Radiant Church

The Mission of Radiant Church

At Radiant Church, the means by which we will pursue the glory of God in the making of disciples is four-fold: gospel-centered worship, gospel-centered community, gospel-centered service and gospel-centered multiplication.

At the heart of the gospel is Jesus. (John 8:12, When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life"). Radiant Church has a desire to not only help you find and experience the Light of the World, but also share Him with those who are consumed by darkness.

What is the Gospel?

To explain the gospel fully, it takes a combination of two perspectives - the global work of God to reconcile all things to Himself and the life, death, resurrection and future return of Jesus Christ.

The combination of the two perspectives provides a more crisp, clear and lifelike expression of the story.

The gospel is the historical narrative of the triune God orchestrating the reconciliation and redemption of a broken creation and fallen creatures, from Satan, sin and its effects to the Father, and each other through the life, death, resurrection and future return of the substitutionary Son by the power of the Spirit for God's glory and the Church's joy.

Why Gospel-Centered?

We are gospel-centered because the gospel stands at the center of God's redemptive plan, and in it we see Him most clearly for Who He is and what He has done.

Our mission statement intentionally emphasizes the centrality of the gospel in all that we do. We never graduate from, or outgrow, the gospel. It is the very work of God for salvation from beginning to end (Romans 1:16-17).

If the ultimate purpose of God is His glory and if the Church's underlying purpose is to bring Him glory, why are we "gospel-centered" and not "glory-centered" or "God-centered"? We are "gospel-centered" to show the centrality of the gospel in the mission of the Church.

In the gospel we see the most vivid and comprehensive demonstration of God's glory. It is the very manifestation of His glory. In it, we see more clearly the love, justice, wrath, grace, mercy, holiness and patience of God. We see the humility of the Son, and we experience grace.

What is a Disciple?

A disciple is a person who has been reconciled into relationship with God through new birth by trust in the gospel and is subsequently growing in a love for God and love for others.

In giving the command to "make disciples" in Matthew 28, Jesus gives two qualifications. The first is baptism, which is the ceremonial initiation into the Christian life as a symbol of entering into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The second is teaching for the sake of obedience to all that Christ commanded.

What did Christ command?

The Scriptures summarize the teaching of Christ in two
inseparably-linked ways: belief and love. A person who truly trusts or believes the gospel will love, and that person loves because he or she has first entered into relationship with God through faith. Gospel-Centered Worship Life consists of constant worship. Every thought, word, desire and deed involves the ascribing of worth and value - glory. Each attitude, affection and activity is an expression of our allegiance, whether to our Creator or His creation. God is alone worthy of our worship.

Worship is related to every area of our lives. We are called to eat, drink, speak, think and work to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Worship cannot be narrowed down to a particular time and place as if God does not claim authority over certain aspects of our lives. There are no neutral desires or deeds; everything is an expression of worship.

Gospel-centered worship is to be pursued in every facet of our lives as we consider how all-encompassing the gospel is to us. It is nurtured through the gathering of the saints in a corporate service - primarily weekend worship services. Within these venues, we worship God by remembering the gospel through preaching, teaching, singing, praying and celebrating the ordinances of baptism and communion. Each presents an opportunity for the church to receive, remember, respond and rejoice in the work of our great King. 1 Corinthians 10:31, Psalm 145:1-21, Isaiah 43:6-7, Colossians 3:1-17

Gospel-Centered Community

We worship a triune God, Who has eternally existed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In identifying the tri-unity of God, we recognize that God is communal. The Godhead has perpetually dwelt in perfect harmony, unity, joy, love and bliss. Bearing the image of God, mankind is called to reflect this reality. We are called to be communal creatures imaging the community of our Creator.

Though each Christian has a personal relationship with God, that relationship is not individual or private. The Christian faith is not intended to be lived in isolation. We were made for community - relationship with God and with each other. The local church is not merely a place that we attend but a people to whom we belong. The Bible calls us members of the body (1 Corinthians 12:12-31) with the expectation that we contribute to the body for the glory of God and the good of His people.

Gospel-centered community is a radical call amid a culture of mere attendance and casual involvement. It involves mutual love, care, consistency and authenticity as we seek to adorn the person and work of Christ with our lives. Where these elements are lacking, we have moved away from gospel-centered community and into the realm of social clubs.

Gospel-centered community is primarily expressed through our Groups ministry. Groups are not perfect and those who participate in them will find them messy at times. However, our hope is that group members will be radically committed to reform from within. This takes time, prayer, effort, patience, love, trust and hope. Acts 2:42-47, Hebrews 3:12-13, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Gospel-Centered Service

In John 13:1-20, we read the account of Jesus washing His disciples' feet. This was no regular rabbinical task, but was instead reserved for the lowest of all servants. Here was the anointed King, the eternal Son of God, the blessed Lord, doing the inconceivable.

By humbly cleansing the feet of His disciples, Jesus gave an abiding example of service and issued a command for us to follow in His steps. We were saved that we might now serve. Gospel-centered service is motivated by the reconciling work of God and seeks to extend His grace and mercy to others for His glory and not our own. It is an expression of love and stewardship of grace marked by humility, generosity and hospitality and empowered by a passion for the glory of God.

Service can and should be pursued in various ways by all recipients of varied grace. Those who have been impacted by the gospel have countless opportunities - both formal and informal - to serve others by greeting at the doors of the church, volunteering in one of our ministries, teaching, singing, serving communion, giving financially to the needs of others, opening their homes to their neighbors, etc. John 13:1-20, 1 Peter 3:8-11, 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15

Gospel-Centered Multiplication

In perhaps the most famous passage on discipleship, Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus issues the Great Commission for the Church, which involves multiplication. We are to become better disciples through love for God and love for others by equipping and empowering others to do the same.

We are called to growth as we extend the gospel of life to a dead world.

Numerous opportunities exist for the work of multiplication. God has determined the exact time and place in which you live, work and play for His glory (Acts 17:26). God was intentional in directing our lives, so we should live with intentionality in all that we pursue.

We multiply the kingdom by living with the purpose to make God known and enjoyed. Those who have been reconciled to God through the gospel have ample opportunity to enter into the work of gospel-centered multiplication. From missional living in interacting with neighbors and coworkers to missional outreach or short or long-term mission trips, our lives have been infused with purpose and meaning. The disciple's call is multiplication and replication through the gospel - for the glory of our God. 2 Corinthians 5:11-2, Matthew 28:18-20