CHBC Connect for April 5, 2024
God’s Vision for CHBC: 3 Piers, 3 Pillars, and 3 Purposes
3 Pillars: Biblically-Modeled; Mission-Minded; and Multi-Cultural
In the book, What is the Mission of the Church? Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission, by Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert, the mission of the church was stated as, “The mission of the church is to go into the world and make disciples by declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit and gathering these disciples into churches, that they might worship the Lord and obey his commands now and in eternity to the glory of God the Father.” You see that in the Scriptures framed by the approach of the Apostle Paul. In the book of Acts we find this description,
“21 After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they
returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” 23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed,” (Acts 14:21-23).
A local church exists for the purpose of new converts, new communities, and nurtured churches. We must possess the conviction that we want to see new converts. We must be faithfully presenting the gospel in all our ministries and activities of the church, and we must individually be convicted to share the gospel in the community, praying always for God to save those who hear the gospel.
CHBC, we need to grow our passion for the start of new churches in new communities and be determined to be a part of the start of new communities of believers. We worked for four years to see a new church begin in Guatemala before COVID-19. We still pray for the seeds we planted for that to occur. We are going to Mexico this summer to a community that does not have a gospel-centered, Baptist church, in hopes to begin the groundwork of a new church in Tecozautla, Hidalgo, Mexico. May God bless our desires and efforts to see new churches planted.
My personal passion is for every existing church to become a healthy church. God is giving us the opportunity to encourage two churches in our community through struggles and challenges. The mission trip to Utah is about sharing the gospel to an area saturated by Mormonism, and to encourage a sister church in their work in a difficult area to be doing ministry.
Conviction to these things means that we faithfully pray, we joyfully, generously, and sacrificially give our tithes and offerings, and that we personally join God in the work of the mission of the church: New Converts; New Communities; and Nurtured Churches.
By His Grace and For His Glory,
Pastor Mark
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