September 22, 2024

HOW ARE WE BRINGING PEOPLE TO JESUS AND HEAVEN TO EARTH?

​ICEBREAKER
Where in this country or world have you seen the most beautiful places or people? Describe what you experienced.

DISCUSSION

1. Have you listened to all three messages from this series?
2. Have you reviewed the web page set up on the church's website for this series? Perhaps consider watching the two Bible Project videos from that page together during your group and talk about them.
3. What are some insights from this Sunday's message, this series, or the resources from the webpage that you have really appreciated?
4. How do these insights change our perspective on God's vision and our mission as the church?
5. Are there any concepts or statements that you don't quite understand? 

MISSION

1. Our church's past mission statements are below.
   1. With Pastor Tim: The vision of First Covenant Church is to be actively missional, connecting people of all ages to the transformative power of Jesus Christ and to each other.  Living out this vision will challenge us to better reach those who do not yet know Christ while remaining faithful to those already in the body of Christ.
   2. With Pastor Marc: Our Vision: CONNECT to God, CONNECT to one another, CONNECT to the world.
      At First Covenant Church, we seek to CONNECT TO GOD by worshiping together and engaging in heartfelt prayer, to CONNECT TO ONE ANOTHER by deepening our relationships in small groups, and to CONNECT TO THE WORLD by preaching Christ through intentionally meeting needs in our community and around the world.
   3. The mission statement we're considering as a church now with Pastor Jim is below. It seeks to express the heart of these past statements in simple, memorable, and general terms that appeals to a broad spectrum of people, ignites curiosity, and fosters hope.
      "Our mission is 'Bringing People to Jesus and Heaven to Earth.'"
   4. You can read and watch more about this on our website—"Bringing People to Jesus and Heaven to Earth."
2. What are your thoughts about this statement?

APPLICATION

1. How are we as a church bringing people to Jesus? How are you bringing people to Jesus?
   Announcement: Consider attending the "Sharing the Gospel" Worskshop on October 13, 4-6PM with George Gabrielson, Chris Ball, and Anthony Mason.
   
2. How are we as a church bringing heaven to earth? Think about ...
   
   1. Our ministries and projects
   2. Our missional partnerships
   3. Our worship services
   4. The culture of our community

PRAYER
Take time to ask for personal prayer requests. Then pray for our church's efforts to fulfill this mission of "Bringing People to Jesus and Heaven to Earth" followed by the other prayer requests.

CONTINUE THINKING ABOUT "BRINGING HEAVEN TO EARTH"
You can read and watch more on our webpage titled "Bringing People to Jesus and Heaven to Earth." You can find it on the website under "Teachings" and the title of this series. There are some short videos and a podcast series from the Bible Project, some past sermons, and some book recommendations.