Developing Fully-Devoted Followers of Christ
Our Mission Statement:
Fellowship Bible Church exists to develop fully-devoted followers of Christ.
Primary Passages:
The following passages of Scripture are the primary ones which have informed us regarding the mission of our church:
- Matthew 28:19-20 –Christ instructed His followers to “make disciples.” The mission of the church should include not only the birthing of new believers, but also the maturing of them into being fully devoted followers of Christ. A disciple is a learner, an imitator, one who is seeking to be like his teacher. A disciple of Christ is someone who purposefully seeks to live a Christlike life that is characterized by integrity, holiness, purity, and love. He is one who is seeking to avail himself of the Holy Spirit, whom Christ sent, and His ministry among and to us.
- Acts 2:42ff – This passage provides us with insight into the various functions of the church. After the initial ingathering of the church on the Day of Pentecost, the early disciples corporately involved themselves in three primary activities: Worship (praising God, observing the “breaking of bread,” i.e. the Lord’s Table), Fellowship (sharing together and seeking to meet one another’s needs), and Learning (the Apostle’s teaching). As they functioned together in this manner, their individual and corporate needs were met and the Lord was regularly adding to their numbers.
- Ephesians 4:11ff – God has supplied the church with spiritually gifted men who are given for the purpose of “equipping” the believers unto maturity. This maturity will manifest itself in the form of service and ministry as well as stability and theological competency—they will not be tossed “to and fro by every wind of doctrine.” This was modeled by Paul in Colossians 1:27ff when he told the Colossians that he was laboring intently to render them “complete in Christ.” He was seeking to equip them unto spiritual maturity.
- 2 Timothy 2:2ff – The Apostle Paul modeled and encouraged Timothy toward a ministry of multiplication. The things that Timothy had learned from Paul he was to teach to others who would then in turn teach to a “fourth” generation. This personal investment that Timothy was to make was not just toward anyone, but rather to “faithful” men who would teach others also. In other words, he was to efficiently use his valuable time on people with potential for multiplication.