2020 was a year of change.
I know the illustration of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly can be overused. However, most of us were definitely in a type of cocoon this last year! Organizationally TCJHOP and Outpost had a similar experience. Amidst all the shaking, we got to ask ourselves, “What’s really important?” and “Who are we as a whole organization?” We eventually arrived at a mission statement that unites all the parts of our ministry:
This is not a change in who we are or what we have been doing but a change in how we clearly communicate what we are all about. While I do not have the space to go into each part in depth, I do want to point out a few things in this statement.
Love God
Loving God is a broad concept, but for us at TCJHOP, we think of it as the beginning, end, and sustaining point of all our journeys. The love of God is what calls us towards holiness, loving God is our reward, and that reciprocity of love is what continually motivates us. This is why we have a prayer room—a place people can encounter God, receive His love, and love Him in return. Healing just doesn’t happen without encounter with God.
Declare Freedom
American culture has a lot of different ideas of what freedom means and entails. For TCJHOP, the freedom we are talking about is the one Isaiah 61 mentions and Jesus quotes at the start of His ministry. It is freedom from sin and not to sin. It is God’s restorative justice. That is the freedom we bear witness to and declare to the Church and the world.
Establish Outposts of Restoration
Just as Outpost Ministries is a ministry of TCJHOP, TCJHOP would not exist without Outpost Ministries. A ministry of outposts is central to our identity. What is an outpost? It is the furthest reach of a kingdom’s territory. In establishing outposts, we are targeting 1) those who are just defecting from the enemy’s domain and 2) those who are wandering to the outskirts of the Kingdom. We are and will be a frontline and semi-fringe ministry. Looking again at Isaiah 61, we see that God is a God of restoration. He is always looking to redeem and restore, as they are the essence of the Kingdom. All the enemy-occupied territory has been taken back. The Kingdom is not about conquering new land but restoring it to its rightful ruler. TCJHOP is seeking for every heart and life stolen by sexual and relational sin and brokenness to be restored to their True King.
Changes
In crafting this clearer mission statement, we also wanted to better integrate TCJHOP as a whole and show that we truly are one ministry in a united mission. In that same spirit, you may notice our newsletter changing its format in the coming months. Part of this change is so we can include all of our ministry partners in our newsletter updates and mailings. Another part is because some updating is overdue!
What Will Be Different?
We want to bring the most relevant content regularly. There will still be monthly newsletters. However, the majority of these will be shorter and focused on the main updates from our ministry. At the same time, we want to provide a deeper look into some of our specific ministry groups and events and will spotlight one or two each month.
Additionally, we know that our articles have been a source of encouragement for many. We still plan to have these articles but will be compiling multiple articles into a single document—a longer-form letter—which we will send out a few times each year. We hope these longer-form letters will continue to encourage and inspire you and that this format will make the newsletter easier to collect and refer to when needed.
In the midst of all this change, please be patient with us as we work out some of the details. We are so excited for what God is doing with TCJHOP and Outpost and His plan for the coming year