Rise ON
Pursuing a Brighter Future in Ministry | January - February 2022
Check out the Rise On! Study Guides for small group questions and supplemental Bible verses to help you dive in deeper into these messages.
It’s been said that there are three kinds of churches out there: Memorial Churches are museums that enshrine a faith-expression and congregational model that once thrived but has since faded. Members of Memorial Churches believe that the best days for Christianity have come and gone, and they believe that the best they can do is to keep the old fires burning. Maintenance Churches are those who believe that what they’re up to now is the most that could be hoped for. These congregations are content with their current situations and they presume that staying steady and static is the wisest way.
Our church wants to be like the third type – a Movement Church. Movement Churches believe that their best days lie ahead, that things can always get better, and that the Triune God is perpetual renewing them. They trust that following God’s Word, abiding with Jesus, and obeying to the Spirit will bring them new opportunities to declare the gospel and to work for a flourishing of their communities.
First Reformed’s Vision Statement – RISE25 – aims to articulate and to express that forward movement. It plots a course into the next five years that we hope will bring joy to the world and honor to Jesus.
Four themes come together in this document: Re-Think, Involve, Serve, and Extend. This January and February, we’ll look at RISE25 with fresh eyes and will cross-check our vision with the timeless teaching of Romans Chapter 12. Join us as we explore this extraordinary piece of scripture and as we remind each other of how God is calling us to live!
It’s been said that there are three kinds of churches out there: Memorial Churches are museums that enshrine a faith-expression and congregational model that once thrived but has since faded. Members of Memorial Churches believe that the best days for Christianity have come and gone, and they believe that the best they can do is to keep the old fires burning. Maintenance Churches are those who believe that what they’re up to now is the most that could be hoped for. These congregations are content with their current situations and they presume that staying steady and static is the wisest way.
Our church wants to be like the third type – a Movement Church. Movement Churches believe that their best days lie ahead, that things can always get better, and that the Triune God is perpetual renewing them. They trust that following God’s Word, abiding with Jesus, and obeying to the Spirit will bring them new opportunities to declare the gospel and to work for a flourishing of their communities.
First Reformed’s Vision Statement – RISE25 – aims to articulate and to express that forward movement. It plots a course into the next five years that we hope will bring joy to the world and honor to Jesus.
Four themes come together in this document: Re-Think, Involve, Serve, and Extend. This January and February, we’ll look at RISE25 with fresh eyes and will cross-check our vision with the timeless teaching of Romans Chapter 12. Join us as we explore this extraordinary piece of scripture and as we remind each other of how God is calling us to live!
- January 9: Romans 11:33-36 – Start with the Doxology
- January 16: Romans 12:1-2 – Transform, Don’t Conform
- January 23: Romans 12:3-8 – Full Body Scan
- January 30: Romans 12:9-13, 19-21 – What Witness Looks Like
- February 6: Romans 15:14-33 – No Red Octagons
- February 13: Romans 12:14-18 – Peaceful Partnerships