Ministry Philosophy, Purpose, Core Values and Vision
Stages of moving people toward Christ with the 4 E's:
- Engage: Far away, contact, talking/serving
- Evangelism: Sharing the gospel/serving/relationship
- Establish: New Christian/growing/helping with struggles
- Equipped: Growing/developing/training/maturing to make disciples
At NCBC we are about “helping everyone take the next step toward Christ.” We believe every person is born into the domain of darkness. However, people are at different points and have different issues. Some are far away and hard of heart and in need of engagement by a Christian. Others are closer to Christ in that they are hearing and considering the gospel of Christ.
It is through the gospel of Christ that we are rescued out of the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son. As citizens of that kingdom we are given an eternally secure inheritance in Christ. Our daily walk is now in the light rather than in the darkness. We are all at different points on that journey, and need to keep pressing on to what lies ahead. The movement is always to the right, toward Christ. However, as we are established in our new faith and equipped to love and serve others, we are always looking to the left, to see who we can be engaging or evangelizing.
This is where our Gospel Communities come in. As a ministry, our purpose is to establish and equip people to be totally committed followers of Christ. If, by God’s grace, we are fulfilling our purpose, we will see all those who participate in this ministry not only taking steps toward Christ themselves, but helping others to do so as well through the 4 Es.
In light of our purpose, we have created 4 core values, each with an accompanying vision paragraph. Our core values guide all that we are as a ministry and our vision paints a picture of the future we desire God to create in and through us.
Gospel Centrality
The gospel is what makes these groups unique from other social gatherings. Thus, our desire is that the gospel be at the center of and informing all that we do together as a community. We believe the whole Bible tells the story of God’s plan to rescue his people from their sins through the person and work of his Son, Jesus Christ. And we believe this message is what all people everywhere need to hear and embrace since it alone has the power to transform lives. Therefore, anything we do together must ultimately be informed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our desire is that anyone who participates in this ministry will find themselves regularly growing in their understanding of, love for, and desire to live out the gospel.
Intentional Community
Relationships are an important part of our Gospel Communities because we believe gospel growth best takes place in the context of loving and grace-driven community. God has not saved us to live the Christian life all by ourselves or for ourselves. Rather, he has brought us into relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ for our good and for our witness to the world. Our passion is to see people involved in a variety of relationships in which they are helping others take the next step toward Christ. Though relationships can at times be challenging, it is through learning to love, forgive, and serve one another that we become more like Christ and display the beauty and power of the gospel to a watching world. Our desire is for our Gospel Communities to be places where relationships of love, service, and care for one another and the lost flourish.
Christian Growth
In all we do our desire is to help people take the next step toward Christ. Our passion is to see people’s affections so captured by the beauty and wonder of Jesus Christ that their lives are never the same again. Instead of living for themselves, they give their lives to Jesus Christ and seek to love and obey him. Our desire is that everyone in our Gospel Communities would be growing in: (1) their personal holiness, (2) their desire and ability to do one another spiritual good, and (3) their passion and competence to share the gospel with their unbelieving friends and neighbors.
Reliance on God
Our Gospel Communities recognize that unless the Spirit of God is at work in this ministry, everything we do will ultimately be unsuccessful. It is the Spirit of God who is able to minister the gospel to our hearts and the hearts of those who do not yet know Christ. Thus, we are fiercely committed to praying for one another and for our unbelieving friends and neighbors. Our desire is to see God do amazing things in and through our Gospel Communities for our good and his glory.