WHAT IS ONE VISION?
With One Vision, we are inviting you into the story of what God is doing in and through One Harbor Church. But not so that you'll think our church is great - so that your vision of what God can do in our day might grow. We want you to hear about our current commitments as a church to love ENC and beyond, and how that vision could grow with your partnership.
WE'VE SEEN GOD MOVE BEFORE
Our two-year ministry plan unfolds through three tiers:
OUR CURRENT COMMITMENT
Tier One Initiatives
This is what could grow as more people get involved. If we had more leaders, more volunteers, and more resources, building on the good work already happening through our existing ministries.
AN EXPANDING VISION
Tier Two Initiatives
These are the ministries and rhythms we are committed to right now. This is what we are already doing within our current capacity, thanks to your faithful generosity and participation.
A GOD-SIZED DREAM
Tier Three Initiatives
These are the next-level possibilities that become achievable as our capacity expands. These are big steps of faith that would allow us to bless our region and strengthen the church in even greater ways.
vision story: prison ministry
Ryan Tetz
Bryan Hart grabbed me after church one Sunday and asked me if I had any interest in exploring some kind of prison ministry. What he didn’t know was that I had breakfast that Wednesday with Bart Farrell and again Thursday with Jack Smyth, and during both meals, I mentioned that I would like to be involved in some kind of prison ministry.
As God would have it, One Harbor had just received an invitation to the tent revival at the Newport Correctional Facility that very week, and Bryan forwarded the invitation to me. At first, I was a little intimidated, with the enemy's accusations running through my mind: “You don’t know the Bible well enough, you have been in too much trouble yourself in the past,” and so on. But I accepted the invite and went anyway. When I arrived, I was told that anyone not on the approved prisoners’ visitors list could not come in. I took about three steps towards leaving, but turned around and told the attendant I needed to speak to someone above her. She looked at me and said, “The only way you are getting in is if the warden clears you.” So, I asked to speak with him. He came over and told me that while he was appreciative of my desire to join them, I was simply not allowed. With our eyes locked, I told him that I knew I was supposed to be there. He stared at me for a few seconds and pulled me to the side. To my surprise, he agreed to let me in once he walked me through some mandatory training.
Once inside, I found an empty chair a few rows away from the stage and sat by myself. Within minutes, I heard someone behind me say, “Man, do you think this is real? I mean, when I’m out here hearing the singing and these speakers, it kind of feels real.” I turned around to see two inmates sitting in the seats directly behind me. “It’s real, man,” I said, just slightly looking over my shoulder. “I’m living proof of how real it is”. This led one of the inmates, Ricardo, to ask about my story.
From there, I began sharing my testimony and the struggles of my past. Ivan called over another inmate, and the three of them listened as I spoke. Then Ricardo called over another inmate. Now the five of us were having a very intense conversation, and I was crying. (I felt the need to tell the four inmates not to get any ideas about what my crying meant because I could whoop all four of them on the spot. They loved that.) Then Ken pulled me in for a hug. “Tell me this then, man, how do I talk to God? I only know how to be me, and I like how you are being real with us right now…but how do we talk to God?” he asked. I replied by asking if they knew who Jonah was. When they all said no, I asked, “You heard of the man that was swallowed by a fish?” They all responded, “Oh yeah, yeah, that guy.” I explained that most know that as some little kids’ story but on the contrary, was a dark book where a man full of hatred speaks and truly wrestles with God. One asked, “Well, what happened?” I told him God had told him to preach to his enemies, but he refused and tried to run. With every detail of the story, they had questions. They were blown away that Jonah could be so honest with God without being killed for it. We went through the entire story, and at one point, Ivan began to cry. I was simply trying to show them that God will use you where you are, with the anger or fear that you have, and that he wants you to speak from the heart. He can handle it. Each inmate agreed that it was wild that Jonah would try to commit suicide before doing what he was told, and only because he knew that God was real and would save his enemies. The last inmate to join our group stood up and said, “Yo man, you need to go tell the Warden you are going to be my sponsor. I want to talk like this more often.” Ricardo was quick to tell him he was sitting by me first, and I was going to be his sponsor. I did not know what it meant to be a sponsor to an inmate, but I saw how God was using me, so we all got together to pray.
The day ended with far more to celebrate than my own experience: 42 inmates gave their lives to Christ, and 7 were baptized on the spot. I am continuing to work toward certification as a sponsor, which will allow me to check prisoners out of the facility for a couple of hours and take them to church or for a meal. This also motivated me to become a mentor to youth at the Tarheel Challenge Academy, a program for high school dropouts that helps them get on track for a brighter future. I know God gave me a past and a testimony that were hard to go through, but I believe I will see Him do great things through me, sharing it with those who need to know a new kind of hope.
As God would have it, One Harbor had just received an invitation to the tent revival at the Newport Correctional Facility that very week, and Bryan forwarded the invitation to me. At first, I was a little intimidated, with the enemy's accusations running through my mind: “You don’t know the Bible well enough, you have been in too much trouble yourself in the past,” and so on. But I accepted the invite and went anyway. When I arrived, I was told that anyone not on the approved prisoners’ visitors list could not come in. I took about three steps towards leaving, but turned around and told the attendant I needed to speak to someone above her. She looked at me and said, “The only way you are getting in is if the warden clears you.” So, I asked to speak with him. He came over and told me that while he was appreciative of my desire to join them, I was simply not allowed. With our eyes locked, I told him that I knew I was supposed to be there. He stared at me for a few seconds and pulled me to the side. To my surprise, he agreed to let me in once he walked me through some mandatory training.
Once inside, I found an empty chair a few rows away from the stage and sat by myself. Within minutes, I heard someone behind me say, “Man, do you think this is real? I mean, when I’m out here hearing the singing and these speakers, it kind of feels real.” I turned around to see two inmates sitting in the seats directly behind me. “It’s real, man,” I said, just slightly looking over my shoulder. “I’m living proof of how real it is”. This led one of the inmates, Ricardo, to ask about my story.
From there, I began sharing my testimony and the struggles of my past. Ivan called over another inmate, and the three of them listened as I spoke. Then Ricardo called over another inmate. Now the five of us were having a very intense conversation, and I was crying. (I felt the need to tell the four inmates not to get any ideas about what my crying meant because I could whoop all four of them on the spot. They loved that.) Then Ken pulled me in for a hug. “Tell me this then, man, how do I talk to God? I only know how to be me, and I like how you are being real with us right now…but how do we talk to God?” he asked. I replied by asking if they knew who Jonah was. When they all said no, I asked, “You heard of the man that was swallowed by a fish?” They all responded, “Oh yeah, yeah, that guy.” I explained that most know that as some little kids’ story but on the contrary, was a dark book where a man full of hatred speaks and truly wrestles with God. One asked, “Well, what happened?” I told him God had told him to preach to his enemies, but he refused and tried to run. With every detail of the story, they had questions. They were blown away that Jonah could be so honest with God without being killed for it. We went through the entire story, and at one point, Ivan began to cry. I was simply trying to show them that God will use you where you are, with the anger or fear that you have, and that he wants you to speak from the heart. He can handle it. Each inmate agreed that it was wild that Jonah would try to commit suicide before doing what he was told, and only because he knew that God was real and would save his enemies. The last inmate to join our group stood up and said, “Yo man, you need to go tell the Warden you are going to be my sponsor. I want to talk like this more often.” Ricardo was quick to tell him he was sitting by me first, and I was going to be his sponsor. I did not know what it meant to be a sponsor to an inmate, but I saw how God was using me, so we all got together to pray.
The day ended with far more to celebrate than my own experience: 42 inmates gave their lives to Christ, and 7 were baptized on the spot. I am continuing to work toward certification as a sponsor, which will allow me to check prisoners out of the facility for a couple of hours and take them to church or for a meal. This also motivated me to become a mentor to youth at the Tarheel Challenge Academy, a program for high school dropouts that helps them get on track for a brighter future. I know God gave me a past and a testimony that were hard to go through, but I believe I will see Him do great things through me, sharing it with those who need to know a new kind of hope.