Purpose Statement

Goals: Worship, Growth, Fellowship, Ministry and Outreach

1. Worship

To love and serve God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind.
Matt 22:37, Matt 4:10, John 4:23, Rom 12:1

A. Daily Worship: Worship is a daily activity, not just a Sunday event.

  • Have a quiet time during the day to read the Bible and talk to God. You can use the bulletin devotional & prayer guides.
  • Listen to worship music when you are stressed, worried or upset.

B. Corporate Worship: Worship as the church, as the body of Christ.

  • Make weekly worship services a schedule priority.
  • Strive to understand the importance of participating and to be a participant, not a bystander: special music, testimonies, prayer requests.
  • Focus on worshipping God not performing for others.
  • Encourage your kids to be involved in worship too!

C. Lifestyle Worship: Worship is not just a special activity, it is the very way we live.

  • Dedicate your body to be a “temple of worship” to God: modesty, sexual purity, healthy habits with eating, drinking, exercise, stress.
  • Ask yourself, “Am I the same person at church as I am during the week?”
  • Repent of any hypocrisy, inconsistencies or excesses in your daily life and find an accountability partner.

2. Growth

To mature in knowledge, faith & action; being conformed to the image of Christ.
2 Cor 3:18 II Pet 1:5-8 2 Tim 3:16-17 Eph 4:13

A. Knowledge: Know God more!

  • Read the Bible through in one year. Memorize Scripture.
  • Attend a church Bible Study.
  • Read a book that teaches you how to study the Bible more deeply, or take online Bible classes.

B. Faith: Faith is what turns our knowledge into action.

  • Commit yourself to grow more. Don’t be satisfied with staying where you are.
  • Identify areas where you are weak and depending on your own strength and ask God to lead/give victory in those areas.

C. Action: Obedience to Christ is the key to understanding the truth about him!

  • Ask God for help to remove bad/sinful habits that need to be broken (speech, thought or deed). Pride, greed, gossip, unforgiveness, worldliness, overeating/drinking.
  • Evaluate your commitment in financial giving. Are you a cheerful giver?
  • Be active encouraging the spiritual growth of your children: family devotions; pray, sing & read the Bible. Help them pay attention during services.

3. Fellowship:

To be in a loving & supporting relationship with other believers as part of God’s family (also called: Body life).
I Cor 1:9, I John 1:3, Acts 2:42, Eph 2:19, Phil 2:4, Heb 10:24-25, Eph 4:32

A. Reciprocate: Love, pray, encourage, comfort, serve, trust, forgive one another.

  • When people do a good job or even if they make mistakes, encourage them!
  • Use the bulletin to pray for everyone in the church by name.
  • Attend a church small groups such as prayer meeting or Bible study.
  • Don’t hold grudges: Repent, apologize and forgive.

B. Initiate: Don’t wait for others, you act first or start the conversation.

  • Learn everyone’s name and greet them.
  • Get to know the people you don’t know well.
  • Get together with people during the week outside church events.
  • Lead or host a small group prayer meeting or Bible study.

C. Dedicate: Make a commitment to trust & protect your brothers & sisters in Christ.

  • Share your burdens: Share your needs & prayer requests. Let people get to know you - do not suffer silently. Let people know when you are sick or going into the hospital!!!
  • Avoid anything that would break the unity within the body.

4. Ministry:

To use your spiritual gifts to serve God and man.
Matt 5:13-16; 20:28; 22:39, Eph 2:10, Gal 6:10, II Cor 9:12

A. Ministry in society: We must love our neighbor as ourselves.

  • Look for opportunities to serve the community both individually & as a church. Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Charity Concerts, Volunteer Work.
  • Be involved in community organizations and events as a witness for Christ.

B. Ministry in the church: Do good to all, especially to the family of believers.

  • Commit to at least one responsibility in the church: MC, music, cleaning, prayer, teaching kids, church rep, maintain the church website, etc.
  • Seek to understand your spiritual gift through service in the church. What type of ministry has God given you a burden for?
  • Look for and start new ministry opportunities for the church this year. Are there necessary ministries that are being overlooked?

5. Outreach:

To make specific effort to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to nonbelievers.
Rom 10:13-15, Matt 28:19, Phil 2:10-11, II Cor 5:17-21, Acts 1:8

A. Family:

  • Pray for the salvation of unsaved family members.
  • Ask your family what they believe about various spiritual topics: God, evolution, life after death, heaven & hell, how to get to heaven (Often they will return the question to you and you can share naturally)
  • Look for opportunities to introduce your family to and spend time with the pastors, missionaries & other believers. (At times it is easier for spiritual conversation to start with a non-family member. Going to The Way Cafe together is one example.)

B. Community:

  • Pray for the salvation of the people in your neighborhood & at work.
  • Develop relationships with people in your immediate community.
  • Invite people to special events: Christmas, Concert, Ladies Luncheon.
  • Think of creative activities to deepen relationship for the gospel: fishing, golfing, hiking
  • One Bring One: Pray for God to give you one friend you can bring to church.

C. Kagawa & Japan:

  • Pray for the gospel to spread in Kagawa and all of Japan.
  • Support financially or volunteer with nationwide Christian efforts (Gideons, disaster relief efforts) or our joint evangelistic efforts with other churches: New Year’s Bible seminar, Ladies Luncheon, Shimin Christmas, SHINE, Street Live, etc.
  • Distribute Bibles and evangelistic literature.
  • Use special opportunities to be a witness: Wedding, funeral, speeches.
  • Pray for the other churches in our city and prefecture.

D. The World:

  • Pray for missionaries & the spread of the gospel in the whole world.
  • Learn about the missionaries our church supports. Study the church display & read newsletters.
  • Mention their prayer requests in Bible Studies and Church services.
  • Try to hear missionaries speak when they visit our church.
  • Learn about and pray for a specific country as a family.
  • Consider missions: Read books, view movies, go on a short term mission trip.