I love that story in Acts 8 about the Ethiopian eunich. In ancient culture the guys who were eunichs were usually used by the kings and rulers to watch over their wives and concubines because they couldn't do anything that would compromise them. But the downside to that was they were considered outcasts in society. A eunich didn't merit recognition or acknowlegement, much less respect or attention. They were the outsiders.
But in Acts 8 God tells Philip to go to the eunich and share with him the good news. The eunich had just come back from Jerusalem to worship God yet was probably turned away from entering the temple because of the way he was. But God showed this outsider that He not only loved him but was going to make him an insider through a relationship with the risen Christ. He was baptized right there next to the side of the road.
Riverstone Churchs' mission is to make outsiders insiders and insiders faithful followers of Christ. It is our goal to bring those who are outcasts into the fold of God. He loves them and wants to make them insiders. That is why we do what we do.
I just got done reading "The Monkey and the Fish" by Dave Gibbons. It rocked my world and is right up our ally as far as our mission is concerned. I loved what he said about reaching our communities.
"Each generation must create a new language that connects with the soul and life of their community in their era. It must also create new forms not only to help carry the message, the truth, the content into a new generation but also to create a greater hunger for that message. So while the message may stay the same, the forms do change. Jesus himself modeled this; the Word, which had always been, became flesh. The message came in a new form, in the form of a messenger. Why? So that we may touch him, see him, and experience him and, by doing so, may truly understand the ancient, eternal message of God's love."
Awesome. I definitely could not have said it better.
But in Acts 8 God tells Philip to go to the eunich and share with him the good news. The eunich had just come back from Jerusalem to worship God yet was probably turned away from entering the temple because of the way he was. But God showed this outsider that He not only loved him but was going to make him an insider through a relationship with the risen Christ. He was baptized right there next to the side of the road.
Riverstone Churchs' mission is to make outsiders insiders and insiders faithful followers of Christ. It is our goal to bring those who are outcasts into the fold of God. He loves them and wants to make them insiders. That is why we do what we do.
I just got done reading "The Monkey and the Fish" by Dave Gibbons. It rocked my world and is right up our ally as far as our mission is concerned. I loved what he said about reaching our communities.
"Each generation must create a new language that connects with the soul and life of their community in their era. It must also create new forms not only to help carry the message, the truth, the content into a new generation but also to create a greater hunger for that message. So while the message may stay the same, the forms do change. Jesus himself modeled this; the Word, which had always been, became flesh. The message came in a new form, in the form of a messenger. Why? So that we may touch him, see him, and experience him and, by doing so, may truly understand the ancient, eternal message of God's love."
Awesome. I definitely could not have said it better.
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