Hello ICC Family!
Our mission is to grow fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ who share God’s love with the people of all nations.
International Christian Church Mission Statement
I hope that sounds at least a little familiar to you! First, because I have heard that Pastor Peppy talked about our church’s mission statement quite a bit last year. But also… because our statement fully complements the sermon from this past Sunday!
If you missed Sunday, we started a quick trip through the book of Jonah. I talked about how we are going to be using this Old Testament book about a disobedient and grumpy prophet to consider discipleship - looking at both being disciples and making disciples. Jonah had a lot of trouble with both of those things, but that is because they go hand in hand. It is impossible to do well with one of those when you are doing poorly at the other. Hence the dual emphases of our church mission statement:
Our mission is to:
Grow fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ (Be disciples)
Who share God’s love with the people of all nations (Make disciples)
Perhaps you have heard other churches phrase their statements like this: To know Christ and make him known. That is another way to say the same thing! And it is no surprise that this is such a common way to talk about our calling as Christians because it is found throughout Scripture. We have seen already this year in Genesis and now in Jonah that this message is at the heart of the Old Testament. We have also mentioned the Great Commandment and Great Commission for several weeks in a row now. But this discipleship calling is found more than in just those two places in the New Testament. Think about how even this verse reflects a calling to both be and make disciples:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:34-35
As we continue through Jonah the next few weeks let me know where you see this dual calling in other places in Scripture. And please join us this Sunday as we dive into the depths with Jonah and study his prayer in chapter 2.
Praying for you all!
Pastor Aaron
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