Embodying a purposeful direction in the Vision Statement to bear fruit for God
Khen LimFinal Part
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Re-envisioning the Future
Leaders of our church arrived at a mutually-agreed conclusion
that a generic vision under the common umbrella of the Great Commission wasn’t
specific enough at least for our church and the problems we needed to attend
to.
Hence our new chairman proposed the need to revise the
church’s Vision Statement with the view to come up with a more appropriate
replacement that would, firstly, fall under the general auspices of the Great
Commission and secondly, offers better details that carry more relevance for
our church.
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Inward Development
o Discipleship. To become a learner or follower of Christ in a literal sense.
o Fellowship. To be in friendly association with the people who, in this
case, share the same faith in Christ within the sanctity of the same church.
o Equipping. To spiritually prepare a person to do the work of Christ.
o Training. To undertake a course of exercise in preparation for the work
of Christ.
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Outward Development
o Maturity. Achieving a state of spiritual coming-of-age in order that the
person may do the work of Christ responsibly and submissively.
o Witnessing. To provide evidence or to testify for Christ before others so
that they may seek Salvation and attain eternal life.
o Fellowship. To be in friendly association with people who, in this case,
are unbelievers in the outside world.
The Vision Statement
Using the abovementioned seven elements, we then string them
together to build a single coherent statement that would offer a view of what
we intend to do for the future of our church. We hoped that by doing so, we
could have a Vision Statement that embody greater purpose and a more pointed
direction. In one sentence, we wanted a description that was as clear and
inspirational as possible so that we have a better chance to achieve the
long-term desired change through the way of the work that our church must now
do.
Here is what the new Vision Statement looks like for our
church:
“To bring people to Jesus
and membership in His family and to develop them to be disciples of Christ,
mature in outlook to be witnesses to the world and be in fellowship with all.”
It should be straightforward enough to see how the seven
elements are suffused in form within the new Vision Statement:
-
Part One: “To bring people to Jesus and membership in
His family…”
o Element: Witnessing
-
Part Two: “…and to develop them…”
o Elements: Equipping, Training
-
Part Three: “to be disciples of Christ…”
o Element: Discipleship
-
Part Four: “…mature in outlook…”
o Element: Maturity
-
Part Five: “...to be witnesses to the world and…”
o Element: Witnessing
-
Part Six: “…be in
fellowship with all.”
o Element: Fellowship
What we have achieved with the new Vision Statement is the
co-existence of the seven elements, blended together to define for our church,
a more focused direction for her future. To gain a clearer understanding of the
new Vision Statement, we must now study it in individual separate sections:
Bring people to Jesus and membership in His family
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Exactly what does it take to bring people to Christ? For many
of us, whenever a discussion with our unbeliever friends revolves around our
faith in Jesus, they would feign understanding and then tell us that what we
believe is fine for us but it’s not something that fits in with their
lifestyle. In short, it’s not for them. And that brings about the question,
what does it take to bring people to Christ?
The short answer to that is simple – it lies in God’s truth shared in love and friendship and exemplified daily
in the life of those who selflessly share the Gospel.
Therefore the mission of our church must be to share our faith
to help others to believe in Christ. We can do this through the friendships we
make and the relationships we cherish with our friends, relatives, work peers
and neighbours in person or even online using social media networking or
whatever it takes to reach out to them. What they then see in our conduct
should be the exemplification of Christ and when they do, they will be inspired
rather than raise prickly questions. In other words, it is when we don’t
conduct ourselves properly that unbelievers will become cynical and sceptical
and this drives a wedge between them and us.
In Malaysia, Christianity is arguably the most closely scrutinised
of all religions. People in general could have so many religions to choose from
to sneer or mock but invariably, Christians get the nod and today, we become an
easy target to take pot shots at. This makes it very difficult to get away with
misconduct and invariably, it is impossible to get away from remarks like, “And
they call themselves Christians…,” which suggests that we may be called
Christians but we do not live up to the Name of Jesus Christ. This is a serious
indictment of our failure to bring glory to God and in turn, it is one of many
ways to explain why we have not been able to bring people to Christ. In other
words, how we ultimately conduct ourselves in public that attracts or repel
unbelievers far more so than whether they understand the Gospel or not.
Another reason why people would respond to Christ, according
to Billy Graham, is because there are believers who invest in prayers, befriend
unbelievers and persist in sowing the seed of change in their lives. It is
these actions that invariably help to broaden the path for us to bring
unbelieving friends to hear the message of Jesus.
Graham also tells us that more often than not, those among us
who have a personable relationship
with Christ are likelier to bring more people to church meetings and cell
groups than those who haven’t. What this means is that we need to put ourselves
in the position of becoming a personal witness to Christ in order to be an
instrument for the Lord to bring others to Him.
This brings us to what the apostle said in John 1:40-41 (NLT),
“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one
of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to
find his brother, Simon and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means
‘Christ’).”
This verse alone contains elements that we can shape into four
distinct steps in bringing people to Christ:
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STEP ONE: See if you can recognise those who need
Christ
When you have someone in mind, it’s
time to seek God’s help.
In your prayer, ask to have His insight
so that you are able to identify your friend’s need of Christ. Pray too that God
will give you the heart to sense the burden of those who do not know Him.
When you can come across such a person, write down his/her
name on a card and then place it somewhere safe but visible in your home so you
can be reminded every day.
STEP TWO: Pray every day for that person
This reminder should then prompt you to find the opportunity to
pray to God with at least two things firmly in mind.
The first is to petition God to soften the person’s heart
enough for him to acknowledge his need for Christ. The second is to ask God to
shape you into an example worthy of Christ. This means your life will be a
model of difference for the person to see, understand and be inspired by. It would
be critical for you to make a big enough difference for the person to see the
impact that Christ has made in your own life.
STEP THREE: Build bridges to reach the person
Without a doubt, you will
initially face obstacles that might make it a little hard to get close to the
person but nothing here suggests that you cannot try to build a bridge to reach
out to him. In establishing your friendship, make an effort to invest some
quality time in which your presence can be a comfort to him. To be sure, we are
referring to comfort of a platonic and not romantic nature!
If or when your friendship has
reached an amiable enough level, you might try asking the person respectfully
if you could pray for her and if you could do that in his presence, that would
be even better.
Where possible, arrange to have
an informal meal with the person be it lunch or dinner or even a coffee. If
such an arrangement causes you some degree of discomfort, bring along a church
friend to be your witness. The purpose of this is so that you can listen to the
person’s problems.
The point of building bridges is to put out your hand of
friendship and show that person you’re genuine and you’re comfortable with him.
STEP FOUR: Introduce and share the Gospel
Listening to the person opens up
potential opportunities, which God will use in showing you His hand. You will
then realise the right timing to offer your testimony to the person. Right
timing is crucial when it comes to sharing the Gospel or simply to tell the
person about your relationship with Christ and how it has changed your life
because it means that he is in a more willing state of mind to listen.
Someone once advised me to spend
no more than two minutes to describe my relationship with Christ because any
longer, the person on the receiving end will likely switch off his attention.
What he’s proposing is to keep your message short but clear. Make your point
and then don’t add any more to it. Very importantly, you must leave the
listener in no doubt as to how Christ has impacted you and how the commensurate
changes redefined your rules of living.
Once you begin to have a dialogue
about your life with Christ, God will open up ways for you to take the next
turn and that is, to invite the person to church. Here, ‘church’ doesn’t have
to mean a typical Sunday service (although it can). Instead it can be an event
organised by the church in which invitees are more specifically non-Christians.
This can be special outreach programs, a Christian concert or even a very
meaningful Good Friday event. For some, it can even be a Bible Study class or a
cell group meeting. No matter what you choose, place your trust in God as to
the choice of event that ‘just happens to be around the corner’ will be the one that He will use to
prepare him to receive and accept Christ.
At this juncture, you must not
procrastinate and keep waiting for ‘the right time.’ When God opens the door
for you, don’t just stare blankly but walk through it! Hold on to your faith,
trust in Him and everything will fall into place the way God has planned it.
You may not agree but remember, your thoughts are not His thoughts and your
ways aren’t His ways either (Isa 55:8). No matter how unlikely it looks to you,
God’s best laid plans are always surprising
and seemingly improbable (Prov 16). So, leave everything to Him, do as you’re
told and walk in His ways. You can’t go wrong with this!
At this point, one of two things
can happen.
If that person accepts Christ,
then help to familiarise him with your church. Guide him to grow in Christ.
Introduce him to not just your pastor and elders but also friends in church
whom you are close to and whom you believe can be a great help to him also.
Always remember that any new believer is like a babe in the woods. He is a
spiritual baby needing not just spiritual milk to build him up (1 Pet 2:2) but
also someone (that would be you and
perhaps your friends) to be his spiritual guide (shepherd) and mentor at least
for the early years of his life in church.
On the other hand, if that person
is not receptive to Christ, don’t be discouraged because it remains God’s will
in all that is done (and not done), even in glory to Him. Learn to be patient
with the Lord and wait on Him (Ps 27:14). Cease not but instead, continue to
show faith in your friendship with that person. Always keep him in your
purview. Keep the intensity of your prayers intact and don’t stop asking God to
open his heart. Sometimes, it takes time but continued efforts and persistent
cultivation will bring the seed to germinate.
Develop people to be disciples of Christ
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Much earlier on in this article, we merely offered a broad
definition to the word ‘Discipleship,’ suggesting that it is a process by which
a person literally becomes a learner or follower of Christ. Without a doubt,
this is a rather vague or generalised description. In fact the word ‘disciple’
can have differing degrees of interpretation from a very simple to a radical
outlook. While some consider the simplistic view that a disciple is anyone who
has accepted Christ and regularly attends church, others may require further
expressions of commitment, dedication or devotion. Some think that the person
must also be involved in some kinds of ministry work. Some believe that mission
work is an important criterion.
It is not uncommon for many Christians to think that it is
enough to just believe and then stand on the sidelines to watch and cheer for
Him. That might simply mean that Christians make the most wonderful
cheerleaders around but you might want to wonder if Jesus is actually looking for
cheerleaders or not! On the other hand, could He be looking for more than just
that in each of us? Would He, by chance, be searching for men and women to
follow Him at whatever cost? Could He be seeking those who are willing to fully
devote themselves unreservedly?
The most basic aspect of being a disciple is to distinguish it
from a mere convert. The story of Paul in the Book of Acts clearly illustrates
his transition from being a convert to being a true disciple for Christ. He did
not stay a convert and simply stand on the sidelines. He wasn’t just a
bystander looking in.
Instead Paul was transformed into a powerful disciple who
went on to do great and amazing things as the many letters he wrote attest to
them. His encounter with Jesus en route to Damascus wasn’t a coincidence
waiting for a chance to happen. Jesus wasn’t just recruiting a convert but He
was looking to mould Paul into a great and fully committed disciple who shared
the Gospel wherever he went. In other words, Jesus is constantly on the lookout
to mould our willing hearts into true discipleship.
Needless to say, all of us begin our Christian walk by being
converts first. But there are many (converts) who prefer the comfort of sitting
down instead of starting their walk. They eschew the hard work. They shy away
from the sacrifices. They are averse to deeper commitments. They convince
themselves they do not need to do any more than they already have.
On the other
hand, Jesus does not want us to simply be a convert but to shape our belief into
a powerful and compelling faith that others may see. It isn’t wrong to be a
convert; after all, it is a starting point for all who accept Christ. However,
while it’s cute to watch a baby with delight, it is very troubling if an adult
were to do the same thing and not grow up.
The apostle Paul said, “When
I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up
I put away the childish things” (1 Cor 13:11, NLT). In other words, it is
neither wrong nor unacceptable for a new believer not to know the Word of God
because he is but a spiritual baby, waiting to be spiritually nourished.
A
grown-up believer who may be a brilliant mathematician is expected to be
somewhat different. As an adult, he no longer can hide behind the façade of a baby
and bear excuses of immaturity. Instead he is expected to learn to be a
disciple of Christ so that he has an understanding of God’s commandments as he
fulfils his walk.
This is where many churches find themselves; at crossroads
where converts may not know where next to go, where some are looking for
greater meaning in their walk with Christ and where some others might even be
seeking help in their spiritual lives. Many of these churches lack as much the
all-important follow-up as equipping new believers for their challenges up the
road. What all this means is that we cannot just stop in our tracks immediately
after accepting Christ for there is much more to do, as the apostle Paul shows
us in his life.
A disciple is tasked to advance his commitment and faith while
a convert is content to sit and watch others. However the other distinctions
are very apparent as well. Here are just a few more just to make the point:
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Converts are largely
believers who tend to live like the rest of the world.
Disciples on the other
hand are believers who live their lives like Jesus.
-
Converts value their
personal values and interests, are focused on their anxieties and fears and
take pride in their priorities and lifestyles.
Disciples centre their
hearts and minds on Jesus and not on themselves.
-
Converts go to church.
Disciples make up the
whole church. They are the church.
-
Converts get involved in
the mission of Jesus.
Disciples commit
themselves to the mission of Jesus.
-
Converts root for Jesus,
cheering heartily and even noisily from the sidelines.
Disciples have skin in the
game. They are fully immersed and accept all risks in order to bring glory to
Christ.
-
Converts hear the Word of
God.
Disciples live the Word of
God.
-
Converts learn to follow
the rules.
Disciples unstintingly follow
only Jesus.
-
Converts are into
believing in Jesus.
Disciples are into being
Christ-like.
-
Converts are comfortable in
what they believe.
Disciples sacrifice
themselves because of what they believe in.
So then, what kind of disciple are we to develop in church?
A disciple is a convert who takes the extra steps so that he
may wholly dedicate himself to following Jesus’ life. He yearns to do this
because he desperately seeks to emulate Him. He makes Jesus’ mission his core mission in life. He takes on His
values. He adopts His heart. He finds purpose, identity and meaning in
everything that Jesus embodies. Jesus is his first and last word and He is the epicentre
of his life. Wherever Jesus goes, he will dauntlessly follow, willing himself
to surrender his life in his steadfast commitment to only Him.
That is perhaps the truest and most biblically authentic
interpretation of what a disciple of Christ is but that doesn’t mean all
churches will subscribe to it. In reality, standards vary from one church to
the next because our co-existence in the secular world may alter our
priorities. No doubt, there are plenty of Christians who prefer a milder or
less radical definition because it meshes better with their lifestyle. As uncomfortable
as this may some of us feel, that, unfortunately, is the reality of it.
Be mature in outlook to be witnesses to the world
No one will disagree that an immature, crying, petulant baby
can never become much of a witness to the world. Nobody cares much to listen if
that is the case. And if we continue to consume soft baby foods, we will end up
forfeiting our potential to grow our stature. We will then miss out on
adulthood and even if we have useful things to share with others, it is
doubtful that anyone will take us seriously. We might have to be thankful if no
one laughs behind our backs!
So what does it take to grow up and become spiritually mature?
With that question in mind, we might also wonder how and why some Christians we
know just don’t grow up. Perhaps then we might ask why there are Christians who
don’t comply with what Scripture asks of us. Worse still, have you ever
wondered why some Christians can speak powerfully about certain sections of
Scripture but ignore others? How is it that we have Christian leaders who can power
their way through an impressive sermon but do the very things that God says we
shouldn’t?
Cases in point? How about church leaders who divorce their
spouses or who are caught in illicit sex affairs? How about church leaders who
have no scruples inviting the Quran to be read in the sanctuary of God’s
church? Or what about those who take to the pulpit to bully their members or
abuse their power by talking them into submission?
There are steps that can help us to get on the right path to
righteous development and achieve spiritual maturity. These steps indubitably
involve the study of His Word and the diligent application of good works. Because
most of us have no problem understanding growth as a physical concept, Paul
uses it very successfully in helping us to relate to our quest for spiritual
maturity in much the same way as we comprehend the physical equivalent.
In fact Paul’s many letters in the New Testament bear strong
witness to how he encourages believers to make it their mission to attain
spiritual maturity. We find this in many parts of the Bible. For example, in
Ephesians 4:14-15, he tells the church in Ephesus to stop being immature but
instead, grow up in Christ. In his writings to the churches in Thessalonica (2
Thes 1:3) and Philippi (Php 1:9), he praises the former for their rewarding
growth in faith and in the latter, he prayed that the Philippians would grow
their love even more so. Other than Paul, the apostle Peter talks about growing
in the grace and knowledge of Christ (2 Pet 3:18).
Note: Of course, you can
venture more deeply to find other examples as well.
You get the feeling that spiritual maturity as a subject is
not a trivial issue in the Bible. In fact, it is crucial if we are to be worthy
witnesses for Christ to the world. Lest we end up embarrassing God with our
immature antics in public, we should be more studious in His Word, absorbing
His lessons so that we may grow inwardly and then project a more mature outlook
for others to see Christ in us.
On the other hand, when Christians fail to grow, many problems
will invariably arise. Some will surely leave church and return to the material
world, turning their backs to God. At least some of them will also point an
accusative finger at the church and heap blame on the leaders without ever
wondering if they should peer into the mirror. Some others may remain in church
but in their ignorance, they may unwittingly cause considerable strife. Or they
may behave so unacceptably that they cause others to stumble and fall.
It goes without saying that, spiritual maturity is not
unimportant. It is critical. It is warranted. It is so absolutely necessary if
we want to avoid disasters and eliminate the spirit of greed and corruption.
Without it, we not only remain as babies and fail to be witnesses of Christ but
we will also end up annihilating each other.
For these reasons, our church needs to follow these steps:
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Espouse a desire to grow within and without
Unless we really and desperately want
to grow, we will never grow. Remember how all of us were once little kids who
were so impatiently waiting to grow up and do adult things? Well, Christians
should adopt the same desire and spiritually grow so that we may be more
responsible in our Christian walk.
Perhaps we should look to 1 Peter 2:21 and keep ourselves in
check: “Jesus set an example for us, and
we should follow in His steps. We should ask ourselves ‘Don’t I want to grow up
spiritually strong like Jesus?’”
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We must yearn for serious and purposeful nourishment
Spiritual nourishment can only
come from the fruit of God’s Word. This means diligently studying His Word and
regularly attending church meetings. Don’t make excuses and miss out but
instead, attend them faithfully.
When we were kids, our parents
didn’t just feed us. Rather we were fed highly nutritious food so that we may
grow healthily and strongly.
Likewise, Christians must feed on God’s teachings so that we
may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:18).
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We must indulge in proper exercises and practices
We know all too well that to
physically develop, training exercises are unavoidable. Just as we build our
physical bodies through strenuous workouts, musicians alike hone their musicality
through constant practices even if they sometimes sound monotonous.
Similarly, spiritual growth requires the same. In Hebrews
5:14, the writer says “growth requires
exercise as well as nourishment.” Christians exercise so that they may
attain an admirable level of godliness (1 Tim 4:7).
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Growth requires time and patience
Nothing is achievable
instantaneously or overnight. Everything worth the effort usually demands our
time and patience to see things through. Oftentimes, we may have to face up to
failures that cause us to occasionally falter but they are all part of the maturation
process along the way.
Take a look at some of the
biblical characters who made terrible mistakes but they became heroes of faith.
Moses made a lot of lame excuses. David committed adultery and murder. Peter
denied Jesus not once but thrice. Paul persecuted Christians out of hatred.
Thomas doubted when he shouldn’t have. In fact, all His disciples forsook
Jesus.
And yet all of them are remembered as among God’s greatest
servants. In short then, to grow means to learn even if the lessons may be
tough.
There is no shame in being a baby but only if you were born a
few short months ago. However if you are an adult, the world expects you to
behave like one. This means you should be able to interact in a matured manner
and involve yourself in grown-up discussions.
When we are children of God and have been so for many years,
we too are expected to be spiritually mature or otherwise, we do indeed have a
serious problem to deal with.
Be in fellowship with everyone
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For Christians, the last two decades have been a rude
awakening. These are the years that tell us how unpopular and resented we have
become throughout the world. Even in so-called Christian countries, let alone
Arab nations in the Middle-East, we have been persecuted beyond belief and
strung up for the world to see.
Things have changed so dramatically that Christians are
instructed to exercise tolerance and acceptance even when we morally and
spiritually object to them.
Take for example the crosses we wear around our necks. In
countries like the U.K., America and Canada, they cannot be outwardly displayed
without offending someone. Some have lost their jobs just because of this. In
an increasing number of countries, churches are told to remove the crosses
erected on top of their buildings again because they are deemed offensive.
Muslim
students are ‘rightfully’ empowered to demand Christian universities to remove
crosses from the walls of classrooms because to them, they are an abomination.
Schools are ordered to obliterate symbols of crosses from their official emblems
and logos for the same reason.
Despite the love Christians have for unbelievers, we are told
emphatically not to offer to pray for them because they don’t want our prayers
and they reject our God. Graduands at their convocations are told not to give
thanks to God and never to indulge in corporate praying in public. We can no
longer wish someone ‘God bless’ because they allegedly traumatises the
recipients.
In some supermarkets and departmental stores including certain
cafes, the customary verbal Christmas greetings are no longer allowed between
staff members and customers. Christmas displays are watered down and the famous
Rockefeller Centre Christmas Tree is no longer called that. The offended are
forcing everyone to name it Holiday Tree instead.
Amidst all of these terrible things happening, it is incredibly
insensitive to then ask us to be civil to those who hate us so vociferously. Seeing
how we have been so badly treated, we cannot be criticised if we turn our backs
on them and walk away in a huff.
But as children of faith, God tells us to
expect temptations, persecutions and all sorts of attacks to come our way from
all reaches of the world including Christian nations. We read in the news about
all these people who hate us. We also see them online and on the television,
frothing with anger. We hear them chanting against us on the radio. And for
some of us, people have seethed at the sight of us.
Despite all of this, our walk with Christ must continue and in
that sense then, our close relationship has a chance of getting even closer. In
the future to come, these challenges will not lessen but instead, intensify but
all the same, we are in the same world, still spending our time dealing with
them at work, in public and wherever we may be.
Acts 26:18 tells us that people
are broadly identifiable in two distinct groups – those who belong to the world
and are subsumed to Satan, their ruler, and those who belong to God. Therefore,
to be in fellowship with everyone
means we are to be inclusive of those who are in the world as well.
The Bible describes these two groups of people as polar
opposites. In contrast to those in the light, they are in darkness. Unlike those
who have eternal life, they face eternal death. While those are at peace and
harmony with God, they, on the other hand, are perpetually at war against and
hatred for God.
Whereas those who live and die for the truth and who believe
their whole life must be immersed in the truth, the rest are sold on the
pathology of heinous lies upon which deception they build their lives. Unlike those
who choose the narrow and twisty path to Salvation, those in the world prefer
the broad highways of death and destruction.
In other words, believers and unbelievers are worlds apart and
nothing anyone can tell us can ever put a shade on how Scripture portrays them
so accurately and truthfully.
Clearly then, the message in Scripture calls for us to discern
the kind of friendships we are to engage in with unbelievers. Proverbs 12:26
reminds us that, “the righteous should
choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.”
So we are to dissociate ourselves from troublemakers (13:20), from those who
are not learned in the ways of God (14:7), from people who invest in anger and poor
temperament (22:24) and those whose spirits are anarchistic and rebellious
(24:21). In them is the representation of those who are not saved and
therefore, we must not be yoked together with unbelievers (2 Cor 6:14).
Yet, it is the unbelievers that we are to fellowship with and
bring to Christ. The saving of souls makes no sense if we confine ourselves to those
who are already saved. Therefore we cannot lean on Scripture to excuse ourselves
from fellowshipping with them.
If that were the case, we would not be able to
join the workforce and be in business with unbelievers anywhere throughout the
world. We cannot work in factories and share the same workplace. We cannot
catch the same trains or share in the same bench seat in a commuter bus. We
cannot eat in the same restaurants or have coffee in the same diners. We cannot
attend schools or universities and we cannot share dormitories. Neither can we
serve customers who do not believe in or reject our faith.
What this means is that we cannot just turn our noses up and
ignore them just because they reject our God. 2 Tim 2:24-26 (NLT) instructs us
that, as servants of the Lord, we “must
not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach and be patient with
difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will
change those people’s hearts and they will learn the truth. Then they will come
to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held
captive by him to do whatever he wants.”
Timothy wasn’t the only one to encourage us. In the Bible, the
apostle James also reminds us that, because “the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power,”
wonderful results can arise when we encourage unbelievers to bring their
concerns before God (Jm 5:16, NLT). If we have the courage to cast aside our
fears and then go forth and do great and amazing things before their eyes, they
will be stunned and their praises will be offered to our heavenly Father (Mt
5:16).
Don’t forget that all around the world, we keep hearing
everyday powerful testimonies of people who are saved because Christians like
you and I not only persist in praying for them but humbly offer services of
lovingkindness to them.
Without them, these unbelievers wouldn’t have been
saved. Because those who came to their aid were filled with Christ’s love, these
unbelievers were given a second chance at life and in turn, they are the ones
who venture into the world to fellowship with those who need help the way they
once did.
We are called to evangelise to the lost but not to be intimate
with them or to be intimidated by them. That means we are to fellowship and not
alienate ourselves from their company. There is certainly nothing wrong with
building friendships within our workplace, our schools and universities, in
factories or on the sports fields.
Just so we don’t get this one wrong, right from the start, the
focus of our fellowship is to win souls for Christ by sharing the Gospel with
them and in turn, more will come to realise His eternal power to save as well
as His never ending love for all.
Every Step Forward is for Christ
“To bring people to Jesus and membership in His family and to
develop them to be disciples of Christ, mature in outlook to be witnesses to
the world and be in fellowship with all.”
The Vision Statement might as well apply to each and every one
of us. After all, the congregation of the church is the church itself. Just as no one owns the Vision of the church,
everyone in church owns it just the
same. No one person can lay claim to it but everyone is free to apply the
vision in their own respective lives.
We pray that this Vision Statement will redefine and sharpen
the leading edge of our church, bring a renewed sense of purpose and
reinvigorate all of us to a new charge, a new and visible light that is bright
enough to shine a brand new path for all of us, in all glory to Christ, our
Lord, our Saviour, our Creator.
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