Inside Our Heart and Soul
We are a community missions church. In other words we have located in the neighborhood where we will serve. We will live among them, eat what they eat, drink what they drink, drive what they drive, play where they play. They will feel comfortable entering the property and the church because we are like them, we already know them or get to know them. We treat them with respect. We don’t require them to learn Christianese nor sing hymns from hymnals. We worship to music in modern styles that will engage them. The bar they have to hurdle should only be about ankle high.
We are a community missions church. We are not a denominational church or member of a network of churches. We don’t engage in organized religion nor it’s activities. The bible is our guidebook not any other organizational book. We teach only from the bible. We do not teach the doctrinal “isms”. We don’t teach to follow the law, we teach grace in all things.
We are a community missions church. We are actively engaged in reaching the lost for Jesus, bringing in the unchurched, administering grace in it’s various forms to our community. We are not an international ministry or focused on missions to remote locations. We are not a community service organization in membership with others in town. We ask them to support us as we reach deeper into our community.
We are a community missions church. We do not have a formal membership. The church will be cared for by it’s members. The members will care for the community.
We are a community missions church. We not only evangelize and care for the lost, we endeavor to make disciples. This means the New Testament is our guidebook. We first ask, “what does the bible say?” It is the assignment of mature believers to engage in this. Mature believers willingly sacrifice comfort or traditions or preferences in order to reach and disciple the unchurched. We are thus, servant believers. This does not infer that we will live in homeless poverty because they are. It means our facilities and grounds are welcoming to our demographic of the unchurched. This doesn’t mean we forgo or don’t expect common courtesy from the unchurched. We don’t want people to be afraid to come in because they will get it dirty.
Is this vision speaking to you? Come. Join Us.
KEEP READING
Community Churches are needed. Serving a defined neighborhood - community. It is where people gather and have time to talk things over, learn from each other, offer/receive help from each other, learn/observe parenting, get to know each other's kids, help other parents out with their kids.
Our society has lost this community fabric and the benefits gained from that style of living. We are fragmented, isolated, disconnected.
But it doesn't have to be this way. A community church can recapture this to an extent.
Geographically, it is to make sure that everyone has a place to go to church in their community. Locals are able to serve their community with needs with which they are aware of.
Culturally, it is so that every personality can find a church family with which they can relate to.
Organizationally, it is so the local body does not have dictates from a “corporate committee” which can stray from true Biblical doctrine. The local independent church is free to govern themselves.
A community church can meet these geographical, cultural, organizational needs.
Ways that a community church can generate neighborhood begin with a love for the people. Specific methods include:
~ be a servant to the community in any way possible
~ meet their spiritual needs even if they aren't part of the church
~ conduct community-creating events
~ during community-creating events, instigate heart-felt conversations about love, life, and faith. Inspire neighbor interactions.
A community church should have an informally defined boundary within an area that neighbors and church members live. The common bond will be the geographical boundary. The community church's primary focus should be for the local people and community rather than regional or national. There is a place and a demand for regional/national churches.
Scripturally, community is the most effective practical way to live out Titus 2
1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
In other words, if the church is to impact both the unchurched, even unsaved, and the saved and churched—it must be the community-creator. It should have church sponsored events that are nothing more than community-gathering events. Evangelism and discipleship will happen naturally in a comfortable setting because everyone is interacting with each other. Certainly, there needs to be a number of strong witnesses embedded who know how to gently interact and model Christian living.
Live Among Them
Get a Copy and ReadWhen you think of church, what comes to mind - a beautiful building, wonderfully adorned with stained glass and wooden pews, facing a stage with an ornate altar? This book will most assuredly mutilate that fine vision. Mark S. Disbrow has written a book that communicates the powerful principle of living among those to whom you are trying to minister. This is a principle that Jesus lived out.