The EDGE

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Going to the Edge and Looking Out on Our Community and Calling

Every day has an edge to it.

It is our job to go regularly to that edge and look out at the view.

Then, from that view, to know and discern the presence of God in whose presence we begin to know what to do.

The Edge's edge has been surpising. If our task is to join God in what He is doing, we have to think about our demographic.

God is sending us kids - lots of kids - and they are eager, needy, and receptive.

What then of the young adults? Perhaps our emerging ministry to them is to provide an outlet for mission service among urban kids.

Stay tuned.

Tonight's Message: "My Heart - Christ's Home" based upon Robert Boyd Munger's classic story - What happens when Jesus moves in and begins to take up residence in the various rooms of our lives? What struggles must we face? What new experiences lie in store for us? Walk with me through the study, the dining room, the living room, the "rumpus" room, and "that hall closet." Sometimes it is just too much for any human to keep them all in order. There must be a way! We will explore it together tonight at 7:00.

Come visit us on Facebook in our discussion group!

A Working Plan of Action for a Church in the Making

Connect

Connect people with God – We are about making introductions. Introducing people to Jesus is a natural result of everything else we do and a primary intention of our church.

Connect people with other believers – We build authentic, transparent, biblical community.

Connect people with the world – As a church and as individuals, we seek to make connections between believers and their communities, especially non-believers.

·         We engage all media that is available.

·         Weekly high energy worship experience with prayer and fellowship before and after on Saturday nights.  We will engage all five senses in encountering God.

·         Engagement with existing community structures.

·         Biblically based ministry, accountability, and prayer groups. The Bible is our text book.

Equip

Equipping believers for life and spiritual development (discipleship, prayer, fellowship, accountability). One emphasis and point of uniqueness is that we will strive for daily contact with each other through multiple media.

Equipping believers for mission and ministry in the church and the world (Beginning with baptism where every believer is ordained to ministry, each believer is taught that following Jesus is being on mission).

Equipping potential staff members in our church and other urban settings (We will create a Training LAB to serve our own people and other churches locally and around the country. LAB is an acronym for: L- Living in the field, A – Application of concepts, B – Briefing and debriefing)

·         Live face to face interaction, Web sites, social media, conference calls, text messaging, telephone, daily scripture text messages.

·         Life and ministry coaching.

·         FUTURE: Formal internship/training program made available to partner churches for equipping their young people and others in urban mission.

Send

Being missional in intention, strategy, action, and philosophy is integral to who we are and what we teach. Without a mission, the church does not exist. Therefore, we will send believers back into their work places, schools, neighborhoods, and volunteer organizations as well as into churches to do mission and ministry. If participants come from other churches, we will attempt to equip them for ministry in those churches rather than seek their loyalty as members of ours.

We will organize and promote short term mission experiences and will encourage participation in ministries located in and through the mother church such as the thrift store, skate ministries, men’s home, and children/youth work.

We will prepare future pastors and mission leaders for service around the world. Pastoral leadership in our church will be “homegrown” as much as possible and we will immediately begin to train potential pastors.

·         All attempts will be made to keep believers/members unencumbered by unnecessary meetings and administrative tasks and free for mission ministry.

·         We will equip and train groups who do ministry to make primary decisions within their groups while giving oversight and direction from staff.