Mission

The mission of the church (a community of believers, not an organization) is to be the instrument through which God can bring His dynamic rule into this world. We exist today to carry on the present day ministry of Jesus Christ.

1. Proclaim the Kingdom of God
2. Explain the Kingdom of God
3. Illustrate the Kingdom of God

When Jesus stands up to preach His first message in Luke, He lets us know His mission statement:

Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

In Matthew we see Jesus fulfilling that mission of proclaiming, explaining, and illustrating the Kingdom:

Matthew 9:35-38
(35)Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. (36) But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. (37) Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. (38) Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

And in Matthew we see Jesus pass that same mission onto His followers:

Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19) “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

As a church, God has intends that Bethesda Fellowship, as a people, would be a living expression of the meaning of our name, “A House of Mercy”. A house that would manifest the person and passion of Jesus Christ and where the broken and whole can unite together to celebrate and experience the Kingdom of God. A people who have taken on the ministry of Jesus…

1. Proclaim the Kingdom of God
2. Explain the Kingdom of God
3. Illustrate the Kingdom of God

With each work, there seems to be some areas of emphasis that the Lord impresses on its leaders, in which the Kingdom of God finds its expression through the foundational values that influence how things are done. The following areas of emphasis are part of the vision/mission the Lord has given for this work.

1. Outreach to the Lost, Un-churched and Hurting
We are committed to the Great Commission and to making disciples unto Jesus Christ; to being a place where the lost, broken and hurting can encounter and experience mercy in the person of Jesus Christ and forever be forgiven, healed and transformed by His grace and love.

2. Restoration of the Prodigal
We have a heart for those believers who have become disconnected from the body, disenchanted with the church and who have wandered from their relationship with the Father. We desire to be a catalyst of healing, in which these can experience restored relationship with the Father and Jesus Christ and become vital members of the Bride of Christ again.

3. Unifying the Body of Christ
God has given us a heart for the greater Body of Christ in our community, the New England region and the whole earth. We desire to be a catalyst in facilitating the connecting and unifying of the greater Body of Christ in our area, and beyond. We are committed to the hope and vision of the true church (the greater body of Christ) arising glorious and Christ-like, manifesting the person and passion of Jesus Christ.

4. Equipping the Body
We believe and value the “Priesthood” of all believers, that all are ministers, not just professionals. We purpose to equip, enable, and release the people of the church to “Doing the Stuff”; believers practicing what they believe inside and outside gatherings. The aim is to have “every part” (each member of the body) doing their share to cause growth and edification of the body (Eph 4:16).

The mission/purpose statement for Jesus continues to be the mission statement for the church. Within this purpose is the command to care for people. How we carry out this purpose is governed by our values.