The Church in the World Impacting Our Communities Through the Power of the Gospel

Introduction The ACC Church ◦ In the world, not of the world ◦ Reaching out in our communities to affect positive change in a lost and fallen world through the power of the Gospel

Approach to the Topic A sincere love for this church A firm belief that we approach worship with a sincere desire to serve the Lord An honest look at who we are as a body, with respect to our influence/impact in our local communities A belief that an important component of the church is to reach the lost in our communities Understanding that there is a severe lack of understanding of who Christ is and what the gospel can offer

Impact on the Church

Church Impacting the World

Community Defined How do we define the community? ◦ A group of people living and interacting in a common location ◦ In a highly mobile society our community begins to expand ◦ In a society that is increasingly driven by technology our community begins to reach beyond geographical barriers ◦ Our community is everyone we come in contact with through a variety of means

Influences Influences impacting our communities ◦ Media ◦ Pop Culture ◦ Technology  Ever increasing the reach of outside influences ◦ Education System ◦ The Community Itself ◦ False Teachers

Influences The Constant Bombardment  The average American watches 4 hours of TV per day  The average American spends 28 hours per month online  The average American teenager spends 31 hours per week online  On average, a child between the ages of 8-18 spends 7.5 hours per day using some form of electronic media\device

Influences Influences What do these influences have to offer? ◦ A focus on self ◦ A focus on materialism ◦ Empty/False idols ◦ A perspective on life that is devoid of meaning ◦ No true purpose in life

Why Be Concerned? Why should we be concerned about the community? ◦ John 3:16 – For He so loved the world ◦ Luke Chapter 15 – His love and concern for those who are lost ◦ Mark16:15 – The great commission

Prepared to Serve How do we as a body prepare ourselves to be in a position to positively impact our communities ◦ Draw on the strength of the body ◦ The Power of Prayer ◦ We grow and mature as believers ◦ A spirit of service for the Lord ◦ A foundation in the Word of God

Preparation - The Strength of the Body As the body of Christ, we must leverage the strength and support of the brethren Develop and foster a strong sense of community within our own congregations We must develop the spiritual gifts found within our congregations Open dialogue with our congregations with regards to their efforts in the community

Preparation - The Power of Prayer We must be actively praying for our communities We must actively pray for God’s guidance in where we can join Him in His work within the community We must actively pray for the church and our involvement in this work Prayer groups

Preparation - Spiritual Maturity How are we growing and maturing as believers within our church walls? ◦ Foster spiritual growth so that our body may be better prepared to serve ◦ Provide opportunities for believers to be actively involved within the church ◦ Draw on the strength of mature believers within the congregation ◦ Mentorship program

A Spirit of Service We must be actively looking for areas to serve ◦ Bible study ◦ Small group gatherings ◦ Actively serving in the community ◦ Encourage a passion to serve the Lord where He is working

A Spirit of Service Stepping Up ◦ Believers committed to service ◦ Be willing to serve  Matthew 9:37-38  Philippians 2: 1-4 ◦ The Lord provides strength  Philippians 4:13 ◦ Encourage others to serve ◦ Push our comfort zone…

Pushing our Comfort Zone Christ set the example He’s asking us to dedicate our lives for His Kingdom ◦ The Apostle Paul ◦ The Apostle Peter

A Foundation in the Word It is crucial that we stand on the foundation of the Word of God We must continue to stand for the Truth, regardless of the circumstances For the sake of “numbers”, churches can fall prey to the notion that a watered down version of the gospel will be more attractive We must preach Christ crucified

Breaking Through How do we as a body break through the tremendous power of the influences of the world? ◦ Do we have a tangible presence in our communities? ◦ What impact, if any, have we had on the community around us? ◦ How do we respond to the needs of our communities?

A Tangible Presence To have an impact on our communities we must have a tangible presence Other than the sign outside, what is our presence in the community? Identify our strengths and ask the Lord to use us for His purpose Shining the light of Christ so that others may see

Impact Serving in our communities can be a powerful witness of the love of Christ Service may be represented from the Church body ◦ Outreach programs ◦ Volunteer efforts Service may be represented from the individuals within the Church ◦ Shining the light of Christ through our experiences with those in the world We may not see the end result of our labor, but there will be an impact

Responding to the Needs The world around us is in desperate need of the message of the gospel When we are presented with a need from the community, we must respond with the love of Christ Involvement in our communities helps us to understand and identify where we can do His work

Impact on the Church We grow closer to the Lord We grow closer together as a family of believers We grow spiritually as a body We gain a better understanding of who we are in Christ We gain the blessing of joining the Lord in His work

The Church in the World Q&A