Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
So, what kind of church is Harvest Bible Chapel?
The landscape of American churches is diverse. Today, it seems many churches are going through an identity crisis. Many traditional churches are trying to become more contemporary while many of the most cutting edge, innovative churches are discovering cool methodology is not resulting in quality discipleship.Church labels abound. "Purpose driven...Emergent...Missional...Seeker-Sensitive."
So, what kind of church is Harvest? We like to say, "First Vertical, Then Missional." We recognize that God is the Seeker and what he is seeking is true worshippers--those whose heart and mind are sensitive to Him and His truth. (John 4:24)
But we also embrace the mission Jesus has given us in John 17:17-18. "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. As a church, we are called by God to separate from the world while simultaneously being sent by God to penetrate the world with the good news of Jesus.
How can we do both? Here is a summary of our dual responsibility.
Separate!...Penetrate!
Called out of the World...Sent in to the World
Value Discipleship...Value Evangelism
Embrace Fellowship...Embrace Missions
Sanctified...Surrounded
Visible Demonstration...Verbal Declaration
Live Authenticity...Speak Authoritatively
Be Biblically Faithful to the Text...Be Culturally Fruitful in the Context
Listen to Word of God...Speak the Language of the People
Love God...Love your neighbor
Spend Time alone with God...Spend Time Together With Godless People
Danger of Separating: Seclusion...Danger of Penetrating: Syncretism
Not Isolation...But Insulation
Not Of the world...But In the world
Not A Friend of the world (James 4:4)...But A Friend of sinners (Luke 7:34)
Not Seclusion or Syncretism...But Subversion
May Harvest Bible Chapel be a church that is distinguished from the world by the prensence of God and impacting the world around us with His life changing truth.
So, what kind of church is Harvest? We like to say, "First Vertical, Then Missional." We recognize that God is the Seeker and what he is seeking is true worshippers--those whose heart and mind are sensitive to Him and His truth. (John 4:24)
But we also embrace the mission Jesus has given us in John 17:17-18. "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. As a church, we are called by God to separate from the world while simultaneously being sent by God to penetrate the world with the good news of Jesus.
How can we do both? Here is a summary of our dual responsibility.
Separate!...Penetrate!
Called out of the World...Sent in to the World
Value Discipleship...Value Evangelism
Embrace Fellowship...Embrace Missions
Sanctified...Surrounded
Visible Demonstration...Verbal Declaration
Live Authenticity...Speak Authoritatively
Be Biblically Faithful to the Text...Be Culturally Fruitful in the Context
Listen to Word of God...Speak the Language of the People
Love God...Love your neighbor
Spend Time alone with God...Spend Time Together With Godless People
Danger of Separating: Seclusion...Danger of Penetrating: Syncretism
Not Isolation...But Insulation
Not Of the world...But In the world
Not A Friend of the world (James 4:4)...But A Friend of sinners (Luke 7:34)
Not Seclusion or Syncretism...But Subversion
May Harvest Bible Chapel be a church that is distinguished from the world by the prensence of God and impacting the world around us with His life changing truth.
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