2. Welcome!
“Every church is
different. Every
true church is a
thing of beauty in
its own unique
way.”

3. Class Material Available Online
• INSTRUCTIONS:
– Go online. Password is “grace4you”
– Go to www.christourhopechurch.com
– In Search bar, type & enter “connecting”
– Click on “Continue Reading”
– Each session is listed & downloadable
– HINT: At the back of each lesson, there is
an Answer Key for all fill-in-blanks.

4. Overview
• #1- Jesus & The
Church
• #2- The Gospel &
The Christian
• #3- Beliefs &
Doctrinal
Distinctives
• #4- Roots,
Relationships &
Rule
• #5- Mission &
Ministries
• #6- Church
Membership

5. Today’s Session:
• Today we will orient you to our church’s:
–PURPOSE
–MISSION
–VISION
–STRATEGY
–MINISTRY & MINISTRIES
–CORE VALUES
• And the opportunities for
your involvement.

6. Our Purpose:
Why do we exist?
• Christ Our Hope church exists to glorify God.
– “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this:
that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for
all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him
who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5.14-16)
• Our church also exists to both reflect
& spread God’s glory.
– “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the
glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
(Habakkuk 2.14)

7. Why The Church Must
Glorify God:
Christ’s Church is the primary
hermeneutic of the gospel…
“I have come to feel that the primary
reality of which we have to take account in
seeking for a Christian impact on public life
is the Christian congregation. How is it
possible that the gospel should be credible,
that people should come to believe that the
power which has the last word in human
affairs is represented by a man hanging on
a cross? I am suggesting that the only
answer, the only hermeneutic of the gospel,
is a congregation of men and women who
believe it and live by it. [Evangelistic
crusades & campaigns] are all secondary…
they have power to accomplish their
purpose only as they are rooted in and lead
back to a believing congregation. ”
– Lesslie Newbigen in
The Gospel in a Pluralist Society
Being Christ’s Church is the
final apologetic of the gospel…
“… without true Christians loving one
another, Christ says the world cannot
be expected to listen, even when we
give proper answers. Let us be careful,
indeed, to spend a lifetime studying to
give honest answers. For years the
orthodox, evangelical church has done
this very poorly. So it is well to spend
time learning to answer the questions of
men who are about us. But after we
have done our best to communicate to a
lost world, still we must never forget
that the final apologetic which Jesus
gives is the observable love of true
Christians for true Christians.”
- Francis Schaeffer in
The Great Evangelical Disaster

8. Our Mission:
What are we seeking to accomplish?
• Our church’s mission is
the same as every other
local church’s mission:
• “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.”
(Matthew 28.19-20)
Our Mission Statement is:
• “Compelled by God’s grace-
and simply to please and
honor Him- the mission of
Christ Our Hope church is to
reach people, transform lives
and make healthy disciples,
sending them out as
influencers for Christ locally
around Wake Forest &
globally around the world.”
(Revised & Updated, 2010)

9. Our Vision: What is our picture of what
God wants to do with us?
We expect God to do His work
of Gospel Transformation.
“Now to him who is able to do
immeasurably more than all we
ask or imagine, according to his
power that is at work within
us,to him be glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus throughout
all generations, for ever and
ever! Amen.”
(Ephesians 3.20-21)
We trust God to do 2 truly
amazing things among us.
• We envision the Gospel…
– transforming lives INTO
– transforming community
• trans-form verb
 1. to change in condition,
nature or character
• trans-for-ma-tion noun
 1. the act or process of being
transformed
 2. the state of being
transformed

10. Our Vision:
What is God doing among us?
The Gospel is working in us.
• “And we all, with unveiled face,
beholding the glory of the Lord, are
being transformed into the same
image from one degree of glory to
another. For this comes from the Lord
who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor. 3.18)
• We are the Branches and He is
The Vine. (John 15.1-5)
• We are like Living Stones in
God’s spiritual house. (1 Pt 2.5)
The Gospel is working through us.
• ”… the gospel, which has come to
you, as indeed in the whole world it
is bearing fruit and increasing— as it
also does among you, since the day
you heard it and understood the
grace of God in truth…” (Col. 1.3-6)
• We are the Salt of the Earth
(Mt 5.13)
• We are the Light of the World
& a City Set on a Hill (Mt 5.14)

11. Our Strategy: How do we plan
to fulfill our mission?
• “We strive to accomplish this by teaching,
applying and demonstrating the good news about
Jesus as a missional people in worshipping, loving
community.”
CELEBRATE the Gospel in Christian Community
PREACH the Gospel to Ourselves
TEACH the Gospel to Our Church
COUNSEL the Gospel to Our Brothers & Sisters
OFFER the Gospel to Our Neighbors
LIVE OUT the Gospel Where We Live, Work & Play

12. Our Church’s Ministry:
5 Core Convictions
Ministry is…
• simply service, but “sacred
service” to honor King Jesus
• necessary for spiritual
growth and church health
• both organic & organiza-
tional in nature
• best done in teams
• simply entering into the
ministry of Jesus Christ as
He gathers & builds His
Church
Yet it’s also “Trinitarian”:
“The ministry we have entered is
the ministry of Jesus Christ, the
Son, to the Father, through the
Holy Spirit, for the sake of the
church and the world… [It] is not
so much asking Christ to join us in
our ministry as we offer him to
others; ministry is participating
with Christ in his ongoing ministry
as he offers himself to others
through us.”
– David Seamands in
Ministry in the Image of God

13. Our Church’s Ministry:
Organic THEN Organizational
• Ministry is “Both/And”,
Not “Either/Or”
• “VINE” = People Growth
• “TRELLIS” = Program Support
• “All Christian ministry is a mixture of
trellis and vine. There is vine work: the
prayerful preaching and teaching of the
Word of God to see people converted
and grow to maturity as disciples of
Christ… And there is trellis work:
creating and maintaining the physical
and organizational structures and
programs that support vine work and
its growth.”

14. Growing in Grace
at Christ Our Hope:
Our People Ministries:
• Children’s Ministries
– Kids’ Quest
– Wonders of Worship (W.O.W.)
– Communicants Class
• Youth Discipleship
– Youth Group (Wednesday eves)
– Youth GFS Class (Sunday morns)
• Men’s Discipleship
– Men’s GFS Class: “Fight Club”
• Women’s Discipleship
– Women’s Bible Study
Our Program Ministries:
• Welcome Team
• Nursery
• Life Groups (small groups)
• Backyard Bible Club
• Victory Soccer Camp
• Peacemaker Café
• Christmas
Progressive
Dinner

15. The Life of Our Church
Happens in “Life Groups”
We are a “cell” church:
• The life of a human body flows the
health in its cells.
• The vitality of our church body
flows from God to us in worship,
but also in small groups.
• The context for all discipleship is
gospel relationships. (Eph. 4.15-16)
– The Triune God is a relational being.
– We were made for relationships.
– We were made to know and be
known, to love and to be loved.
Body of Christ @ COHc:
LIFE in
Jesus
Life
Group
Min.
Team
Life
Group
Min.
Team
Life
Group
Min.
Team

16. The Apostles = a small group:
The Twelve as a “Life Group”:
Jesus’ Model for Spiritual Growth
Small groups are biblical:
• Jesus had 3 ministry groups:
– Congregation of 70 (Luke 10.1, 17)
– Small Group of 12 (Luke 9.1-6)
– Peter, John & James (Mt.26.36-37)
• “And let us consider how to
stir up one another to love
and good works, not neglect-
ing to meet together, as is the
habit of some, but encourag-
ing one another, and all the
more as you see the Day
drawing near.” (Heb. 10.24-25)

17. Our Core Values:
What is most important to us as
we do ministry together?
5 PURPOSE Values:
• The Worship of God
• The Mission of God
• Real Community
• The Gospel of Grace
• The Truth
of God
& 4 PROCESS Values:
• Walking with God,
Living by Faith
• Renewing Creation
and Culture
• Loving Families,
Loving Neighbors
• Showing Compassion,
Extending Mercy

18. Your Ministry:
How can you get involved?
# 1- Love Jesus & Others!
# 2- Come regularly to Sunday Worship
# 3- Join a Life Group
# 4- Attend & Learn in GFS
# 5- Discover & Minister
your Spiritual Gift(s)
# 6- Serve on a Ministry Team

19. Your Spiritual Gift(s):
God has gifted you!
• “Each one should use what-
ever gift he has received to
serve others, faithfully admin-
istering God's grace in its
various forms.” (1 Peter 4.10)
• “There are different kinds of
gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are different kinds of
service, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds of
working, but the same God
works all of them in all
men. Now to each one the
manifestation of the Spirit is
given for the common good.”
(1 Corinthians 12.4-7)
• God has given all believers a
“spiritual gift.”
– “But to each one of us grace has
been given as Christ apportioned it.”
(Ephesians 4.7)
• It is a gift because it is received
not self-skilled.
• It is “spiritual” gift, not simply
natural talent.
- “All these are the work of one
and the same Spirit, and he gives
them to each one, just as he
determines.” (1 Corinthians 12.10)
• This gift is for the community’s
blessing, not for selfish gain.

20. Q: Do you know
your Spiritual Gift?
ROMANS
12.6-8
1 CORINTHIANS
12.8-10, 28
EPHESIANS
4.11
1 PETER
4.11
Serving Wisdom Evangelism Speaking
Teaching Knowledge Shepherding Serving
Exhortation Faith Teaching
Giving Discernment
Leadership Teaching
Mercy Helps
Administration

21. Next time:
SESSION # 6-
Church
Membership