WHEN OUR BEHAVIOR BETRAYS OUR MESSAGE

First Baptist Church of Costumuch

Vision and Purpose Statement

We the congregation of the First Baptist Church of Costumuch seek to be an invading force in our community with the transforming message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through a combination of community centered outreach, intentional discipleship, and a passionate pursuit to fulfill the Great Commission, we will strive to reach the lost at any cost.*

We believe that God has divinely placed us in this community for such a time as this and that He has graciously equipped us in gift and in leadership to reach a world that desperately needs to know Him.

______________________________________________________________________________

[*] The cost of such an endeavor is based upon a careful comparison of values verses expense. In those cases when the immediate value of such ministry is exceeded by the expense, we reserve the right to forgo such activity. Such examples of expense outweighing the value include but are not limited to the following:

(1) Circumstances causing the loss of personal comfort. Comfort is a rather valuable commodity in our body life. Although we see the Great Commission as an extremely important mandate, it is never to surpass the necessity of our personal comfort. Much effort has been exerted in order to make our church a place of protection and shelter from the world of hell-bound and God-forsaking sinners and we see no need to disturb this level of comfort which has been so essential in developing the church that we are today.

(2) Circumstances causing the loss of personal property. This pursuit of passionate ministry; although noble in essence, must not be engaged in at the expense of the belongings or property that we have earned and acquired by our own hands. On the contrary, we will focus on retaining all that is ours and will make every attempt to retain our “stuff” rather than giving it to those who would certainly fail to care for that which is so valuable to those of us who have earned it. We have found that life is much more bearable when accompanied with items of personal pleasure.

(3) Circumstances causing the loss of personal finance. Our desire is to reach the lost in as many ways as possible; however, this must be done within the parameters of no-expense methods. Although we believe the pursuit of reaching the lost is a most important role for the church, we do not see the necessity of doing so in a manner that reduces our net worth. In efforts to minimize our benevolent expenditure we will take every opportunity to direct the supposedly needy individuals to government agencies and para-church organizations.

(4) Circumstances causing the loss of personal privacy. We affirm that outreach is a worthy cause for our church to be involved in; however, we must take every precaution to preserve our personal privacy. It has become quite obvious that certain groups in our community organize in order to infiltrate good, God-fearing churches in order to take advantage of their gracious hospitality and invade their privacy.

(5) Circumstances causing the loss of personal time. Time is of the essence and this is most clearly seen in the busy work of the ministry. Although we will make every effort reach those who need to change their lives, we must be mindful of the restraints on our time. We have a thriving church with many essential activities planned throughout the year; this we must not sacrifice. Consistent effort will be made in order to encourage our Pastor to make visits and to equip our six person outreach team for their weekly tasks; however, we must protect our time and be sure not to overcrowd the calendar with non-essential pursuits.

(6) Circumstances causing the loss of personal preference. We simply cannot afford to give up the preferences that make our church what it is today. Few in our congregation are prepared to make adjustments in their expectations nor should they have to.

(7) Circumstances causing the loss of personal privilege. Church membership comes with certain irrevocable privileges. This is a non-spoken but universally recognized belief and one that is to be held in uncompromising fervency. Therefore, we will seek to reach the lost as long as the act of doing so can be done in such a way as to preserve the privilege of those who are most important.

In short, any member wishing to reach the lost may do so as long as the primary and foundational values of the First Baptist Church of Costumuch are upheld. Any activity that infringes on these most vital areas of church life is simply too costly.

“What shall we do?’ is the deep heart cry of every man who suddenly realizes that he is a usurper and sits on a stolen throne. However painful, it is precisely this acute moral consternation that produces true repentance and makes a robust Christian after the penitent has been dethroned and has found forgiveness and peace through the gospel.”

— A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: HarperCollins, 1961), p. 30.