Missional Living
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There is a movement of God occurring in America
where He is directing the church to get back to the basics of meeting people
where they are in the “Love” of Jesus without the purpose of getting them to
join their church. This Missional Renaissance is a paradigm shift for the
organized church and it is a lifestyle change for individual Christ
Followers. The Good News is that Missional Living doesn’t require more
work or an increased commitment of your time; it is as simple as interacting
with others on a daily basis within the natural rhythm of your life. The goal of Missional Living is to go to the
people where they hang out - so you can get to know who they are – what they
are like - what they think about – for the purpose of loving them like Jesus
does where they are. Missional Living begins by seeing where you live and
where you hang out every day as your mission field. It’s reaching out to
your friends, your families, your neighbors, and the convenience store cashier
you see every day but never say a word to. It means to live intentionally,
choosing where you go and how you treat and interact with the people you see
all the time.
Jesus said “Come follow me, then Go and teach them to obey”. In these 10 words Jesus gives us our purpose: who we are to "BE" and what we are to "DO". Our purpose then is to create disciples of Jesus and release those disciples who have taken on the image of Christ into the world. We want to be the place where disciples “gather for the purpose of scattering”. The DNA of renew is not to grow this church through programs and things we do here, it’s to grow the Kingdom of God out there in the city of Lancaster. The vision God has given to our community is to "BE" like Jesus, and like Him, to “GO” into the community connecting people through amazing acts of love, while connecting them to the God of amazing grace.
To accomplish God’s vision we must stay focused to our stated purpose and core values. Our stated purpose to “BE” like Jesus means we will be a church where teaching the Scriptures in a relevant and enlightening manner is of great importance. To “BE” like Jesus means that we must accept Ray Vander Laan's challenge to be “People of the Text” and take seriously John 2:6 which says: “Whoever claims to live in Him, must walk like Jesus did”. Our second stated purpose “To GO” means that we will be an externally focused church, a “Missional Church” for the community because we believe that the church is “God’s gift to the world and is “On” mission when it loves and serves the world. Our success as an External Church relies on our ability to be inwardly strong in creating disciples who are outwardly focused, value our impact and influence in the community more than attendance at worship services or church activities, and our willingness to partner with churches, ministries, businesses and agencies so that every man, woman, and child may hear the good news of the Gospel. No single church can reach the city where God has placed them on its own!
Critical to achieving our calling is embracing our Core Values and making sure that everything we do as a church lines up with these values that shape our church, our ministries, and our lives. renew church exists to Connect People to Christ, to Connect People to Each Other, and to Connect People to the Community. These guiding principles define who we are and manifest themselves in the following ways:
1. We believe God desires an intimate relationship with each of us - and that the purpose of church is to engage people
into an intimate relationship with Him – not to just become a member of a church or a religion.
2. We believe that exposing people to the relevance and necessity of the Text (the Bible) and the character of God is the
key ingredient to transformational growth.
3. We acknowledge that people are not perfect – we will always be the place where the person who has not yet made a
commitment to follow Christ, but is spiritually open and interested is welcomed.
4. We understand that everyone needs a sense of belonging where they can be known - can love and be loved - can ask
questions - can help carry each others burdens – and can figure out together what it means to love our neighbors
and care for those with needs.
5. God has always been about ALL His people – those in the church and especially those outside of the church. Because
God desires “Common Grace” for all people we will devote ourselves to “service” because service meets the needs ofthe
city – it fosters the development of meaningful relationships – and out of those relationships can come endless
opportunities to share the love of Christ and the Gospel.
I invite you to visit and to check us out. I know you will find us to be different, welcoming, and pursuing God.
Everywhere, Everyday, Everyone…….
Kramer
Jesus said “Come follow me, then Go and teach them to obey”. In these 10 words Jesus gives us our purpose: who we are to "BE" and what we are to "DO". Our purpose then is to create disciples of Jesus and release those disciples who have taken on the image of Christ into the world. We want to be the place where disciples “gather for the purpose of scattering”. The DNA of renew is not to grow this church through programs and things we do here, it’s to grow the Kingdom of God out there in the city of Lancaster. The vision God has given to our community is to "BE" like Jesus, and like Him, to “GO” into the community connecting people through amazing acts of love, while connecting them to the God of amazing grace.
To accomplish God’s vision we must stay focused to our stated purpose and core values. Our stated purpose to “BE” like Jesus means we will be a church where teaching the Scriptures in a relevant and enlightening manner is of great importance. To “BE” like Jesus means that we must accept Ray Vander Laan's challenge to be “People of the Text” and take seriously John 2:6 which says: “Whoever claims to live in Him, must walk like Jesus did”. Our second stated purpose “To GO” means that we will be an externally focused church, a “Missional Church” for the community because we believe that the church is “God’s gift to the world and is “On” mission when it loves and serves the world. Our success as an External Church relies on our ability to be inwardly strong in creating disciples who are outwardly focused, value our impact and influence in the community more than attendance at worship services or church activities, and our willingness to partner with churches, ministries, businesses and agencies so that every man, woman, and child may hear the good news of the Gospel. No single church can reach the city where God has placed them on its own!
Critical to achieving our calling is embracing our Core Values and making sure that everything we do as a church lines up with these values that shape our church, our ministries, and our lives. renew church exists to Connect People to Christ, to Connect People to Each Other, and to Connect People to the Community. These guiding principles define who we are and manifest themselves in the following ways:
1. We believe God desires an intimate relationship with each of us - and that the purpose of church is to engage people
into an intimate relationship with Him – not to just become a member of a church or a religion.
2. We believe that exposing people to the relevance and necessity of the Text (the Bible) and the character of God is the
key ingredient to transformational growth.
3. We acknowledge that people are not perfect – we will always be the place where the person who has not yet made a
commitment to follow Christ, but is spiritually open and interested is welcomed.
4. We understand that everyone needs a sense of belonging where they can be known - can love and be loved - can ask
questions - can help carry each others burdens – and can figure out together what it means to love our neighbors
and care for those with needs.
5. God has always been about ALL His people – those in the church and especially those outside of the church. Because
God desires “Common Grace” for all people we will devote ourselves to “service” because service meets the needs ofthe
city – it fosters the development of meaningful relationships – and out of those relationships can come endless
opportunities to share the love of Christ and the Gospel.
I invite you to visit and to check us out. I know you will find us to be different, welcoming, and pursuing God.
Everywhere, Everyday, Everyone…….
Kramer
