The Mission of the Global Church

The mission of the universal church is to glorify God by making disciples through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God’s mission and the mission of His church are inseparably linked. If God’s mission is to be glorified through the redemption and reconciliation of a people, the church’s mission must orient around the glory of God and seek to glorify Him through redemption and reconciliation.

The mission of the church is highlighted in 2 Corinthians 5. As those who have been reconciled to God through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are now ambassadors of reconciliation to a lost and broken world. We plead, urge, implore, reason, pray, serve, preach, teach, and gather to see God glorified through reconciliation.

The Mission of Risen Life Fellowship

Risen Life Fellowship exists to train, equip, and encourage the entire family to become practical missionaries of Jesus Christ both locally and globally.

Our Core Values

Authentic Community

Diversity: God calls the church and its members to embrace every culture, nationality, generation, and socioeconomic background. Scripture speaks to the body of Christ as a whole, working together in unity and love for His purpose. (Galatians 3:26-29, Revelation 7:9-10)

Small Groups: Small groups should be utilized in the body of Christ as a primary method by which we build unity. Bearing one another's burdens, holding each other accountable to Scripture, and studying God's Word together are the purposes of these groups. Small groups build trust within the body and provide crucial connection and accountability to all members involved. (Proverbs 27:17, Acts 2:46-47, James 5:16)

Spiritual Gifts: Each member of the body of Christ has at least one spiritual gift meant to edify the rest of the body. We believe that it is crucial for every member to identify and begin working out of his/her special spiritual gifting instead of taking on tasks, leadership, or responsibilities outside of his/her gift. It is our aim that each member of our fellowship pursues his/her special gift and puts that gift to action, ultimately bringing glory to the name of Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 12:8-12, I Peter 4:10-11)

Biblical Theology

Expositional Preaching: We believe that the church body is sanctified by the preaching, teaching, and studying of the Word of God in context. As believers, we are called to teach the whole counsel of God, rather than taking certain verses out of context. Our worship services and small groups primarily consist of studying through the Bible in its entirety rather than focusing on topical preaching. (John 17:17, 2 Timothy 4:2-5, Acts 20:27)

Reliance on the Holy Spirit: Without Christ we can truly do nothing. Our goal as a congregation is to be a prayerful and needy group of people in submission to the one true God, yielding to His guidance and seeking to worship Him in spirit and in truth in every area of our lives. We believe the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in and empowers us to live this Spirit-led life. (John 16:13-15, Acts 1:8, John 15:5, John 4:23-24)

Sufficiency of Scripture: The Bible is the inerrant, inspired Word of God. We refuse to add to, take away from, or compromise its perfect truth. It is the Bible that completely informs our worldview. We believe that to know God's Word is to know the character of God. (2 Timothy 3:15-16, John 1:1)   

Christian Growth

Accountability: God's instruction for Christian growth is outlined in Proverbs where we are taught to increase in strength by growing in wisdom and being with the wise. We believe that our standard for living righteously is outlined in Scripture. As believers, we are to hold each other to that standard. We believe in accountability, both individually and corporately. We value church discipline as outlined in Scripture. This process, outlined by God, has the end goal of restoring a fellow believer to righteousness. (Matthew 18:15-17, Galatians 6:1, 1 Timothy 5:19-20, Proverbs 27:17, Matthew 5:13-15)

Apologetics: According to Jesus, there is no other way to the Father except through Him. We firmly believe that each believer should make it his or her goal to learn how to defend this truth against anyone he or she might encounter. We accomplish this by both encouraging a deep understanding of our own faith and by studying other religions. (1 Peter 3:15, 1 Timothy 4:16)

Regenerative Church Membership: Church membership is reserved for those who have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and have been baptized as an outward expression of that faith. We believe church membership is more than a name on a roll. Instead it is a covenant relationship with fellow believers to commit to Christ and one another in fellowship, prayer, doctrinal study, and the edification of the body through the use of spiritual gifts, as God is conforming us individually into the image of Christ. (Ephesians 2:10, Acts 2:41-42)

Disciple Making

Gospel Centered: The central theme of the Bible is the redeeming work of Jesus Christ on the cross to reconcile sinners to Holy God. This Gospel is not just a message of salvation to non-believers, but a transforming truth that we, as Christians, must be reminded of consistently. We believe that a true understanding of the love displayed by Jesus on the cross changes everything for the believer and is our true motivation for living holy lives. Our aim is to make the Gospel known in all that we do together as a church body, in small groups, or as individuals in our personal mission fields. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:1-10)

Missional: We desire to be a church that not only proclaims but also demonstrates the love of Christ. We will work to love, pray for, and meet the spiritual and physical needs of the society around us so that we can reach others with the Gospel. (Philippians 2:4-8, Matthew 25:40, Isaiah 58:10, James 1:27)

Multiplication: Jesus' final words, before his ascension into heaven, commands us to go and make disciples. Risen Life Fellowship was formed with the vision of planting more churches. Our goal is not simply to live in community with believers with whom we are comfortable, but to honor Jesus' final command by being intentional about getting the Gospel to other parts of our country and countries throughout the world. (Matthew 28:18-20, Luke 10:2)