Easthaven Baptist Church

Organizing around our purpose and our mission.

2004

þ Jesus defines our Purpose for us in the scripture.

Matthew 22: 37-39 (NASB)

And He said to him, " ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind (worship).’ [38] "This is the great and foremost commandment. [39] "The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself (ministry).’

Matthew 28: 19-20 (NIV)

Therefore go and make disciples (evangelism) of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (fellowship), [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (discipleship). And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

þ Our strategy for fulfilling our purpose is our Mission.

The first step is to create an "open door". Our Sunday morning experience should be specifically and intentionally planned with the everyday people in mind. In other words, everything we do needs to be geared to create an exciting and safe place for people to "check things out". Greeters at every turn, free coffee, casual dress, exciting quality music, etc…. all used to create a safe "open door" for people to discover who God is and His plan for their lives.

After a person has had a chance to visit and become comfortable with our church community, the next step needs to be an invitation to take Newcomers class. This must be a critical element of our ministry plan. During this class, people will have a chance to discover how Christ can become the center of their lives. Fundamentals of the Christian faith will be discussed, as well as how to apply these principles in life. In addition, people exposed to the different ministries of the church and how they can get involved in the life of the church.

The new community that formed in the early church modeled the concept of small groups as they "gathered in homes and devoted themselves to the teachings of the apostles as well as the fellowship and encouragement to one another." (Acts 2: 46-47) God intended to use others in our lives to encourage us in our spiritual development. We will push hard for all our church family to be actively involved in a small group Bible study class. When a person decides to live a life of "authentic follower of Christ", he or she is faced with many challenges. This is where a small Bible study group will stand beside, encourage, pray, and hold one another accountable to the life we have been called to live.

The Bible is clear in that ALL "Christ followers" are ministers of the gospel. The word "minister" simply means one who serves. The Bible teaches that we all have spiritual gifts that God intends for us to use in building His kingdom. The "church" is made up of everyday people who use their gifts and talents to serve others. As we mature in our faith, it is imperative that we become available for God to use our gifts to serve the local church.

The last words of Jesus are found in the Great Commission. "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19) For us to be effective in our mission, we must continue to reach out to other "everyday people" in our community. Within our mission strategy, we recognize that as a person matures in his or her faith, so will their desire to reach others with the good news of Jesus Christ. That is why we strongly encourage people to continue the cycle of the strategy…and extend a hand…to invite others to come through the "open door" at Easthaven.

Baptism:     Has been baptized as a public expression of the decision to follow Christ

Assurance:  Understands that our acceptance with God is based on grace and not self-effort

Intimacy:    Pursues a relationship with Christ daily through scripture, prayer and the

                   spiritual disciplines

Discovery:   Has learned about spiritual gifts and taken steps to assess their own gifting

Ministry:   Is currently using spiritual gifts to serve others in the church

Servanthood:   Demonstrates a servant-minded attitude

Worship:   Gathers regularly with other Christ followers to participate in corporate worship

Small Group:   Connects relationally in a small group setting

Accountability:  Initiates honest, open relationships that support the development of personal         purity and integrity

Family:  Understands and practices the biblical responsibilities of their family role

Connect:   Intentionally builds relationships with everyday people outside of the church

Communicate:   Shares a personal testimony and the gospel message

Invite:   Actively brings others to weekend services and special events

Help:   Contributes personally to meeting the needs of the poor and other marginalized people in society

Giving: Consistently practices biblical tithing

Freedom: Seeks the elimination of unhealthy indebtedness