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A Missionary Church
God has called us as missionaries to plant seeds of Christ in the lives of people who have rejected the Church, and in so doing, have rejected God. In the first several months of this ministry journey, we experienced that the garden He’s given us to tend has very hard soil; even harder than we thought. We are convinced that He does not want us to go find different soil, but work hard to make the soil more workable. We believe that Jesus, in us, is the Living Water that the hard soil needs. Pouring out the living water into the soil is the only way it will become softer. So we will pour ourselves into people, believing that as we till the soil and plant the seeds of Christ, fruit will grow in time. This is most likely like planting grapes…it may take 4 years to get any substantial fruit, but it will most certainly be worth it! Following are the ways we feel God has called us to organize this gardening effort. We leave lots of room for the Holy Spirit to do His work and surprise us with other avenues of tilling and working the soil. We believe that God asks us to be obedient to walk through the doors He opens, believing that He’s responsible for the fruit!
Mission: Actively bringing the love of God to people through care, community, and church.
Ministries:
Care: We use whatever gifts and skills we have to serve those in need, funneling useful resources and willing volunteers to meet needs of people in our community. Most of our efforts focus on home repair & maintenance, in order to increase the health of safety of peoples’ living environments. We look for opportunities to serve those who can’t afford to hire help to fix their homes, facilities, yards, etc. It really is ‘more blessed to give than to receive!’
Community: As individuals, we seek to be active participants in community affairs; building relationships, providing occasional affinity groups (such as marriage, parenting, etc.), and getting involved in neighborhoods, schools, sports clubs, civic efforts, you name it. Americans often tend to be somewhat ‘isolated’ from the relationships meant to provide for mutual support. We want to do what we can to fill the gap by becoming ‘part of the fabric’ of our community, promoting interdependency and health at all levels.
Church: We help people connect with God and each other through Bible study, spiritual encouragement & accountability, communal meals, corporate & private prayer. This is the simple form of ‘church’ found throughout the New Testament. We encourage everyone to be regularly involved with a group of Christ-followers; either in a local Conventional Church, or in one of our new or existing “Simple” Churches. We offer a simpler form of church; not limited to a place or time, but as small groups of people who ‘do life together’ and meet in homes or other places regularly. The main thing is to grow in our knowledge and connection in Christ inside of everyday life.
Core Values: Simplicity, Servanthood, Faith in Jesus Christ & Involvement in His Church, Respect between Society & Church, Multiplication by Volunteers.
Vision Statement: We envision a reality where Christ-followers are admired for their generosity, love and service towards their communities; where the people therein recognize the impact of God and His people in a way that draws them into His Family; and where ordinary people are equipped and unleashed to “pay forward” acts of service to change the world one life at a time!
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