Our Vision of the Church
The Bible describes the church as "the bride of Christ" that Jesus gave His life for. That means that the church has tremendous value. If this is the case, why doesn't the church have a greater impact on the lives of its members, and on the rest of the world? At New Life, we simply want to glorify God by pursuing first century authentic Christianity in a twenty-first century world.
What is first century Christianity? Luke describes it in the second chapter of the New Testament book of Acts. The Apostle Peter is preaching to a crowd in Jerusalem and says, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. he promise is for you and all of your children and all who are far off -- for all whom the Lord God will call. With many other words he warned them, and he pleaded with them, 'Save yourself from this corrupt generation.' Those who accepted the message were baptized, and about 3,000 were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostle's teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and their goods, they gave to everyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all people. And the Lord added daily to their number those who were being saved." (Acts 2:38-47)
Like the first believers 2,000 years ago, we at New Life want to respond to Peter's message with passion and purpose, making the most of every opportunity to serve our Savior and each other.
Our Purpose and Mission
If this is our vision, than what is our specific purpose? That's easy -- joining God in His ministry of reconciliation!
Jesus commanded His followers to share the good news of His sacrificial grace. That's exactly what Peter was doing in Acts 2 above. When the good news was shared, those who God had prepared to receive the message responded. The "formula" is no different today. We want God's church to grow, and we are God's servants in the ministry of grace.
In short, our purpose is to help people advance in their spiritual journey, wherever they are along the way. This includes finding those who are lost (Luke 15:1-31); shepherding the lambs (John 21:16); teaching the learners (Matthew 28:18-20); and equipping the laborers (Ephesians 4:11-16).
Our purpose is further defined by the commandments, commission, and consignment that Jesus shared in the books of Matthew and John.
When Jesus was asked, "What are the greatest commandments?", He said, "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and all of your soul, and all of your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-40)
Jesus gave the church its commission when He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
Finally, Jesus gave a specific responsibility (consignment) to church leaders: "Take care of My sheep." (John 21:16)