2011 marks the 30th year of Vallejo International. The initial stirrings that led to the formation of the church began in the early 1970’s. But it was in January of 1981 that the group formally organized itself to become a local church, and became a legal entity in March of that same year.
In 1999, Vallejo International started a two-year “refocusing” process. The church engaged in a series of summits. Members spent time together looking into the Word to discern the Lord’s vision and mandate for his church, discussing th
e then current state of the church, and sharing dreams and ideas about what the church could become. The result of the whole process was the formulation of our “Corporate Calling Statement” setting forth the church’s purpose and vision. Since 2001, this statement has served to guide us in every aspect of our church life.
As we enter our 30th year, I thought it would be worthwhile to review our corporate calling statement: to seek to understand what it means and to discern where and how we are currently fulfilling aspects of our purpose and vision. I invite each member to join me in the following weeks. Perhaps, as you ponder on these things with me, we can also hear from the Lord where we can go further in accomplishing that which the Lord has called us to do.
The very first declaration of our statement of purpose is that we are to be “a community of believers who passionately exalt God in every aspect of life.” First and foremost, the church exists to honor her Lord. The church function of “worship” highlights this truth; it is the basic activity of the church. And the two activities of worship in which every member is urged to participate, is the Sunday morning service and the mid-week PowerLink (prayer meeting). These are two of the fundamental activities of God’s people: “true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” (John 4.23 NIV); and “they devoted themselves … to prayer” (Acts 2.42 NIV).
Furthermore, worship is not limited to community assemblies such as the Sunday morning service. True worship extends beyond such gatherings. Whether the church is gathered together or scattered in various places—home, school, work, etc.—worship must happen. That is, “in every aspect of life” the Lord is to be honored. As the apostle Paul reminds us: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12.1 NIV). And “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1Corinthians 10.31 ESV).
The church gathered, the church scattered, the church always exalting God. —Keith Y. Jainga