Vision, Purpose & Practice

What we do, Why we do it, What it looks like

On the first Sunday of every year, we review the history, vision, purpose, and practice of Refuge so that we can confidently answer these questions:

What are we doing? Why are we doing it? What does it look like?

Year after year, this study hasn’t really changed—but we sure have! As we behold the glory of God in the face of Christ, the Spirit of God transforms us from the inside out. That’s a promise God makes and fulfills through His Word.

And so we turn again to His Word to find the answers to those important questions—what are we doing? Why are we doing it? And what does it look like?

Watch or listen to our study from Sunday as we reviewed God’s vision for God’s church.

Vision

What are we doing?

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

(Matthew 22:37-39)

Worship

We worship the Lord in song, study, service, and sacrifice.

Discipleship

We encourage others to follow Jesus.

Evangelism

We introduce others to Jesus.

Purpose

Why are we doing it?

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
(Ephesians 4:11-12)
The purpose of the church is to mature believers for the work of the ministry. 
And the work of the ministry is to love the Lord your God with all your heart all your soul and all your mind and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Practice

What does it look like?

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
(Acts 2:42)
The model we see in Acts is that the church studies the Word of God, enjoys fellowship with one another, partakes in communion together, and seeks the Lord in prayer.
This is all we’ve got…but this is all we really need