OUR VISION OF MINISTRY

Our motto, mission and purpose statements should be more than just mere words; they should govern our every move as we serve God through the Body of Believers at Greater Little Rock. Every arm of ministry, stemming from the vision of the Lord through the pulpit, should seek to exemplify the overall vision of the church. I Corinthians 12 teaches that we may be many parts, but we are still only one body. That, coupled with Jeremiah 3:15, together says that we should follow the Lord through following His sent leader of the congregation in the vision that is given from Lord. Our motto, mission and purpose statements reflect the vision of the church as given through the pastor and should be remembered and attempted to be followed at all cost.

Our motto has its origin in the books of Matthew, Romans and Galatians (to name a few).

Matthew 9:9-13 shows Jesus having dinner with the outcasts of society. When His disciples were asked why He ate with such people, Jesus answered, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. " He said, But go and learn what this means: (desire mercy, not sacrifice). I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Jesus sought the lost in order to call them to repentance.

Romans 5:1-11 teaches that God reconciled us to Him through Christ. We should use this knowledge as a rallying cry to fuel our desire to reconcile as many as we can back to a right relationship with God, through the Saints of God.

Galatians 6:1-5 reminds us that none of us are better than the other. Paul says if someone is caught in a sin, we who are spiritual should restore him gently. He said, "Carry each other's burden, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." This shows us how important it is for us to lift each other up.

Our mission statement is not unlike our motto, for it gave birth to our motto. In addition to the three New Testament books listed above, II Corinthians 6:11-7:1 also enlightens our mission statement.

Paul, in this passage, is pleading with the church (the Corinthians) to open their hearts to God! Paul urges them to be holy! He implores them to be different than the world, for they were no longer of the world. Without heeding this message the church is forever destined to be unsuccessful in her mission of seeking the lost, regaining those who fell away and uplifting those still within the good graces of the flock.

Our purpose statement has its origin in the books of Matthew and II Timothy.

Matthew 28:16-20 gives to us The Great Commission. We are directed by Jesus to �Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.�

Paul tells us how best to do that by urging young Timothy (II Timothy 2:15) to go "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." The more we gather to study the Word of God, the better we will spread the Word of God.

The vision of ministry here at Greater Little Rock is based on all three of these important cries (our motto, mission and purpose statements) but with one notable supplement... we will strive to perform these within the bonds of the spirit of humility.