OUR PURPOSE

Jesus came to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God repre­sents the re-establishment of God’s rule in the lives of individuals and in groups of people. The very fabric of society is effected when people begin to live under the rule of God rather than under the rule of Satan. As these persons who acknowledge God’s rule come togeth­er, the resulting group is known as the church. Collectively, the church represents the Body of Christ. As such, the church continues the ministry of Jesus to the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit on behalf of the world. The purpose of the church can be divided into four major areas of focus: Exaltation, Edification, Evangelism, and Extension.

Exaltation: The Church Exists for God’s Sake

The purpose of the church begins by focusing upon God. Becoming a Christian means acknowledging God’s rule. We are redeemed by Jesus’ death and sacrifice. The enthroned Christ is the head of the church and our model for ministry. Jesus’ ministry was not pri­marily a ministry to the world, but rather a ministry to the Father on behalf of the world. We seek to follow the will of the Father as revealed in Scripture and in the life of the church to bring glory to God. We do so in the power of the Holy Spirit, the same power with which Jesus ministered. God is our primary focus, and exaltation (worship and celebra­tion) is an essential part of the church’s purpose.

Edification: The Church Exists to Create Mature Disciples

One of the primary purposes of the church is the life-transformation of its members. This requires a strong program of Bible teaching, discipleship, and personal evangelism. Believ­ers are to be committed to one another. The Body of Christ is thus composed of interdepen­dent members, each having received from the Holy Spirit gifts which are to be exercised for the upbuilding of the whole body and for the bearing of one another’s spiritual and temporal burdens. We thus desire to encourage in one another the development and use of each other’s abilities, knowing that "the whole body, as a harmonious structure knit togeth­er by that which every joint supplies, grows by the proper functioning of individual parts to its full maturity in love.” As believers grow in maturity, the Kingdom of God is expanded internally (qualitative growth).

Evangelism: The Church Exists to Reach Unbelievers

The Bible teaches that we live either under the dominion of God or under the dominion of Satan. Jesus commissioned his church to share as widely and as effectively as possible the Good News of God’s forgiveness in Christ. God equips and calls believers into a variety of vocations and ministries so that we may serve as a witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. God offers his love to all without distinction, and he is concerned that all persons achieve their full potential in Christ. The proclamation of the gospel should be accompanied by genuine love and concern for all, and for the whole person. God’s Kingdom is expand­ed as unbelievers seek God’s forgiveness for their sins and as they acknowledge God’s rule over their lives. As this happens, they are released from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light (quantitative growth).

Extension: The Church Exists to Re-Establish God’s Reign in Human Structures

God originally delegated dominion of the earth to human beings. At Adam’s sin, this do­minion passed to Satan whom Jesus called "the ruler of this world.” Human structures are now regarded as "fallen.” Extension of the Kingdom of God requires re-establishing God’s rule over these structures. Therefore, the purpose of the church includes a ministry of com­passion and of prophetic protest against evil. The church can never settle for its own com­fort in a world racked by problems such as moral decay, political corruption and oppres­sion, violence and crime, unjust resource use, and other social scourges that require solu­tions and interventions informed by Scriptural imperatives. The church is called to action and to be "salt and light” in a dark world.