A Dwelling Place for God

Our Mission is to prayerfully:
    INVITE & WELCOME people into a relationship with God
        GROW & EQUIP one another as devoted followers of Jesus Christ
            CARE FOR & SERVE others by the power of the Holy Spirit

This statement of our Mission encompasses the three most crucial functions of our ministry: Worship, Witness, and Discipleship. As we keep our focus on these priorities we will continue to move towards the fulfillment of our vision. Not only does this statement describe our three main ministry priorities, but it outlines a cyclical process that will be further fleshed out in our "Strategy."

Note the cycle inherent in this mission statement INVITE & WELCOME are about bringing people into faith and the experience of Christian community; GROW & EQUIP are about the process of discipleship and spiritual growth that happens in the context of that community; CARE FOR & SERVE are about people discovering their gifts and being equipped to fulfill God's calling within and beyond the community; which in turn takes us back to INVITE & WELCOME as we then receive new people from outside the church into the process. A more folksy interpretation might go something like this: "Bring 'em in, build 'em up, send 'em out . . .to bring 'em in, build 'em up, send 'em out, etc."

The Mission statement does not describe everything we do as a church, it simply keeps our focus on the central priorities that guide and direct us as we move toward the fulfillment of the Vision. It is essential that our Mission statement be succinct enough to remember, clear enough to understand, and focused enough to keep us on track. The temptation is to try and pack everything we want to do into a Mission statement - - this is why most church's Mission statements are ineffective.

In contrast to the Vision, our Mission is mainly about what we are doing as we move step by step in the direction of becoming the people God created us to be (the Vision). The Mission helps us to keep in focus what is most important and serves to order everything that we do. Each aspect of our ministry and every new initiative must be evaluated in light of the question, "Does this serve to fulfill our Mission?" Not only does it remind us what we should be doing, it helps us to be clear on what we should not be doing. As we allow the Mission to shape our strategy for ministry we will move closer and closer to the fulfillment of God's Vision for us.

The Mission: INVITE & WELCOME

"Our Mission is to:
     INVITE & WELCOME people into a relationship with God,

The INVITE & WELCOME portion of our Mission is a response to Jesus' Great Commission in Matthew 28:19: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit . . ." When Jesus first launched his ministry he began by proclaiming the Good News to those who were without hope. From the beginning of Christianity, being messengers of the Gospel has been at the heart of God's calling for his people.

Some churches today have lost sight of this central calling and have slipped into an inward focus rather than an outward focus. Too often our churches have developed a "country club" mentality rather than a "mission outpost" mentality. In a country club, the institution exists exclusively for the benefit of its members and the concerns of outsiders carry no weight. The defining question is "What is good for us?" By contrast the Mission Outpost exists for the fulfillment of the mission. Personal preference and whims do not define its character, rather concern for the context, culture, and needs of those outside the institution guide the methods and efforts of those inside the institution. The defining question is "How can we more effectively reach those who need the Gospel?"

The INVITE & WELCOME portion of our Mission statement reminds us of this crucial outward focus. It moves us beyond a focus on our own preferences and needs to focus on how we can be more effective in reaching that growing segment of our population that is outside the Church and for whom the Gospel is like a foreign language. Part of fulfilling this aspect of our Mission is to discover how we can translate the language of the Gospel into forms of ministry that are relevant in our rapidly changing culture.

In a culture where institutions are suspect and the majority of people are unfamiliar with the Church, personal invitation is the crucial vehicle by which we can carry out this aspect of our Mission. By building authentic relationships with unchurched people, we will have the opportunity to share our faith and invite them to join us in a worship experience that is comfortable, meaningful, and life changing. We will need to become a more inviting and welcoming community if we are to effectively fulfill this aspect of our Mission.

John 1:45-46 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." ⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

Reflection Questions

The Mission: GROW & EQUIP

"Our Mission is to:
GROW &EQUIP one another as devoted followers of Jesus Christ,

Notice in Matthew 28 that Jesus' Great Commission does not only emphasize witness, but also discipleship. Not only are we to baptize people of all nations, but in verse 20 Jesus says we are to be " . . .teaching them to obey everything that I commanded you." The GROW & EQUIP portion of our Mission is a response to this second half of Jesus' Great Commission.

We are not only to be about inviting people into a relationship with God, but also helping them to experience the life-changing power of God's Spirit that changes us from the inside out. Christianity is the life-long process of allowing God to graciously transform us into the people we are meant to be. Sharing and encouraging this process is central to the Mission of the Church.

Many people assume that going to church on Sunday morning is what being a Christian is all about. The truth is that to be a Christian is to be a disciple, a daily follower of Jesus. This means that our relationship with God is a part of all that we are, everyday, every minute of our lives. The GROW & EQUIP aspect of our Mission is about helping people to live out their faith in every part of their lives.

This means learning how to pray and read the Bible. It means developing a regular time of prayer, Bible reading, and reflection. It means joining a Bible study or Growth Group where spiritual growth can happen in community. It means growing towards the discipline of tithing. Discipleship means taking the next step in your walk with God and becoming equipped to use your gifts as a devoted follower of Jesus.

If we are to fulfill this part of our Mission we will need to provide more effective opportunities for people to experience the life-changing power of God's Word and Spirit. It also means that we will need to challenge and support people in taking the next step of commitment in this process of discipleship. As we become a community of people who are encouraging each other in a life of spiritual growth we will begin to fulfill this aspect of our Mission.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

Reflection Questions

The Mission: CARE FOR & SERVE

"Our Mission is to:
CARE FOR & SERVE others by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Not only did Jesus leave us with his Great Commission, but also in Matthew 22:34-40, he gave us the Great Commandment. When Jesus was asked what was the most important of all God's commandments, he answered, "'you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' And a second is like it, 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

The first commandment relates to the first two parts of our Mission statement: God's grace and love for us in Christ brings us into a relationship with him. That love then fuels the process of discipleship. It is this second commandment, however, that moves us into the third aspect of our Mission: "Love your neighbor as yourself." As we learn to love those around us we discover inside of us a natural desire to use our gifts to serve others.

The crucial importance of this third part of our Mission is underlined by Jesus' own example. Jesus not only proclaimed the Good News and challenged people into a life of discipleship, but wherever he saw hurting people or people in need, he responded in love by serving them. Jesus explicitly told his disciples when he washed their feet that if they were to be his followers they would follow his example of being a servant. We cannot claim to be fulfilling the Mission of Jesus if we are not focused on serving others in love.

Notice how this third part of our Mission flows out of the second and back into the first: as we grow spiritually we begin to discover that God has given us unique gifts that are crucial to the fulfillment of his purpose. There begins to grow inside of us a natural desire to respond to God's love be serving him and others with our gifts. Likewise, as we begin to serve those outside the community of faith there is a natural opportunity to invite new people into a relationship with God.

This is not a serving that grows out of guilt or obligation or that looks for reward or recognition. Rather, it is a natural response to God's grace that is motivated by gratitude, characterized by love, and results in profound fulfillment. There is no greater satisfaction in life than using your God-given gifts to serve others in response to the grace and love of God. If we are to fulfill this aspect of our Mission we will find more effective ways to help people identify their gifts and begin to use those gifts in serving others.

Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

John 13:13-17 You call me Teacher and Lord--and you are right, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. ¹⁵ For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. ¹⁷ If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

Reflection Questions

1.	When have you felt most cared for in a faith community?
2.	In what ways does Jesus' own life exemplify service to you? Does that inspire you or make you feel overwhelmed? Explain.
3.	We see so many needs in the community already here, how can we grow in serving others in love more regularly?
4.	How have you experienced God's love? How can this help you to share the love with others?<
5.	What do you think we should do to become more of a servant community at Bethel?

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