CHURCH VISION

 

Who we are; where we are going; how we plan to fulfill our mission; "to be a Spirit-led family seeking to know God, grow in faith, serve others, and share the love of Jesus Christ"

 

"From the fullness of His grace, we have received one blessing after another" (John 1:16).

 

“For by grace we have been saved through faith; and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

 

“Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold new things have come. Now all things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave to us the word of reconciliation” (1Corinthians 5:17,18).

 

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds”

 (Titus 2:11-14).

 

WE’RE FIRST DISCIPLES

Unlike contemporary Western culture, the church of Christ suffers no identity crisis.  We remain clear about who we are and Who’s we are.  We belong to Jesus. We’re Disciples, children of grace.

 

We are blood-bought, redeemed from our former manner of life, “called out” of a sin-riddled world, indwelled and empowered by the Holy Spirit -– Who promises to accomplish in us more than we can “possibly imagine” -– and commissioned by our Creator to make Jesus known.

 

As the Living Body of Christ, incarnate in the world, we take seriously our high calling. We do not grow weary or angry when trials and struggles challenge us. We understand faith is a journey, and we stay steady on the path.

 

Like believers of every age and place, we preach, teach, and labor to live Jesus resurrected.  We are first and foremost heirs of the Gospel, unashamed and eager to receive and share God’s blessings.  We are about our Father’s business, which makes us a “peculiar people” in that we focus our affections and passions not on temporary pleasures and troubles, but rather on spiritual realities and timeless, eternal truths.

 

We reject the “Spirit of the Age” in favor of the Spirit of God.  We advocate an alternative reality to the gross materialism and mainstream insanity that characterizes the endless futility of pleasing the flesh.

 

SEEKING HOLINESS

Our aim is holiness, to be “transformed by the renewing of our inner beings” in such a way that “we are in the world but not of the world.”  Our lives are shaped by “the wisdom from above.” We value a pure heart above any worldly commodity. We are being changed from the inside out.

 

We refuse to conform to the seductive advances and false promises of modernity or the paralyzing relativism of postmodern illusions.  Instead, we live by God’s standards, revealed in scripture and designed for His new society.

         

We gladly reside in the present, striving to maximize God-sponsored opportunities, but as citizens of another Kingdom, we walk by faith and not by sight, obviously stumbling along the way (clearly a work in progress!), but relentlessly pressing on toward the upward prize of eternal life.  We persevere knowing God is faithful and will deliver as promised.

 

SPIRITUAL RENEWAL

We believe in the current possibilities of a “spiritually renewed mind.”  We trust that God remains at work in His people.  Thus, we view ourselves as a force for His good to His glory.  We desire to express our thanksgiving for salvation by “declaring His excellencies” throughout the world.  We want to honor God with a pure heart and clean hands. Our goal centers on “being doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”  We long to make a difference in Jesus' name.

 

We are persuaded that being “born again” changes everything.  From its earthly inception, the church of Christ has challenged the established order and offered an escape route for all burdened by the oppression of self-rule.  Our message remains intact:  “You can be delivered from this present evil generation.”

 

 EXTERNALLY FOCUSED

We are a missional congregation, externally focused, and energetically and enthusiastically committed to the Great Commission.  We believe that “it’s not about us,” but about Jesus.  We accept His authority and promote His agenda -– the salvation of all mankind by the free gift of His amazing grace. We call others to repentance, confession, baptism, and a changed life.

 

We find no ambiguity in our marching orders.  We are on a mission for God, so we possess supernatural abilities to subject personal whims, private opinions, and individual dysfunctionalities to the best interests of the Gospel. We seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness.

 

Our vision is simply to be God’s "counter-culture" force in the world, undermining the negativity bred by secular kingdoms and false philosophies. We deconstruct “The World According to Satan.”  We promote the principles and ideals of The Sermon on the Mount. The people of God offer an alternative interpretation of the “Good Life.”

 

We execute this ancient vision, articulated throughout the pages of scripture, by first committing ourselves to the grace principle, and then purveying love and mercy in word and deed (“for mercy triumphs over judgment!”). We neither isolate from our culture nor compromise with it, but rather engage it with truth and light.  “We believe, therefore we speak and act.”  We realize that we are only as good as the grace that works among us.

 

LOVE SPONSORED

Our only legitimate claim to “The Grace Place” resides in the unfathomable love of God.  We believe love has consistently proven itself as the world’s most radical and effective social force. For us, grace is made manifest in “never growing weary in doing good.”  We seek to confirm the Biblical contention that “God is love.” We subscribe to the greatest commandment.

 

The golden text of Christianity rings as true today as it did in the early years of the church:  “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” We want to share the Words of Life. We strive to find creative and contemporary methods to reach lost people, refusing to be intimidated or detoured by occasional failures along the way.

 

Salvation, full and free, is available to all, compliments of the love of God. We believe the invitation to be “born again”-- baptized by the grace of the Holy Spirit -- is extended to everyone who believes, repents, and confesses. Like the primitive church, we practice immersion in water for the forgiveness of sins, believing Peter’s words that “baptism now saves you.”  We understand our role in the conversion process to be Ministers of Reconciliation. “We plant, another waters, and God causes the increase.”

 

We stand convinced the message of the cross is still Good News, and we further believe it possesses the power to transform our communities and us.  Our ambition remains the distribution of the Good News in a manner that helps others connect with Jesus.  We strive to unleash the goodness of God on our neighbors through acts of kindness, compassion, benevolence, charity, and forgiveness. Our congregation has experienced the evangelistic power of generosity. We delight in doing for others without expecting anything in return. We proclaim the truth of God by “shining as lights in the universe.”  We love first and ask questions later.

 

UNITY IN THE MIDST OF DIVERSITY

At The Grace Place, we appreciate and respect the growing diversity of our region. We interpret it as divine design.  Our welcome mat is out.  We build bridges and not walls.  We embrace the dynamics of a “first-ring suburb” that increasingly hosts a wide variety of traditions, ethnicities, and cultures, as well as multiple generations, economic situations, and political perspectives. In dealing with this unparalleled social dynamic, our congregation seeks to be proactive rather than reactive and to function by faith, not fear.  We believe the unifying power of the cross overcomes all obstacles.  We purposefully intend to be a positive force for Christian unity.

 

Fellowship is often complicated in gatherings populated by folks from varied backgrounds. We are no exception, and only by practicing the Biblical model of radical agape can we prosper in the midst of great diversity. In the melting pot that is the Duncanville church of Christ, we respect, protect, and never neglect one another. We look out for others' best interests. We are tolerant and patient. We work through our differences in a spirit of openness and charity. We attract folks who view our Place as a blessing and not a problem. We, in turn, embrace the opportunity to subject our differences to the joy of unity.  Our Bibles are worn and dog-eared at the intersection of Ephesians and Colossians. Convinced that all blessings are poured out in Jesus, we concentrate on personalizing grace and obediently submitting ourselves to its instructions (Titus 2&3)

 

Grace demands we practice what Jesus preached.  We accept others because God has first accepted us.  We extend open arms and open doors because we are already the prize recipients of God’s abounding love.  We labor to practice divine hospitality. We are what The Epistle of James promotes as: “folks controlled by mercy.”

 

BEARING ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS

Grace allows no room for pretence or exploitation.  It demands honesty and calls for the restoration of all things.  Thus, genuine church means functioning as a hospital for recovering sinners.  We discharge our commission by assisting fellow pilgrims on their journey to wholeness, “bearing one another’s burdens.”  We focus on building a church body where it’s okay not to be okay. We support and staff ministries that make it easy for strangers to enjoy the friendship and healing powers of Jesus.  We meet people where they are and equip them with tools and skills to grow.  We help others overcome the crippling effects of sin’s bitter poison.

 

Residents at our Place give sacrificially of themselves so others may experience the abundant life. We practice the ancient principle of tithing, encouraging generous giving of time, resources, and self.  It’s the Gospel Way.

 

STILL A FREEDOM MOVEMENT

The church of Christ is foundationally and fundamentally a freedom movement, which means we abhor legalism and sectarian biases.  We still “want to be only Christians, but not the only Christians.” Our fellowship is evangelical.  We extend mutual freedom to others. The doctrine of the “Priesthood of All Believers” shapes the way we view our relationship with God and each other.  We encourage spiritual development through ceaseless prayer, diligent study, and consistent application.  Our local congregation seeks to position everyone for spiritual success, while respecting God-given differences in talents, gifts, and perspectives.  To that end, we have customized a pastoral model that accelerates a Disciple’s ability to serve in meaningful ministry.

 

Accomplishing the vision to serve our region as The Grace Place is greatly enhanced by our congregation’s autonomy.  Because we are independent, we can respond quickly to changing needs and circumstances. We are unencumbered by denominational baggage.

 

 WORSHIP AND THE ASSEMBLY

For 2000 years the church has found its expression and identity as a worshipping community. Like the early church, we partake of the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week, sing praises to God unaccompanied by instruments, pray fervently for guidance and healing, and practice warm and accepting fellowship.  Today, we continue the traditions of assembling together to praise God and edify one another.  Combining a firm allegiance to scriptural models with sensitivities toward contemporary cultural dynamics, we seek to worship in Spirit and truth and in a manner both pleasing to God and meaningful for those assembled.  In good times and bad, we worship, finding strength and peace in the midst of chaos.  We will faithfully continue to worship God in the assembly, in the home, and in the market place.

 

Authentic worship neutralizes the negative influences flowing from our consumer mentality.  It forces us to refocus. It equips us to serve.  It reminds us that it’s not about us.  It has always been and always will be about God, the only One worthy.

 

FOCUS ON THE FAMILY

We believe the family remains God’s ultimate social structure and that the Bible is a handbook for successful relationships. Our congregation will continue to make decisions and support ministries that strengthen the nuclear family. We want to cultivate an environment that provides all of our children an opportunity to craft a working faith that will sustain them all the way to eternity. We want families to live together in peace and function in a healthy fashion so Jesus may be exalted as the Lord of our homes.

 

MARANATHA

Our future is clearly dependent on attracting, growing, equipping, and reproducing servants committed to Kingdom aspirations and values.  The Grace Place vision realizes its dependence on God for all things. As we eagerly await His return, we embrace the future with all its challenges and opportunities. We move forward by faith and not fear (perhaps the most important attitude for any congregation), knowing God is sovereign and still on the throne. The church “seizes the day,” not because it’s all we have, but because, “this is the day that the Lord has made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it.” We count it the greatest of blessings to be citizens of an eternal Kingdom.

 

The Duncanville church of Christ: Where grace changes me!