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•To Make Christ Known To a World in Need

 

‘Make Known’

– To educate others by all available means (Preaching / Media / Tracts / Bibles / Tapes / Door-to-Door / Personal Witness / Seminars / Etc.).

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 ‘Christ’

– His Person, His Work, His Character, His Salvation, His Story. - ‘World’ – The Unsaved in Hayden, Coeur d’Alene, Dalton Gardens, Post Falls, Sandpoint, Worley, Sagle, Athol, Rathdrum, Hayden Lake; in selected places of the world where God leads us to support missions; and in a city or town of North Idaho where He may lead us to plant a church.

 

‘Need’

– Salvation / Forgiveness / Purpose / Security / Love / Acceptance / Strength / Parenting / Marriage / Finances / Health / Counseling / Benevolence / Bible Information / Freedom from sin’s patterns and consequences / Accountability / Character / Etc.

 

Summary:

To educate unsaved people about Jesus Christ in the towns represented by our congregation and in other places of mission work by identifying their needs and meeting those needs in the name of Christ and with the truth about Christ. We will identify needs by talking with our members and missionaries, with local non-profit organizations and with public officials. We will meet needs by mobilizing our members and/or recruiting outside helpers.

 

How We Follow Our Commission at this Point:

- We support career missionaries in South Dakota, Belize, France, Chile, Guinea, Paraguay, Nepal, Chad, and India. - We support retired missionaries who minister in Ecuador, Africa, Spanish-speaking Countries, and Florida. - We support organizations that promote Creation Science, Ministry to Pregnant Couples, Legal Aid, Ministry to Jews, and Ministry to Muslims. - We sponsor short-team mission teams to Belize and Chile. - We plan annual events that reach out to our community

 

•To Build Each Other in Word and Deed

 

‘Build’

Strengthen / Edify / Build Up / Encourage Spiritual, Mental & Emotional Growth / Happens by the proper application of spiritual gifts (1Co 12:7; 14:3,5,12,26) / Goal of all ministry done within the congregation (Eph 4:12,16,19) / Ministry of the strong and weak brothers to each other (Rom 14:19; 15:2)

 

‘Each Other’

Those attending Grace Bible Church, whether members or non-members, of all ages and in all positions of life.

 

‘Word’

Refers primarily to the Word of God. It is the Word that gives us direction and teaches us what we need to know and do. Even the words that we speak to each other should be so flavored by the Word of God that His Word will do the work of edifying (Eph 4:29). All of the ministry that we do to and for each other should be based on the Word of God. All teaching (sermons, classes, devotionals) should primarily be expositions of the Word, even though a variety of techniques might be used.

 

‘Deed’

What we do for each other. We should serve each other deliberately and intentionally. We are to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. There is much room for growth in this area. By evaluating different age levels and positions in life, we can identify the ‘needs for deeds.’

 

Summary:

To strengthen the people of Grace Bible Church in all aspects of their life and walk as Christians by teaching and applying the Word of God and by finding practical ways to serve each other. We will intentionally research life needs among the congregation and discern how the Word of God would show us to meet those needs.

 

How We Follow Our Commission at this Point:

- We teach the Bible regularly in all meetings and Christian Education classes.

- We learn together and pray for each other in week-day Home Bible Fellowships.

- We plan encouraging meetings for both men and women.

- We help couples and individuals through biblical counseling.

- We accept each other in our current position in Christian growth but seek to motivate each other to grow further in Christ.

- We plan potluck meals at least monthly where lots of sharing and encouragement happens.

- We make no distinction in ministry between members and non-members.

- We provide financial assistance to people in need.

- We provide meals for new mothers and those in other circumstances.

- We serve each other in a variety of practical ways (moving, cutting wood, childcare, etc.)

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• To Equip Believers to Plant His Seed

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‘Equip’

– To give the information, tools, and resources to do a job. Information = what we need to know to do the job; tools = what we need to use to do the job; and resources = what we need to have to do the job.

 

‘Believers’

– The men, women and children of Grace Bible Church and the missionaries we support. We may find ourselves involving other believers, but this church is our primary focus.

 

‘Plant’

– To put something where it can grow and develop. Our message must be planted in people’s hearts. (We may initially have to plant it in the mind, but that is only a means to getting it into the heart.) Growth is not our mission, but planting is. (We ‘plant’ and ‘water,’ but God gives the ‘increase.’) We plant primarily by word (our word about God’s Word), but the soil is most often prepared by actions.

 

‘His Seed’

– The seed is the Word of God. It is called seed because it has the capability of growing when it is planted in receptive soil. This seed is designed to produce fruit that glorifies God.

 

Summary:

To get our congregation’s individual people ready to share – and actually sharing – the Word of God with others, whether saved or unsaved, whether in our church or outside of it. We will intentionally teach classes, design training experiences, and budget money that will enable people both to learn and to do this work. We will seek to place each equipped person in a place of service that meets his or her particular spiritual gift.

 

How We Follow Our Commission at this Point:

- We teach classes in creative and worshipful song leading.

- We train our congregation in how to do effective Bible study.

- We train young men how to effectively prepare and deliver expository Bible messages.

- We use short-term mission teams to teach leadership skills.

- We develop men in effective leadership and practical skills through our Men’s Ministry.

- We develop ladies in creative home-making skills through our Keepers at Home Women’s Ministry.