstrated by:
• Our commitment to equip believers to foster a dependence upon God through prayer.
• Our commitment to be shaped by the word of God together in Christ-centered community, fostering a culture of reproducible disciple-making relationships.
• Our commitment to partner with parents, the primary disciplers of
their children.
• Our commitment to equip believers and provide them opportunities to sacrificially give of their gifts and resources within and through our
church family.
Based upon:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” (Deuteronomy 6:4–7)
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30–31)
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.
(1 Peter 4:10–11)
5. Missions is our passion.
We proclaim the love of Jesus to all people because the Lord’s commission and our calling is to make disciples of all nations.
Demonstrated by:
• Our commitment to equip believers to pray for and seek opportunities to share the Gospel.
• Our commitment to respond to physical needs with our local and global community as we proclaim the hope of the Gospel.
• Our commitment to sacrificial engagement in mission partnerships locally, nationally, and globally.
Based upon:
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. (Matthew 9:35)
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in he name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)