Reach: A Philosophy and Practice of Reach

How do we go about Reaching others and loving them to a knowledge of Jesus Christ?

When we live for God, we experience joy and acceptance that fills us with a desire to share Jesus with others. We also know that sharing with others is a part of God’s heart because:

We see God’s heart in the Bible God wants all the world to know the wonderful, Good News of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; John 3:16; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15).

God invites us to share Jesus with others as a part of our purpose as a church We are God’s representatives here are on earth and as a result, we have the privilege and responsibility of sharing the love of Jesus Christ with the world through our actions, attitudes, and testimony. (1 Peter 3:15; Ephesians 5:15-16; Colossians 4:5-6).

God wants us to seek authentic relationships The built-in desire we all have for genuine relationships is fulfilled when we share common values. The best relationships are made possible when Jesus is our central value; so, we are stirred to share Jesus with others (Acts 2:45-47; Matthew 5:16).

God wants the best for everyone We believe that wanting the best for others means wanting God’s best for them as well. We seek to live in ways that show our care for the spiritual, physical, and emotional welfare of others (Galatians 6:10; Ecclesiastes 3:12; Luke 6:35; Hebrews 13:15-16).

God wants us to display a confidence that comes from our relationship with Him When we reach out to others confident of God’s support, we display a confidence that is rooted in our faith and a desire to see God’s love poured into the lives of others (Romans 1:16; Psalm 40:9-10; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Peter 4:16).

REACHING OTHERS AT MVCC

We want everyone to experience the love of God. Reaching out to the world with our word, our lives, and our acts of love and kindness shows that we care. There are many ways to share the love of God to others. Some of those ways include conversations where the Good News of Jesus is shared in conversation that has respectful back and forth, living in a godly fashion (trying to live and love like Jesus), demonstrating character that lines up with the character of God, and supporting missions activities (in our community and beyond our immediate community).

We see these ideas in God’s Word, the Bible:

God wants a relationship with all people God created man for relationship with Him. But, because of our sin, our relationship with God was severed, and our ability to fulfill our God-given purpose was spoiled. God wants us back in relationship with Him. He wants to restore that which was lost. In seeking those relationships God has called us (His Church) to share the Gospel with the world so that others might be restored to relationship as well (2 Peter 3:9; Romans 2:4; 1 Timothy 2:1-4).

God wants us (His people) to share His plan of redemption with the whole world because He cares about everyone God wants us to reach others with His great hope for the world. We try to be a part of that hope by looking to spread the Gospel of Christ as lovingly as possible. Our effort to reach the world extends to every part of our world; personally in our relationships, locally in our community, regionally in our state, nationally in our country, and internationally with the world (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Romans 10:14-15).

God has told us that one of the great purposes of His Church is to share the Gospel with others We, as His church, are God’s representative on earth until He returns. It is our responsibility and privilege (both individually and corporately) to share the Gospel of Christ with others. (1 Timothy 1:8-12; Romans 1:16; Colossians 1:28-29).

The purpose of the church is to make disciples. The process of discipleship begins as we come to experience relationship with Jesus. Only when people meet Jesus as Lord and Savior do they begin to experience that relationship fully. We take the call to share Jesus with others seriously because, like God, we love them.

HOW DO WE TRY TO REACH OTHERS WITH THE GOSPEL AT MVCC?

Because we believe that sharing the Gospel is vital, we have set up several ways and ministries that are geared to sharing the Gospel:

We have three main areas of ministry at MVCC. These ministries are Worship Services, Life Groups, and Discipleship. Each of these areas of ministry are designed to include the message of Jesus Christ in their own way.

From time to time our church holds events where people are invited to come and enjoy the church, the people of the church, and hopefully experience God’s presence through the event. Every event carries with it the potential for having conversations where Jesus and His Gospel are shared.

We are convinced that the most effective way to share the Gospel of Christ is in “Life on Life” relationships. Our church is committed to helping, coaching, and encouraging everyone to share the Gospel with others as they have opportunity.

We believe that all believers are called by God to engage individually and corporately in sharing the Gospel to with every part of the earth. We share by supporting and partnering with missions in many different countries.

Reaching others with the Gospel is only one part of God’s purpose for His church (“Growing a Community of Christ-followers who live and love like Jesus”). Our core practice of Reach works in harmony and unity with the other Core practices of MVCC (Worship, Connect, Serve, and Grow).

Our core practice of Reach is how most people come to know Jesus Christ at MVCC. Any invitation to know Christ must be clear in terms of its grace, authenticity, and simplicity (Colossians 4:5-6 and Philippians 4:4-5)!