Values 1.1

Written on July 1, 2008 by Matt

Becoming an Expression of Christ in Community to Transform our Neighborhood and the World.

As followers of Jesus Christ we were all given the same mission. That mission is found in Matthew 28:18-20 where Jesus said:

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 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 everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age.

If all Christians were given the same mission, then what is the need for a separate mission statement? Good question. While the mission of all followers of Christ is the same, the way that mission expresses itself or is lived out changes depending on where we find ourselves. People speak different languages, are part of different cultures, have different histories, and all of these factors change the way we do ministry. One has to look no further than chapter 17 of Acts to see how Paul managed these differences in his day. While in the synagogue, Paul reasoned with those from a predominantly Jewish background from their own book, The Torah, yet when in Athens, Paul draws from the popular Philosophers and Poets of his day to point people to the Messiah.

While we may be the better part of 2000 years removed from Paul’s work among those in Athens, our mission in De Soto remains the same. To make disciples of all people, including the residents of De Soto. So, what does all of this mean?

Think about what it means to be “An Expression of Christ in Community”. In other words, what does it look like when Jesus moves into a neighborhood? Who’s needs are met, who is radically transformed? The writer of the book of John put it like this, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Literally meaning, God moved into the neighborhood. At De Soto Community Church we want to be that expression of God moving into the neighborhood. We want to be part of what Christ is doing in this world, “declaring the year of the Lord’s favor, setting the captives free, giving a cup of cold water, looking after orphans and widows and those in distress.

We chose “Becoming” an Expression, because we realize this to be an ongoing work, one that will not find completion this side of eternity. Our hope is that as we are becoming that Expression of Christ, lives will be transformed by the Power of God.

Tomorrow we will continue with a look at the second half “…to transform our neighborhood and the world”

Posted in Beliefs