Go With God.
That’s something we say a lot because it describes a lifestyle, not merely a religion. Being a Christian isn’t like joining a club or picking up a hobby. It’s about changing your life so we can change the world together. So we don’t just go to church we Go With God.
Go
There’s no such thing as a Christian that’s not on the mission. Jesus commanded his disciples (followers) to go and make disciples of all nations. So wherever we go, we follow the Spirit as he leads us to find the lost.
With
No one goes alone. We practice discipleship. In intimate groups we strive to truly get to know one another so we can encourage, love, disciple and grow.
God
It’s all about God. His son is the head of the church and we are his body. We’re not trying to be any kind of Christian or denomination. We just want to follow the God of the bible.
We’re going with God…will you come with us?
Our Values:
1) Our beliefs and practices come from careful exegesis of the bible.
“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by doing so you will save both yourself and your hearers.” – 1 Timothy 4:16
Looking for a doctrinal statement? You won’t find one. This brief list of values should give you a picture of how we Go With God. We emphasize a process of discovery over points of doctrine. That process of discovering what God’s inspired word really says is called exegesis. In all things we strive to draw out (exegete) what the bible meant to its original hearers and readers. We look at any meaningful differences from their world to ours and then we apply the scriptures to our lives today. We like to say we’re a first century church for the 21st century. Having no doctrinal statement doesn’t mean we don’t have strong beliefs, it just means that we can stay humble when we see something in our teaching that doesn’t line up with the scriptures. We want to avoid getting set in our ways. A humble church? Sounds pretty awesome!
2) We participate in the ancient practices that Jesus passed on to us: Baptism and Communion.
Jesus only passed on two practices to his disciples and the Christian world still has a hard time coming to agreement on them. (So glad it wasn’t three!) We practice and emphasize baptism and communion just like our ancient Christian brothers and sisters.
“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'” – Acts 2:38
“And he took the bread, and he gave it to them saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'” – Luke 22:19
3) We live out the great commission.
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has ben given to me. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'” – Matthew 28:18-20
Go and Make disciples: There’s no such thing as a Christian that’s not on the mission to go and make disciples. Every Christian, not just leaders, can share the gospel and help the lost even if we each do it in unique ways. We provide resources (Go With God Study Series) and teaching to help spread the gospel person by person until the whole world hears the word.
Of all nations: We participate in an international fellowship (Disciples Today) and we value all people as God’s beloved. We desire to build a diverse congregation in the Lansing area.
4) We are a discipling church.
“Teaching them to observe all I have commanded you…” – Matthew 28:20
The other part of the great commission is to teach the disciples to obey everything. We do this in the way Jesus did it. Discipleship! Jesus sent disciples out 2×2 and the earliest church met all together and in their homes – Luke 10, Acts 5:42. So we practice discipleship in small groups and partnerships. We live this out on every level. Church leaders disciple one another and get discipling within their churches and every member participates in a discipling relationship simply defined as walking together with Jesus. Our practice of discipling one another sets us apart and has proven to be an amazing blessing for individuals and families in the church.
5) The kingdom of God is the answer.
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” – Mark 1:15
Jesus came proclaiming a new kingdom and a new king (himself!) He’s our first allegiance. When the world and its ideologies present alternative kings and kingdoms we stick with King Jesus. The kingdom of God is the answer to all social, political and societal issues. Jesus’ people can solve all of the world’s issues, not by confronting them in the ways that the movements of the world do, but by making disciples of Jesus. One by one, intimately and personally we can change the whole world through the power of God.
6) Above all, love.
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers over a multitude of sins.” – 1 Peter 4:8
Last, but not least (above all, actually) we love. This value describes the flavor of our fellowship. You’ll see lots of hugs, people sticking around after church to connect with one another, and impromptu prayer times as we seek to genuinely love one another. We’re not a Sunday only church. Our love and relationships continue throughout the week and throughout the area that we so desperately want to impact for Christ.
