This weekend we begin a series entitled “Deeper.” When it comes to the work of our church, there is an important balance that we continuously strive to maintain. It is captured in the heart of our mission statement “To Reach and Disciple People for Christ.” On the one hand, we are fully committed to evangelism, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with those who do not yet know Him. But there is also the important work of discipleship, helping those who have come to know Jesus to grow deeper in faith.
Thank you to all who helped with set up for the Field of Flags!
Sometimes in the church it feels as if those two are in competition. Are we going to be a church that is all about reaching the lost or a church that is all about deep discipleship. Yes! We need to be both. In fact, like two sides of the same coin, faith sharing and spiritual growth are inseparable. I would go so far as to say that they are really all one. When a person invites Jesus to be the leader of their life and the forgiver of their sins, what they have really done is taken the first step in a lifelong journey of discipleship.
I believe God is calling our church to be a place where people are coming into a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ every week. My heart breaks for those who do not know the hope of Jesus and do not have the blessing of Christian community. So Rock Church will always have a strong emphasis on reaching those who are far from Jesus. But it is also essential that we be a place where people are growing deeper in faith.
The question we sometimes wrestle with is “what does that look like?” What does it really mean to be growing deeper in faith? How is that reflected in our lives? How do we do that? The funny thing is, almost everyone has an answer to that question, but the answers are very different. In this new series, we are going to take a significant look at what it means to grow “deeper” in faith as disciples of Jesus.
Ricky helping out with the build out for "Grounded" our new youth drop in space in Plaistow.
The great thing about a series like this is that it applies to everyone. Deeper is a relative term. No matter where you are in your faith journey, you can go deeper. If you have just made the decision to be a Christ follower, clearly there are steps you can take to grow deeper. But even if you have been a believer for decades, spiritual growth is a lifelong journey. No matter how long you’ve been a follower, no matter how deep you have gone, there is still room to grow deeper.
I am excited beyond words about this next series. There is something important here for everyone, and I know you are going to find it a blessing to your faith journey. I look forward to seeing every one of you in worship this Sunday at one of our Rock Church campuses. And bring a guest. Even those who are just beginning to explore the faith will find a next step for them.
Before I sign off, just a quick reminder that tomorrow (Saturday Oct 21) will be the long awaited Rock Run Raiser. It’s not too late to sign up to help or to participate. Go to rockrunraiser.com or email Heidi Mongeau. Also coming up over the next week and a half we have three separate Trunk or Treat events. This is one of the great outreach events that we do to connect to the unchurched families around us. If you would like to do a trunk, or help in any other way, please email Sherri Nourse in Sandown, Cara Fatout in Plaistow or Jess Pontes in Amesbury.