For Christ's Glory
From the Start
The mission and vision for The Church at River Mills is that we would be a church that exists for Christ's glory. This has been the slogan for our church since coming into existence by God's grace in September of 2022.
As the Lord had called me to serve in a replanting effort in the spring of 2022, I began to ponder and prayerfully consider what exactly a replant would look like in our day. As I prayed and considered, I knew where to start. God has spoken to us, and He speaks to us today. He speaks to us from His Word, the Bible. In looking to the Word, one can see the reality that God seeks His own glory. He sent His Son to glorify Himself through His death on the cross and resurrection (John 17:1-3). God saves sinners by His grace and for His own glory (Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:1-10). God brings about justice on the Last Day for His glory (Romans 9:22-23). God called the disciples for His glory to take His Gospel to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:18-20). In light of these realities, The Church at River Mills is no different in its goal. The Church at River Mills exists for Christ's glory.
As the Lord had called me to serve in a replanting effort in the spring of 2022, I began to ponder and prayerfully consider what exactly a replant would look like in our day. As I prayed and considered, I knew where to start. God has spoken to us, and He speaks to us today. He speaks to us from His Word, the Bible. In looking to the Word, one can see the reality that God seeks His own glory. He sent His Son to glorify Himself through His death on the cross and resurrection (John 17:1-3). God saves sinners by His grace and for His own glory (Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:1-10). God brings about justice on the Last Day for His glory (Romans 9:22-23). God called the disciples for His glory to take His Gospel to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:18-20). In light of these realities, The Church at River Mills is no different in its goal. The Church at River Mills exists for Christ's glory.
Biblical Replant
As I looked to the Word of God, The Church at River Mills came into existence by God's grace with four essential values that the church must always uphold. Those values are that of being Gospel-Centered, Discipleship-Focused, Community-Engaged, and Theologically Sound. I have listed four ways in which we uphold these values.
1. Expository Preaching (Gospel-Centered): Our firm conviction is that the Word of God will do the work of God. God has ordained that preaching be upheld within His Church. In the book of Ezekiel, God calls for Ezekiel to prophesy His Word to the valley of dry, dead bones. In doing so, the prophesied Word of God brings life to the dead bones (Ezekiel 37). Likewise, Paul exhorted Timothy to "preach the word: be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching" (2 Timothy 4:2). Paul also wrote to Timothy saying, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Given that all of Scripture is breathed out by God, it is worthy that the Word of God drive the church toward the work of God. This is only a small treatment of expository preaching. The Church at River Mills is devoted to the preaching of God's Word through books of the Bible seeking for the whole counsel of God's Word to speak into the life of His church..
2. Discipleship (Discipleship-Focused): The Church at River Mills is devoted to seeing disciples grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Drawing from Jesus's parting commission to His disciples, Jesus instructed them: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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" (Matthew 28:18-20). Given this first century commission, twenty-first century believers are responsible to make disciples. The Church at River Mills seeks to make disciples through the ministry of the Word being preached on Sunday, small groups that meet, Bible studies that gather, and fellowship events that build up each believer in their walk with Christ.
3. Outreach (Community-Engaged): The Church at River Mills is devoted to reaching the lost with the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:37-38). The harvest is pointing to those who are yet to call upon Jesus in repentance and faith. The harvest is plentiful. The call is for the laborers, Christians, to go forth and to gather in the harvest--that is the lost yet to call upon Jesus. Furthermore, the believer has hope in the promise of success. Jesus revealed in John 6:37-40: "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day." We have the promise of success in that God does all of the saving while we are commissioned to go and do the sharing of His Gospel.
4. Theological Soundness: The Church at River Mills is devoted to being a church that is theologically sound. While that phrase may be unfamiliar, it simply means to be devoted to right doctrine. While we live in an age of distorted theology, The Church at River Mills must always align with God's Word regardless of the culture in which we live. Paul wrote to Timothy, "if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). The call for the local church is to be a body of believers who are grounded in the truth. The truth is found in God's Word. Therefore, we must protect the Word of God by rightly teaching the Word. Even if the Word offends, we uphold God's Word because it is the truth. May The Church at River Mills be a church established upon the right teaching and preaching of God's Word from the pulpit to the small group. Right theology will drive us to right and proper worship of our Triune God.
1. Expository Preaching (Gospel-Centered): Our firm conviction is that the Word of God will do the work of God. God has ordained that preaching be upheld within His Church. In the book of Ezekiel, God calls for Ezekiel to prophesy His Word to the valley of dry, dead bones. In doing so, the prophesied Word of God brings life to the dead bones (Ezekiel 37). Likewise, Paul exhorted Timothy to "preach the word: be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching" (2 Timothy 4:2). Paul also wrote to Timothy saying, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Given that all of Scripture is breathed out by God, it is worthy that the Word of God drive the church toward the work of God. This is only a small treatment of expository preaching. The Church at River Mills is devoted to the preaching of God's Word through books of the Bible seeking for the whole counsel of God's Word to speak into the life of His church..
2. Discipleship (Discipleship-Focused): The Church at River Mills is devoted to seeing disciples grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Drawing from Jesus's parting commission to His disciples, Jesus instructed them: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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" (Matthew 28:18-20). Given this first century commission, twenty-first century believers are responsible to make disciples. The Church at River Mills seeks to make disciples through the ministry of the Word being preached on Sunday, small groups that meet, Bible studies that gather, and fellowship events that build up each believer in their walk with Christ.
3. Outreach (Community-Engaged): The Church at River Mills is devoted to reaching the lost with the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:37-38). The harvest is pointing to those who are yet to call upon Jesus in repentance and faith. The harvest is plentiful. The call is for the laborers, Christians, to go forth and to gather in the harvest--that is the lost yet to call upon Jesus. Furthermore, the believer has hope in the promise of success. Jesus revealed in John 6:37-40: "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day." We have the promise of success in that God does all of the saving while we are commissioned to go and do the sharing of His Gospel.
4. Theological Soundness: The Church at River Mills is devoted to being a church that is theologically sound. While that phrase may be unfamiliar, it simply means to be devoted to right doctrine. While we live in an age of distorted theology, The Church at River Mills must always align with God's Word regardless of the culture in which we live. Paul wrote to Timothy, "if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). The call for the local church is to be a body of believers who are grounded in the truth. The truth is found in God's Word. Therefore, we must protect the Word of God by rightly teaching the Word. Even if the Word offends, we uphold God's Word because it is the truth. May The Church at River Mills be a church established upon the right teaching and preaching of God's Word from the pulpit to the small group. Right theology will drive us to right and proper worship of our Triune God.
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