What's our Vision?

Our five-year Vision is called Let Down Your Nets, drawn from Luke 5:1-11 when Peter took a simple, courageous step of obedience and everything changed. 

And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.
– Luke 5:4-6

In our culture today, it’s tempting to stay near the shore, to stick with what’s familiar, safe, and comfortable. But we believe there’s a fresh move of God ahead if we will let down our nets in faith and walk into the deep, together, trusting God to move.

We interact daily with people who don’t know Jesus, and He wants to use our everyday obedience — at work, in our neighborhoods, at home — to help them experience abundant life in Him. God’s love and forgiveness bring a joy and peace nothing else can, and it’s what we want for everyone around us.

Just as we recite the Great Commission each Sunday, we’re called to live it out every day, building His Kingdom as we chase after this Vision.

This is the invitation: Let Down Your Nets.

What can I do now?

This is a five-year journey. Real change in your life, and in our church, doesn’t happen all at once. It happens step by step. So instead of asking you to take on everything about this Vision right now, we’re inviting you into it in phases — starting small, starting now. This fall, here are two practical ways you can Let Down Your Nets:

1. Help every person walking through our doors feel welcome and find their place to belong

Hospitality and Connect

Do you remember what it felt like the first time you walked into MBC? Before you knew anyone. Before you knew where anything was, and someone helped you feel like you belonged. This fall, be that person for someone else.

How can you do this? Serve with us!

Sign Up to Serve

Engage and Invite

Intentionally meet the people who sit near you each Sunday. Look around for someone who may not feel at home at our church yet. Stay after service for a real conversation instead of just heading out.

If you meet someone new, invite them to Open House, our new orientation to help everyone find their place at MBC.

Explore Open House

2. Learn practical ways to get to know people and help people get to know Jesus

You don’t have to be a pastor, missionary, or evangelism expert to reach people. You just have to start noticing them.

  • Your neighbor
  • Your coworker
  • Your friend
  • Your barista

Reach One Labs provide practical, hands-on training designed to help you notice, love, and reach the people already in your life. Together, we’ll learn how to take the next step in everyday relationships and trust God with the rest. First labs kick off November 8 after the 11 AM Service!

Sign up now Preview Labs

This is just the beginning

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Reach 01

The first step into a way of life, getting to know people and helping them get to know Jesus.

01 / Reach 01

Coming next: creating interactive environments for people who are exploring Christianity, and sharing practical ways to keep reaching one person at a time.

02 / Start 05

Coming next: strengthening our core ministries across locations, giving generously to other churches and ministries to catalyze Gospel work in the DMV.

03 / Disciple 10K

Coming next: developing an internship program that trains high school students and young adults, as well as a more comprehensive discipleship strategy for our entire church family.

04 / Impact 20M

Coming next: short-term mission trip opportunities, resources for leveraging your work to reach the nations.

Vision Sermons

Watch the sermon series to dive deeper into the why behind our Vision.

Scroll to Explore

Leaving an Unimaginable Legacy

What if one small step of faith could bear fruit for centuries? Five families started McLean Bible Church in 1961, with no idea what God would do through their simple "yes." Pastors David Platt and Mike Kelsey trace that thread from the unknown believers who planted the church at Antioch in Acts 11 to the 65-year legacy of MBC, 30 years of Access Ministry, and the launch of Citylight Church. Now we're casting a vision to start five new congregations across the DMV. Your ordinary obedience matters more than you know. Let down your nets.

How Spiritual Growth Happens

How do we actually grow to become more like Jesus? Is it all up to God, or is it up to us? In this message from Philippians 2:12–13, we see that it isn't either/or. Spiritual growth is a partnership: God works for us, God works in us, we work with God, and we work with others.

Mission Flows from Communion

From the place of joyful abiding, believers are empowered to join God's global mission to reach 20 million people across the DMV and the unreached world with the life-transforming gospel of Jesus.

We All Have a Part to Play

Pastor Mike kicks off our five-week Vision series in Acts 6:1-7, calling us all to get off the sidelines and join the action of what God is doing in and through our church.

Let Down Your Nets

Want to know the heart behind our 2030 Vision? Watch this sermon from Pastor Mike as he shares from our Vision passage, Luke 5:1-11.

Reach One

We're living out our five-year Vision in four ways. Reach One is about getting to know people and helping people get to know Jesus.

Start 5 New Congregations

We want to grow the number of Gospel-centered churches in the DMV by playing a part in starting new congregations.

Disciple 10K

10,000 people call McLean Bible Church their church home, and we want to see all of them grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Impact 20 Million

Every Sunday, we recite Christ's call to take the Gospel to all nations, and we hope to impact 20 million people through this five-year Vision.