OUR MISSION
Open House exists to connects people to Jesus, each other, and their unique role in God’s on-going mission in the world.
FUNCTIONS OF BIBLICAL COMMUNITY
For God so loved the cosmos that he gave his only Son… [John 3:16]
We believe that the church is called to take its place in the ongoing story of God’s love for the world. We receive God’s love through his son, Jesus, and by the power of his Spirit we extend it to the world. By using the acronym, COSMOS, we acknowledge that this task is bigger than us! Only by the power of God’s Spirit will we answer the call to be a community who both “shares & shows” the love of Christ by being people of…
Compassion
Led by the Spirit of God, we will be passionate about relieving suffering and fighting injustice, living out the transforming message of the resurrected Jesus. Jesus calls his church to be a force for good in the world, and we believe that the church is at its best when it serves, sacrifices, and loves, caring about the things God cares about. We were created to live for something larger than ourselves. [Matthew 25:31-46]
Central to biblical community will be our commitment and care for one another. This is the practical help for those in difficult situations. [2 Corinthians 1:3-4]
Outward Focus [Local]
We are intent on seeing people come to know Jesus. Obeying Jesus’ command to make disciples will drive us to pray for and reach out to individuals in our various spheres of influence. Loving our non-Christian neighbors and telling the good news of Jesus will form our relational approach to evangelism. [1 Peter 3:15-16; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; Psalm 96:3; 2 Corinthians 4:6-10]
Serving
Everyone has a place to fit! As members of this local body, we will commit ourselves to discovering our unique spiritual gifts and using them in building up the church. [1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:11-13; Romans 12:3-8]
Multiplication
Our desire is to be a church that reproduces itself by sending out equipped teams to plant new churches. We depend on the Spirit to produce fruit on every level: one-on-one, small groups, and church body.
We believe that multiplication, or bearing fruit, is a central part of the biblical story. As individuals, we will be committed to the work of reproducing ourselves in others. Our Micro-Groups will welcome new people and prepare leaders so that they can regularly launch new groups. Led by the Spirit, our church will be a church that plants new churches, effectively multiplying the work God is doing locally to a more regional scope. This multiplication movement will be fueled by growth from the conversion of people and an equipping leadership that reproduces itself. [John 15:16; Healthy multiplication of the church throughout Acts; 2 Timothy 2:1-2]
Outward Focus [Global]
As an expression of our desire to see all people come to know Jesus, we will engage in consistent prayer, intentional funding, and regular sending of people in the global mission of God. [Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8]
Spiritual Formation
We believe that God offers a new way to be human by redeeming every part of us. We embrace the salvation Jesus offers as the only hope for repairing our relationships with God, each other, our self, and creation.
God desires to transform each of our lives through the life-long journey of following Jesus. This conviction leads us to expect change and growth in one another. The church will create opportunities for all followers of Jesus to take the next step in their journey.
COSMOS describes biblical functions of the Jesus-community. These are not programs or departments within the church that people pick and choose.
DECENTRALIZED MINISTRY
It is the goal of Open House to be a relational place where together we can pursue all of these six functions. This means that the church won’t develop competing activities or functions at the church; instead we will encourage everyone who calls Open House home to simplify their lives and embrace these functions in a holistic, natural flow of life.
