Welcome!

“Every church is different. Every true church is a

thing of beauty in its own unique

way.”

Class Material Available Online

• INSTRUCTIONS:– Go online. Password is “grace4you” – Go to www.christourhopechurch.com – In Search bar, type & enter “connecting” – Click on “Continue Reading”– Each session is listed & downloadable– HINT: At the back of each lesson, there is

an Answer Key for all fill-in-blanks.

Overview• #1- Jesus & The

Church• #2- The Gospel &

The Christian• #3- Beliefs &

Doctrinal Distinctives

• #4- Roots, Relationships & Rule

• #5- Mission & Ministries

• #6- Church Membership

Today’s Session:• Today we will orient you to our church’s:–PURPOSE–MISSION–VISION– STRATEGY–MINISTRY & MINISTRIES–CORE VALUES

• And the opportunities for your involvement.

Our Purpose: Why do we exist?

• Christ Our Hope church exists to glorify God.– “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this:

that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5.14-16)

• Our church also exists to both reflect & spread God’s glory.– “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the

glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2.14)

Why The Church Must Glorify God:

Christ’s Church is the primary hermeneutic of the gospel…

“I have come to feel that the primary reality of which we have to take account in seeking for a Christian impact on public life is the Christian congregation. How is it possible that the gospel should be credible, that people should come to believe that the power which has the last word in human affairs is represented by a man hanging on a cross? I am suggesting that the only answer, the only hermeneutic of the gospel, is a congregation of men and women who believe it and live by it. [Evangelistic crusades & campaigns] are all secondary… they have power to accomplish their purpose only as they are rooted in and lead back to a believing congregation. ”

– Lesslie Newbigen in The Gospel in a Pluralist Society

Being Christ’s Church is the final apologetic of the gospel…

“… without true Christians loving one another, Christ says the world cannot be expected to listen, even when we give proper answers. Let us be careful, indeed, to spend a lifetime studying to give honest answers. For years the orthodox, evangelical church has done this very poorly. So it is well to spend time learning to answer the questions of men who are about us. But after we have done our best to communicate to a lost world, still we must never forget that the final apologetic which Jesus gives is the observable love of true Christians for true Christians.”

- Francis Schaeffer in The Great Evangelical Disaster

Our Mission:What are we seeking to accomplish?

• Our church’s mission is the same as every other local church’s mission:

• “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28.19-20)

Our Mission Statement is:• “Compelled by God’s grace-

and simply to please and honor Him- the mission of Christ Our Hope church is to reach people, transform lives and make healthy disciples, sending them out as influencers for Christ locally around Wake Forest & globally around the world.”

(Revised & Updated, 2010)

Our Vision: What is our picture of what God wants to do with us?

We expect God to do His work of Gospel Transformation.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

(Ephesians 3.20-21)

We trust God to do 2 truly amazing things among us.

• We envision the Gospel…– transforming lives INTO– transforming community

• trans-form verb 1. to change in condition,

nature or character

• trans-for-ma-tion noun 1. the act or process of being

transformed 2. the state of being

transformed

Our Vision: What is God doing among us?

The Gospel is working in us.• “And we all, with unveiled face,

beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor. 3.18)

• We are the Branches and He is The Vine. (John 15.1-5)

• We are like Living Stones in God’s spiritual house. (1 Pt 2.5)

The Gospel is working through us.• ”… the gospel, which has come to

you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing— as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth…” (Col. 1.3-6)

• We are the Salt of the Earth (Mt 5.13)

• We are the Light of the World & a City Set on a Hill (Mt 5.14)

Our Strategy: How do we plan to fulfill our mission?

• “We strive to accomplish this by teaching, applying and demonstrating the good news about Jesus as a

missional people in worshipping, loving community.”

CELEBRATE the Gospel in Christian Community PREACH the Gospel to OurselvesTEACH the Gospel to Our ChurchCOUNSEL the Gospel to Our Brothers & SistersOFFER the Gospel to Our Neighbors LIVE OUT the Gospel Where We Live, Work & Play

Our Church’s Ministry:5 Core Convictions

Ministry is…• simply service, but “sacred

service” to honor King Jesus• necessary for spiritual

growth and church health• both organic & organiza-

tional in nature• best done in teams• simply entering into the

ministry of Jesus Christ as He gathers & builds His Church

Yet it’s also “Trinitarian”:“The ministry we have entered is the ministry of Jesus Christ, the Son, to the Father, through the Holy Spirit, for the sake of the church and the world… [It] is not so much asking Christ to join us in our ministry as we offer him to others; ministry is participating with Christ in his ongoing ministry as he offers himself to others through us.”

– David Seamands in Ministry in the Image of God

Our Church’s Ministry:Organic THEN Organizational

• Ministry is “Both/And”, Not “Either/Or”

• “VINE” = People Growth • “TRELLIS” = Program Support• “All Christian ministry is a mixture of

trellis and vine. There is vine work: the prayerful preaching and teaching of the Word of God to see people converted and grow to maturity as disciples of Christ… And there is trellis work: creating and maintaining the physical and organizational structures and programs that support vine work and its growth.”

Growing in Grace at Christ Our Hope:

Our People Ministries:• Children’s Ministries

– Kids’ Quest – Wonders of Worship (W.O.W.)– Communicants Class

• Youth Discipleship– Youth Group (Wednesday eves) – Youth GFS Class (Sunday morns)

• Men’s Discipleship– Men’s GFS Class: “Fight Club”

• Women’s Discipleship– Women’s Bible Study

Our Program Ministries:• Welcome Team• Nursery• Life Groups (small groups)

• Backyard Bible Club • Victory Soccer Camp • Peacemaker Café• Christmas

Progressive Dinner

The Life of Our ChurchHappens in “Life Groups”

We are a “cell” church:• The life of a human body flows the

health in its cells.• The vitality of our church body

flows from God to us in worship, but also in small groups.

• The context for all discipleship is gospel relationships. (Eph. 4.15-16)– The Triune God is a relational being.– We were made for relationships.– We were made to know and be

known, to love and to be loved.

Body of Christ @ COHc:

LIFE in Jesus

Life Group

Min. Team

Life Group

Min. Team

Life Group

Min. Team

The Apostles = a small group:

The Twelve as a “Life Group”:Jesus’ Model for Spiritual Growth

Small groups are biblical:• Jesus had 3 ministry groups:

– Congregation of 70 (Luke 10.1, 17)– Small Group of 12 (Luke 9.1-6) – Peter, John & James (Mt.26.36-37)

• “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglect-ing to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encourag-ing one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10.24-25)

Our Core Values: What is most important to us as

we do ministry together?

5 PURPOSE Values:• The Worship of God• The Mission of God• Real Community• The Gospel of Grace• The Truth of

God

& 4 PROCESS Values: • Walking with God,

Living by Faith• Renewing Creation

and Culture• Loving Families,

Loving Neighbors• Showing Compassion,

Extending Mercy

Your Ministry:How can you get involved?

# 1- Love Jesus & Others!# 2- Come regularly to Sunday Worship# 3- Join a Life Group# 4- Attend & Learn in GFS# 5- Discover & Minister

your Spiritual Gift(s)# 6- Serve on a Ministry Team

Your Spiritual Gift(s):God has gifted you!

• “Each one should use what-ever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully admin-istering God's grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4.10)

• “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12.4-7)

• God has given all believers a “spiritual gift.”– “But to each one of us grace has been

given as Christ apportioned it.” (Ephesians 4.7)

• It is a gift because it is received not self-skilled.

• It is “spiritual” gift, not simply natural talent.

- “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12.10)

• This gift is for the community’s blessing, not for selfish gain.

Q: Do you know your Spiritual Gift?

ROMANS 12.6-8

1 CORINTHIANS 12.8-10, 28

EPHESIANS 4.11

1 PETER 4.11

Serving Wisdom Evangelism Speaking Teaching Knowledge Shepherding ServingExhortation Faith TeachingGiving DiscernmentLeadership TeachingMercy Helps

Administration

Next time:

SESSION # 6-

Church Membership