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Missions
living sent
Local & Global - At the Same Time
We believe that the church is the missionary representative of Jesus' kingdom here on earth. Jesus is actively working to redeem people both locally and across the world. Every believer has a part to play and a place to contribute, and we are committed to helping each one join God's redemptive movement.
LOCAL MISSIONS
As a sending church, we will train, resource, and commission church planters and planting teams to start new churches in greater RVA and beyond.
Who is involved?
Church leadership and the whole church.
As sent people, we will collectively invest in a hard place in our city. We will team up to show love, meet needs, make disciples, and work towards greater impact through a sustained presence over an extended period of time. We believe this place is Cardinal Elementary on RVA's south side.
Who is involved?
The whole church.
As sent people, we will use our vocations as pathways to bring gospel hope into the sectors of our society, being prepared to give an answer for why we have that hope and connecting people to Jesus.
Who is involved?
Individuals and affinity groups of each sector.
As sent people, we must learn to love, serve, and share the gospel with our neighbors - those nearest us in relationship and proximity.
Who is involved?
Every person, every household.
GLOBAL MISSIONS
Movement is committed to being a church that develops people into disciples of Jesus, loving family members with one another, and sent representatives of Jesus' kingdom in the world. We believe all of us are sent, and each of us has a role within God's redemptive movement. Missions is an activity flowing out of living a "sent" life.
Movement seeks to reinforce, teach about, and celebrate our individual and collective sent identity. As a weekly rhythm, we are "sent out" after every worship gathering to represent Jesus in word and deed wherever we live, work, and socialize that week. At the same time, we recognize that God prepares and calls some within the church family to be sent far away to serve as representatives cross-culturally. We believe the church bears the primary responsibility to identify, assess, develop, send, and care for these workers. We eagerly, yet soberly, take on this responsibility to be a sending church that deploys people across the street and around the world!
The following values provide guidance that helps prioritize the type of work Movement most wants to be involved with and mobilize towards.
Church Centric
The work is flowing out of an existing church, or is helping to establish a new church presence. There is biblical church structure in place or being created that will anchor all aspects of the ministry in that place. There is healthy accountability within the local church.
Indigenous
Qualified local leaders are substantially filling the leadership positions in the church and mission work, or are being equipped to do so with a plan to transfer to local leadership and minimize dependency. The church and ministry engages, works within - and when biblically appropriate - reflects the culture in which they are ministering.
Holistic Gospel 'Ecosystem'
There is a healthy balance of word and deed ministry. Believers are faithful to verbally share the gospel and do acts of mercy and service that bless and make the kingdom of God tangible. There is a vision to build around this work in ways that create and multiply a holistic ecosystem of churches, marketplace ministries, theological schools, and social services, releasing believers to represent Jesus in every domain of society.
Low Gospel Access
The geographical area or people group represented has low access to hearing the gospel, observing the lives of believers and the church, or being trained in the Scriptures.