Purpose
Why We Exist as a Church
The Mission Statement of our church is summarized in two sentences based on two key Scriptures (the Great Commission and the Great Commandment):
Express Church exists to meet people where they are and bring them to an encounter with Christ. We seek to equip followers of Christ to live and proclaim His Kingdom in their world.
The Mission Statement articulates the purpose of Express Church, but a Mission Statement is more than words, it must be lived out. The mission of Express Church is demonstrated and lived out in E5:
• E1 – Express Praise (Worship)
“Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (Matthew 4:10)
“The Father seeks worshipers... and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24)
Worship is the fuel for all that we do; it is focusing on God and not on ourselves. Worship is realizing who God is and standing in awe of Him. In Isaiah 6 we hear the seraphs cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” We desire for people to focus on God and realize His Holiness. When we truly place our eyes on God and worship Him, we make ourselves available and obedient to Him.
•E2 – Encounter Christ (Evangelism)
“His intent was that through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known” (Ephesians 3:10)
“Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But who can ask them to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells him” (Romans 10:13-14, TLB)
We believe you can’t have an encounter with God and remain the same. We want to bring believers and unbelievers into God’s presence to hear from God through His Word and His people. In Romans 10:14 Paul writes, “But how are they to call on Him in whom they have never heard? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” Our purpose is to make Christ known and see people come into a personal relationship with Christ.
• E3 – Experience Community (Fellowship)
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42)
“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7)
Followers of Christ are called to grow in Christ-likeness. While Christianity is personal, it is not private. Our purpose for discipleship is to grow followers of Christ in community where there is teaching and accountability. Acts 2:42, 44 teach us, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And all who believed were together and had all things in common.” As we connect people in community groups we will “spur one another on” to become more like Christ.
• E4 – Equip to Serve (Ministry)
“By this shall all men know that you are my disciples – that you have love for one another” (John 13:35)
1 John 3:16-17 Matthew 25:34-40 Hebrew 13:16 Romans 12:13
The church is a body where everyone is valuable and necessary. Everyone brings gifts and abilities given by God for the building up of others. Romans 12:5 says, “so in Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” We want to help believers find their spiritual gifts and place in the body. Our purpose is to make Christ known not just with our words but also with our actions.
•E5 – Exist for Others (Discipleship)
“Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity...” (Hebrews 6:1)
“Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18)
“(God has given)...some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of ministry so that the Body of Christ may be built up until we all... become mature... like Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13)
The ultimate goal of discipleship is to make disciples who make disciples. We want to boldly penetrate the culture of the community in which we live, work and play with the love of Christ and the message of the gospel. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 2:8, “So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” We not only want to make reproducing disciples, but also plant a reproducing church, committed to reaching other communities with the gospel.
The Mission Statement of our church is summarized in two sentences based on two key Scriptures (the Great Commission and the Great Commandment):
Express Church exists to meet people where they are and bring them to an encounter with Christ. We seek to equip followers of Christ to live and proclaim His Kingdom in their world.
The Mission Statement articulates the purpose of Express Church, but a Mission Statement is more than words, it must be lived out. The mission of Express Church is demonstrated and lived out in E5:
• E1 – Express Praise (Worship)
“Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (Matthew 4:10)
“The Father seeks worshipers... and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24)
Worship is the fuel for all that we do; it is focusing on God and not on ourselves. Worship is realizing who God is and standing in awe of Him. In Isaiah 6 we hear the seraphs cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” We desire for people to focus on God and realize His Holiness. When we truly place our eyes on God and worship Him, we make ourselves available and obedient to Him.
•E2 – Encounter Christ (Evangelism)
“His intent was that through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known” (Ephesians 3:10)
“Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But who can ask them to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells him” (Romans 10:13-14, TLB)
We believe you can’t have an encounter with God and remain the same. We want to bring believers and unbelievers into God’s presence to hear from God through His Word and His people. In Romans 10:14 Paul writes, “But how are they to call on Him in whom they have never heard? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” Our purpose is to make Christ known and see people come into a personal relationship with Christ.
• E3 – Experience Community (Fellowship)
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42)
“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7)
Followers of Christ are called to grow in Christ-likeness. While Christianity is personal, it is not private. Our purpose for discipleship is to grow followers of Christ in community where there is teaching and accountability. Acts 2:42, 44 teach us, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And all who believed were together and had all things in common.” As we connect people in community groups we will “spur one another on” to become more like Christ.
• E4 – Equip to Serve (Ministry)
“By this shall all men know that you are my disciples – that you have love for one another” (John 13:35)
1 John 3:16-17 Matthew 25:34-40 Hebrew 13:16 Romans 12:13
The church is a body where everyone is valuable and necessary. Everyone brings gifts and abilities given by God for the building up of others. Romans 12:5 says, “so in Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” We want to help believers find their spiritual gifts and place in the body. Our purpose is to make Christ known not just with our words but also with our actions.
•E5 – Exist for Others (Discipleship)
“Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity...” (Hebrews 6:1)
“Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18)
“(God has given)...some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of ministry so that the Body of Christ may be built up until we all... become mature... like Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13)
The ultimate goal of discipleship is to make disciples who make disciples. We want to boldly penetrate the culture of the community in which we live, work and play with the love of Christ and the message of the gospel. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 2:8, “So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” We not only want to make reproducing disciples, but also plant a reproducing church, committed to reaching other communities with the gospel.
