Imagine is a church affiliated with Converge Worldwide (formally the Baptist General Conference) that started on December 6th, 2015 in Otsego, MN. Imagine was started by The Quarry Church in Monticello, MN, Connections Church in Ramsey, MN, and Grace Fellowship in Brooklyn Park, MN. Lead Pastor Josh Christenson has more then 10 years of full-time ministry experience, and brings a passionate, carin
g, and authentic attitude towards ministry, community, and life. Anthony DeCamillis is a gifted worship leader that seeks to bring authentic times of worship and connection to our Creator. This Northwest Suburb of Minneapolis is home to roughly 15,000 people, and is expected to nearly double in size in the next 10 years. We have strategically chosen Otsego for the following reasons. Over 76% of the people who live in Otsego are married. That is 16% higher then the average in the state of Minnesota. It also has an average age of 33 (over 4 years younger then the state average). It also is home to only a few churches. The chance to make a significant impact on young families in the Otsego area is high! And we want to take advantage of using this location to reach people for Christ! Vision
The name of the church, Imagine, comes from Ephesians 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…”. We believe in a God that has a vision for our life that is greater and bigger then we could dream. Most of us give up on our hopes and dreams so quickly because of failure or believing that they are unrealistic. At Imagine, we believe in a God that calls us to relationship with Him that effects all areas of our life, and is greater then anything that we could dream of. We want a church that shows and believes in a God that is able to do, “immeasurably more, greater then we could ever imagine…”. Sunday morning will be a key component of what we do. We are looking forward to creating exciting worship experiences that will allow people to meet God where they are at. We will be authentic in the way that we present the Gospel, and believe in helping move people to take their next step in their journey with Christ wherever they might be at. Values
The values of Imagine are in 2 stages. The ‘what’ and the ‘how”. The ‘what’ are the values of Focus and Movement. We believe on starting with a Focus on Jesus, and having a Movement with others that walks alongside and reaches out to those in our community. This is the inward, holistic, spiritual growth, and the outward community, justice elements. The ‘how’ are the values of Authenticity, Excellence, and Creativity. The ‘how’ is played out through Creativity (in actions), Excellence (in our offerings), and Authenticity (in our relationships). FOCUS: We believe that the work of Jesus impacts every area of a person's life and culture. We reject unfounded categories that divide the world into uniquely sacred or purely secular. God is redeeming all of creation through Jesus. This plays out in ALL areas of our life! MOVEMENT: We were made to make a difference. One of the calls of Imagine is to make an impact on our community. We want to be involved in making a difference in the lives of others. This is played out in the way that we interact with others. We want our faith to be the thing that motivates and challenges us to reach out and make a tangible difference in our community. CREATIVITY: We believe that God values thinking outside the box. We are made in the image of this God. Therefore, within every human is the desire and capability to create. Imagine values beauty, art, and the creative process where we tend to something from a vision in our minds/hearts and bring it to life in time and space. AUTHENTIC: We want our insides to match our outsides and we want the kind of community where that is possible in the most appropriate ways. At Imagine we don't beat around the bush with tough issues and we commit to being honest with one another because we are interested in truth expressed in love and grace. EXCELLENCE: In whatever we do, we want to do it to the best of our ability. We believe that in doing this it brings glory and honor to God. We know and understand that not everything that happens at Imagine will be perfect, but we will do it to the best of our ability
