A legacy of devoted disciples of Jesus in our neighborhoods and nations.
Jesus asked His Father for an inheritance, a legacy, in Psalm 2:7-8. His inheritance is the nations and the ends of the earth. We become part of this legacy when we give Jesus the place he deserves in our life—Lord and Savior. This is not merely about saying words, it is about stepping into our holy calling, united and equipped in the church.
This happens every day as the power of the gospel through the working of the Holy Spirit transforms people in their life, marriage, workplace, family, community, and neighborhood. This yields the fulfillment of our God’s desire for a people of every nation, adoring Him for eternity as one people (Revelation 7:9-12).
Mission
To enjoy, love, and glorify Jesus by making disciples of all peoples and planting simple, reproducible, diverse churches.
Every believer is called to make disciples of all nations in Matthew 28:18-20. This is the Father’s ultimate plan of salvation, the legacy of Jesus’ earthly ministry, and the on-going work of His Holy Spirit through the church. The Holy Spirit working through the local church equips disciples to enjoy, love, and glorify Jesus in all areas of life. We come to God not with a sense of duty but because we enjoy being with him and we love him.
We seek to honor and glorify God daily, not only at church gatherings. The “church” is not a building but a people. As each person is established in a vibrant relationship with Jesus, the natural outcome is a growing church. We envision the church growing through small groups focused on gospel, family, and mission. Multiplying will occur through church planting. This happens as God calls, appoints, and sends his people to continue Jesus’ legacy to diverse people groups all over the nation and world.
Values
Distinctives the Lord has called our local church to focus on amidst the ultimate call in Global Church and Body of Christ.
Gospel Family Mission
As the church, we are Gospel Family on Mission with God and each other.
The Gospel is what makes us Christians. It is the “good news” that Jesus – fully God, fully man – lived a perfect life, died on a cross, and resurrected from the grave, overcoming our sin. The Gospel forever changed history and forever changes us. We live with eternity in mind, gathering together to grow in knowing God and one another deeply through His “good news” (Acts 2:42-43).
The Family of God is the church. God is a Father; we are God’s children, that makes us family. We must love each other in order to love God fully. By bearing one another’s spiritual and physical burdens, we fulfill God’s Word (Acts 2:44-45).
As a Gospel Family, we have a Mission from God. This mission is to demonstrate and share Jesus with others. Filled with God’s Holy Spirit, we live as missionaries in our city and world, sharing the Gospel with all people (Acts 2:46-47).
Culture of Discipleship
God wants to radically transform every person’s life, regardless of their past. His pleasure is to make us like Jesus. This will happen as believers are equipped and encouraged to become more like Jesus every day through the process of discipleship…
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV).
Making disciples impacts every aspect of how we gather as the church. Discipleship is reflected in Sunday gatherings, Small Groups, and long-term, one-on-one discipleship relationships.
Unity in Diversity through Jesus
In the end, people from every nation, tribe, people, and language will be united in heaven through Jesus alone and for His pleasure (Revelation 7:9-12; Ephesians 1:7-10). Jesus loves all people and their unique creation. We are a people made in God’s image. We see God’s full image through His diverse peoples. We are committed to the unity found in Jesus that embraces, loves, and values His diverse people as He does.
We desire to see a multi-ethnic and multi-generational church reaching the diverse people groups in our city and world. As a vibrant and diverse church, we will endeavor to be missionaries reaching every area of our lives and our city. As a people who value God’s diverse peoples, we desire to partner with God in planting new churches in the globalized cities and mission fields of our world.
Locally, God has called us to focus on the First Ward of Columbia. Our hope is to be a church representing God’s diverse image, made up of the diverse people living in the neighborhoods we serve. For more info on the First Ward and it’s unique opportunities, click here.
Developing Devoted Leaders
Jesus called people out of the world, appointed them through the equipping and training of God’s Word, and sent them to be a witness by His Spirit…
“And [Jesus] went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons” (Mark 3:13-15 ESV).
Every believer should follow in the footsteps of Jesus’ disciples and be developed and sent out like the original 12. We are a training ground where believers are equipped to serve their family, church, community, and world.