Adopted by the Session, November, 2008

Core values of FPC, San Marcos. Sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ; an ever-increasing commitment to mission and stewardship as a way of life as we strive to be a blessing to the San Marcos community; warm, welcoming hospitality and fellowship; a heart for all people, especially younger families; respect for Reformed and Presbyterian traditions and openness to new ways of communicating the Gospel and worshiping God; respect for a diversity of opinion within a framework of fidelity to Scriptural and Reformed doctrinal authority.

Demographics. We believe we are called to be the body of Christ where we are planted and, as such, that we are to bear witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout our community and beyond.  We have a special heart for children and young families, especially those at-risk, the un-churched and mis-churched. Given our close proximity to the campus of Texas State University, we maintain our commitment to support United Campus Ministries on the Texas State campus.

Facilities and the decision to remain/relocate. We do not see First, San Marcos becoming a mega-church. We believe an appropriate first target for growth is 450 members. At that point, assuming appropriate levels of involvement in ministry by the congregation, further growth (even with a DCE on staff) will require an Associate Pastor and a fairly significant restructuring of church management. The next appropriate growth target would be 600 members. Without moving to another location or starting a second congregation, we believe 600 members is the maximum size our current location would allow us to effectively handle.

We also affirm our conviction to view our current and any future facilities as missional assets, which is to say that as central as they are to our abilities to worship and learn together as a family of faith, that they exist first and foremost to facilitate our ability to minister to the San Marcos community.

Consequently, while other congregations have chosen to relocate from downtown San Marcos to larger facilities elsewhere, we feel called to remain rooted to the neighborhood of which we've been a part for over 150 years.  We will make maximum use of the space we currently have; new construction will be pursued from the standpoint of providing needed ministries for the community; and once we've reached the limit of available resources, we'll work with Mission Presbytery to plant a new congregation in an appropriate location.

Resulting ministry strategy.

1) We remain at our current location and begin work toward initiating a plan of renovation and, as necessary, new construction along the lines suggested by our initial Master Plan.

2) We continue to approach our immediate neighborhood in particular and the San Marcos area in general as our mission field, seeking to join the Lord Jesus Christ wherever He is at work, with a special heart for children and young families, especially those at-risk, the un-churched and mis-churched.  

3) We renew our commitment to hands-on mission as both the facilitator and consequence of ongoing spiritual growth as individuals and a family of faith. 

4) We challenge all who call First, San Marcos "home" to embrace stewardship as a way of life, to share of one's time/talents/treasure from one's need to give rather than the church's need to receive. 

5) We commit, once we've reached a membership of 600, to planting a new congregation in a location to be determined in consultation with Mission Presbytery, with a portion of the congregation moving to function as the nucleus of the new congregation.