The local church is a community of regenerated believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. In obedience to Scripture they organize under qualified leadership, gather regularly for preaching and worship, observe the biblical sacraments of baptism and Communion, are unified by the Spirit, are disciplined for holiness, and scatter to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission as missionaries to the world for God’s glory and their joy. (Vintage Church, 38)
Purpose: Proclaiming Christ as a caring community of God-exalting disciplemakers.
Commitments:
- Commitment to the Preeminence of Christ (Col. 1:18)
- Commitment to the Centrality and Sufficiency of the Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16,17)
- Commitment to Christ Exalting Worship that Reveals a Relationship (John 4:23-24; cf. Romans 12:1-2 and Colossians 3:16-17)
- Commitment to a Community-centered Body of Believers Growing Together in Grace (Eph. 4:4-6)
- Commitment to the Growth of Mature Disciples of Christ (Eph 4:11-12)
- Commitment to the Pursuit of the Gospel (Matt 28:19-20; cf. Acts 1:8)
- Commitment to Dependent Expectant Prayer (Matthew 21:13)
- Commitment to Plurality of Leadership (Titus 1:5)
- Commitment to Church Discipline and Restoration (1 Corinthians 5:5)
- Commitment to Developing Effective Spiritual Leadership (2 Timothy 2:2)
Forecast:
Centennial is a new fast growing city that is predominately upper to middle class working people. The average income in Centennial is 30% higher than the national average. With that average age being 37, it is understandable that our target group will be young families and professionals. This target group will be reached with the following five strategies:
- Engaging the community. The core group will need to live in this city and begin to connect with neighbors and community activities. As a new city, this community is very focused on thing going on within the city. Community events and service projects will be valuable to connecting with people.
- Engage the needs. Because this community lives on a slightly higher income than other parts of Denver, it will be important that the church is engaging the less fortunate. This economical class is not use to getting their hands dirty, but it will be essential to stand out as servants of Christ. We already have a partnering church in a downtown less fortunate area of Denver. It will be vital that people of Centennial associate the gospel with love and service and not simply status.
- Engage the work place. The Denver Tech Center is called the “little downtown” and is located in Centennial. It will be important for the core group to engage their co-workers with the gospel and center community groups and work Bible studies to help extend the gospel in the work place.
- Engage the block. Neighborhoods need to be met with the gospel. This does not simply come with door to door solicitation, but through relational evangelism. Block parties and neighborhood events will be encouraged to arise as a means of relational connections. As neighborhood relations are made, community groups can organically arise to focus on neighborhoods.
- Engage Christianity. The concept of being a Christian is far too common in American culture. It will be important to connect with “Christians” who do not seem connected or committed to the gospel and church community. Rather than simply accept all faiths, it is our job to engage the religious culture with the truth.
Action:
Beginning in March 2010, our core group will being meeting weekly. Our study will embark “Simple Orthodoxy” as a study to focus the nucleus of this group on what Christianity should look like. This study will progress as we live it in the community and launch Sola Community Church as a church which proclaims Christ as a caring community of God-exalting disciplemakers.
