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To Develop a Family of Families

The church at its essence is community.  It is an interdependence of believers who rely on one another.  God likens the church to a body and the believers to members of the body.  Just as one member of the body is not more necessary than another – all are required to make the body whole – so it is with believers and the church.  Each believer (member) has an essential function and role in the completion or wholeness of the body. 

 

Unity within the body speaks of shared purpose and goals. 1Corinthians 1:10 [KJV]  “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Our goal in pursuing unity amongst the congregation is not for unity’s sake but the firm belief that the blessing of God and directing of the Holy Spirit can be found through unanimity within the Church.

 

Charity (love in action) within the body speaks to the genuineness of our devotion to Christ. John 13:35 [KJV] “By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”  1Peter 4:8 [KJV] “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”  The true belief that Godly (agape) love is not words or emotions but rather the act of meeting the needs of others we shall continually endeavor to be sensitive to those needs and be willing as a church body to demonstrate our devotion to Christ through sacrificial service to others.

 

Edification within the body speaks to the absolute need we have for one another in order to reach our potential in Christ. Ephesians 4:16 [KJV] “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” As set forth by our Saviour during His earthly ministry and further demonstrated by the apostles we shall prioritize purposeful relationships seeking to disciple one another in our Christian walks.  Willing and wanting to be the iron on both sides of the “sharpening” each of us needs.

 

In developing a family of families, we do not seek to limit membership to those who fit the mold of a traditional family make-up.  The young adult, single parent, senior citizen, teenager, child, or any other category, along with traditional families come together for the God given purposes of unity, charity, and edification. This “family of families” clearly demonstrating to the world the supernatural power of Christ to bind together a people from all walks of life with a bond greater even than those formed by a family tree.

 

With a Desire to Know and Follow Christ Through His Word

The unchanging core of the Christian life is a relationship with God through his Son – Jesus Christ. John 17:3 [KJV] “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” 

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The universal call on the life of every Christian is to become like the One after whom we are named. Romans 8:29 [KJV] “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

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The ultimate culmination of the believer is to finally be transformed into that perfect image of the Son of God. 1 John 3:2 [KJV] “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

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Since our ability to know and follow Christ and His Character is found solely through His Word, it is absolutely essential that the Preserved and Inerrant Scriptures be our final authority in all matter of faith, life, and practice. Ephesians 5:26 [KJV] “That he might sanctify and cleanse it (the church) with the washing of water by the word,” Psalm 119:105 [KJV] “Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” 1 Peter 1:23 [KJV] “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”     1 John 2:5 [KJV] “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”

 

Multi-Generational Impact

Christianity (“The Faith”) like every other treasured belief or tradition remains but one generation away from extinction. This generational departure from following God is clearly recorded for us in the history of Israel after entering the promised land. Judges 2:10 [KJV] “And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.” We believe it is commanded of us to propagate the Gospel of Christ not only outwardly to a world needing the Gospel but inwardly to our own children following after us.  Deuteronomy 11:18-19 [KJV] “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”  Therefore, the gospel preaching ministry of our church shall be emphasized two-fold:

 

• To this current generation -  through personal evangelism and the preaching of the Gospel, fulfilling the great commission – making disciples and teaching God’s word.  The impact we seek is to use individual spheres of influence to effectually share the love of God through the Gospel of Christ. We will also endeavor to have a global impact through our missionary program.

 

• To future generations - through church programs that develop a genuine relationship between our children and our Saviour.  We believe when someone comes to faith in Christ, it is much more likely that their children will be exposed to the Gospel. Teaching religion and tradition is not the goal of our youth ministries but rather leading future generations to likewise follow Christ.  The impact we seek to have is that should the Lord tarry our own children and grandchildren will be well equipped with hearts and minds that have the ability to love God and keep his commandments – and that they will be able to “teach others also” even as they have been taught. (2 Timothy 2:2)

 

This vision does not serve the purpose of a slogan or catch phrase.  This vision, which we believe is wholly derived from Scripture, serves to unite us as a body with focus and purpose to fulfill the work to which God has called us.  It serves the purpose of spokes on a wheel – tying all that our church does back to the hub upon which all things turn – Christ.    The depth of meaning and pursuit of Christ through this vision is a goal worthy of a lifetime of effort.  May we write it not only within our by-laws and upon our church walls – but may it root itself in our minds and upon our hearts as we follow the only One worthy of all we have to offer – the Lord Jesus Christ.