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Taking Stock of OCF - Part 2
Purpose
and Vision
Lieutenant General Bruce L. Fister, USAF (Ret.)
Executive Director, Officers' Christian Fellowship
Every ministry should have a clearly designed purpose around
which all other activities or programs revolve. It should point to the reason
for the ministry's existence, and if that purpose is accomplished, it should
point to a fulfillment of the ministry's vision. A ministry that strays from
its purpose is bound to fail. The apostle Paul's ministry purpose was being " .
. . a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the
earth."1 Paul never wavered from his purpose.
Through focused prayer and study, the OCF Council determined
that the Purpose of Officers' Christian Fellowship is:
To glorify God by uniting Christian officers for biblical
fellowship and outreach, equipping and encouraging them to minister effectively
in the military society.
The overarching purpose of OCF is "to glorify God." We evaluate
our ministry with that purpose in mind, but the question is, "How do we glorify
God?" The answer is found under Goal 1 in the OCF Strategy. That Goal is to,
"Expand the corps of Christian officers who are prepared for a lifetime of
integrated professional service and spiritual leadership within the military
society . . . "2
How we glorify God is also imbedded in the purpose itself. He is
glorified in our uniting together and as we equip and encourage others to reach
out and minister in their areas of influence. Understanding our purpose enables
us to stay focused and also fosters teamwork. Men and women want to give their
lives to something that matters. OCF's Purpose transcends the temporal; we are
seeking to affect the eternal kingdom of God, and to determine if we are doing
what God has called us to do. Evaluate your fellowship with respect to the OCF
Purpose, and communicate it whenever you can.
Through our Pray, Discover, and Obey process, we designed
the OCF ministry architecture to specifically support the OCF Purpose. The
purpose and the OCF Strategy become beacons for council deliberations. Our
local OCF fellowships are putting the purpose into action. We evaluate our
programs to ensure they are meeting your needs. OCF communication materials,
including COMMAND magazine and our web site, are designed to support the
purpose of your fellowship. Our conference centers glorify God by providing
biblical fellowship and training so you return to your duty station better
equipped to carry out the OCF Purpose. Our education center, academy and ROTC
ministries bring people to Christ and into our ministry.
Our ministry purpose should lead toward fulfillment of our
vision. Our vision tells us how we in OCF view a future state and helps
identify future opportunities for our ministry. The OCF Vision is:
A spiritually transformed military, with ambassadors for
Christ in uniform, empowered by the Holy Spirit, living with a passion for God
and compassion for the entire military society.
We should never take credit for the accomplishment of our
purpose. The OCF Vision is a future state that will result only from the Lord's
blessings. We must obey, but as Paul said to the Corinthians, "I planted the
seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow."3 With the Lord's blessings, we
will accomplish our purpose, fulfill our vision and complete our OCF Mission,
"Christian officers exercising biblical leadership to raise up a godly
military." Remember our purpose in your fellowship.
- Acts 13:47 as taken from Isaiah 49:6, NIV.
- Officers' Christian Fellowship Strategy 2002 - 2006, Change
1, 16 March 2002, pg. 6.
- 1 Cor. 3:6, NIV.
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