By Jeff Carlisle

What do we believe?

That the local church is to gather for worship, teaching, fellowship, and is entrusted with the mission of taking the Gospel to all the nations.

 Why do we believe this?

Matthew 28:19-20 – Go therefore 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.”

 Why does it matter?

Everything in life has a purpose. A car’s purpose is to transport people from one place to another. Water’s purpose is keep us hydrated. Funnel cakes … well, it is there for pleasure. This passage of Scripture gives a believer a few of our purposes in life. There are two important action verbs here. Believers are to “go.” Our faith should be active, not still. When a body of water does not move or become refreshed, it can become stagnant. Our faith has that same danger if we do not “go.” A believer should also “make” disciples. This is not an option for a believer; it is a command. We need to have a purposeful plan to share our faith and help people understand God more. We see aspects of the discipleship process throughout the end of this passage. We see we are to baptize believers and teach them to be observant of God’s Word. Some people believe that baptism is a process. Others do not feel it is necessary. Those believers need to be encouraged to follow their conversion in believers’ baptism. When we live for our purpose, lives are changed. Our lives are energized because we are doing what we are designed to do, and others’ lives are changed for the good of the kingdom.