Equipping The Saints For The Work Of  The Ministry

It is the vision to be a place where the hurting, the depressed, the frustrated, the let down, the left out, the cast out and the confused can find real love, acceptance, help, hope, forgiveness, direction,guidance and encouragement.

It is the vision to share and communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ with all who will hear and listen.

It is the vision to welcome all who are willing to come into the knowledge of Jesus Christ, fellowship and membership of our church family—loving, learning, laughing and living in harmony and unity together.

It is the vision to develop and build people to spiritual maturity through Bible study, discipleship & leadership training, ministry group gatherings, seminars; retreat, conference and conventions.

It is the vision to equip every believer for a significant ministry by helping them discover, recognize and use their God-given gifts & talents for the Kingdom of God.

It is the vision to empower every individual for a personal life mission in the world.

It is the vision to the total person—spiritually, emotionally, physically, and socially.

We strongly believe this vision will come to reality.  Why?  Because it is inspired of God and is for God!

Mission

Evans Grove exists to help people Live as believers, Learn as disciples, and Love one another through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Live - Learn - Love
Our Mission (Purpose) Statement helps us understand the basic reasons why we go to church and what we strive to achieve. Our purpose statement gives us clearer understanding and meaning for our time together and our existence as a church. This process helps us define a path to seek and do Gods will. Purpose statements give motivation to our daily lives and the events we plan.

We believe the following Scriptures help give us that sense of purpose.

The Great Commandment: Mark 12:29-31 (NIV)
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

The Great Commission: Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. 

Live
Today’s society embraces all types of religion and beliefs, but the Christian church’s uniqueness is in its adoration of God through Jesus Christ. Therefore, Evans Grove exists to help people live as believers by discovering and knowing God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Our church is organized to help people live in Christ while developing a lifestyle that honors God and brings peace and unity into the fellowship of believers.

The Apostle Paul said, From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. `For in Him we live and move and have our being.' As some have said, `We are His offspring.' (Acts 17:26-28 NIV)

At Evans Grove, we want to introduce others to a loving relationship with God. We want not only to see people believe in God, but live a Christian lifestyle. Our prayer is that Evans Grove will be a place where God’s children reach out, find and receive God’s grace and live more abundantly in Jesus Christ.

Learn
Last words always have an effect on people. Jesus carefully chose His final words in the Great Commission and Great Commandment for good reason - they give us all mission and purpose to carry out.

The Great Commission supports our learn purpose as well as our live purpose. We are to "make disciples." Disciples are followers, learners, and people growing in their relationship with Christ. We look for ways to nurture, challenge and expand our faith.

We believe persons LEARNING to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ should seek to
grow in the following areas of discipleship:

Believers should continually try to manage the gifts, talents and time God has entrusted to them. A growing disciple learns to manage all the resources God has provided. For example, as we faithfully manage one talent, God entrusts more to his loving servants (Matthew 25:14-30).

Maturing in Faith.
Believers are on a pilgrimage of faith. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we begin a spiritual journey that of both self-discovery and faith application. Our journey is a process, with our old nature diminishing each day and the new person in Christ becoming more of a reality. A disciple should study, meditate on and apply God’s Word in his/her daily life. We always seek to grow in our faith and lifestyle. A maturing disciple is humble in heart and actions. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is evident in a maturing disciple (Galatians 5:22-26).

Ministry Involvement.
A disciple is a believer who is learning and participating in the ministries of God’s church. A disciple moves from being a spectator to being a participant in God’s kingdom work. Disciples should seek out a place of service where they can minister to others through their spiritual gifts, natural talents, and passions or interests (Galatians 5:13).

Outreach and Missions Involvement.
Disciples seek to share with others the love of God they have discovered and experienced. Disciples look for opportunities to be on mission. Maturing believers adopt a lifestyle of sharing the Gospel by reaching out to those in need. (Matthew 25:40).

Love
Jesus taught His disciples not only to love God but also to love their neighbors. Once our "vertical" relationship with God is right, then our "horizontal" relationship with the world can improve. Jesus said to "love others." Our focus should be on building loving relationships with others.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we don't become members of an organization; we become part of God's family. God uses the concept of family to explain our relationship to Him. He is our "Father." We are His "children." We are all "brothers and sisters in Christ."

At Evans Grove Baptist Church, we emphasize a "family" atmosphere. When one rejoices, we all rejoice. When one cries, we are all sad. We build close relationships through Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Outreach, and Prayer. We believe these are the five primary components of a healthy church. It is our goal to create an environment where people can share and care for one another and build an inclusive, forgiving and loving community of believers.

What a comfort it is to belong to a community of believers who grow together, support one another and love one another like family!

Our Mission is to become a place where we can Live, Learn, and Love in Jesus Christ.