Core Value: Participatory Body
In the beginning pages of scripture, in Genesis, we see a beautiful picture of God giving purpose to humanity. He invited us to participate as co-creators by building and filling and stewarding the land and everything in it. This narrative of co-laboring extends beyond just Genesis, though. It is woven throughout the entirety of the scriptures and still stands true today.
YOU are invited to participate in what God is doing. As the church, each and every one of us is invited to identify our unique giftings and leverage them for the sake of God’s kingdom.
In Ephesians 4:1, Paul says, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” He then follows that up in verse 7 by saying, “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.” Grace is more than being saved from our sins, it is God enabling us in HIs power, in spite of ourselves, to become like him and live and act according to his will.
People who follow Jesus are called to be contributors rather than solely consumers. In healthy churches, each member is seen as a valuable part – ever growing in their gifting and involvement in the life of the church. But doesn’t stop with the churches walls. We want to see people bringing the gospel to the world around them, asking the question, “How has God uniquely positioned me to be the hands and feet of Jesus in my own context?”
If we all begin to prayerfully ask this question, lives and communities will be changed and the church will fulfill its mission.