EQUIPPING PEOPLE

My church’s Mission is equipping people for life in Christ through community in order to make disciples who make disciples. The first two words are critical as they set out the task that drives the Mission: Equipping People.

To Equip is to supply necessary items for a particular purpose. Here the particular purpose is to make disciples who make disciples. The necessary items to perform that task are: 1) the recognition of the infallibility of scripture as God’s true and reliable word that will not lead us astray; 2) the skill to use scripture to help others profess Jesus Christ as their personal lord and savior so that they may be set free from oppression; and 3) devotion to providing for the urgent needs of others in the manner in which they were created to do good works.

Waypoint does not Equip in a vacuum but rather through community because we are community of worship—a fact so important that it is in our name: Waypoint Community Church. It is not a community in the worldly sense based upon immutable characteristics or political beliefs, but in the true sense, the geographical sense. We are a community because we are in close physical proximity, standing cheek to jowl in worship and life, suffering and triumphing together. It is through community that we learn to rely more on scripture, become more skillful in its use and act with more devotion toward each other and our city.

This task of Equipping People has an ultimate purpose, to make disciples who make disciples. Our purpose aligns with the great commission to make disciples of all nations and reflects our belief that it is disciples who build and serve God’s church. We Equip to disciple, and we disciple to fulfill the commission.

Because our Mission has a clear and actionable task toward a defined purpose, the partners of Waypoint can act in furtherance of it without specific instructions. No partner should ever have to ask himself “what should I do next ?” At its simplest, the Mission directs him to read scripture, teach it to others and do good works. Our Elders preach and practice this simple formula of read, teach and do to lead the partners by example so that they will do likewise.

That is how we Equip People to make disciples who make disciples.