First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Fort Wayne, Indiana

Mission

We believe God's mission for the church is to be and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, witnessing and serving from our doorsteps "to the ends of the earth."(Acts 1:8)

The mission statement above stands on its own, but it is also contained in the following document, adopted by the denomination in 1995. The following statement of mission imperatives attempts to give guidance to the church for applying the mission statement to the work of the church

Mission Imperatives of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for 1996-2000

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ... we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together... promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:11-13, 15-16)

We believe God's mission for the church is to be and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, witnessing and serving from our doorsteps "to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

As the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we believe God calls us to strengthen congregational life for this mission.

To accomplish this, we shall:
BECOME THE GOOD NEWS
-nurturing faith
-teaching discipleship
-fostering Disciples identity

SHARE THE GOOD NEWS
-emphasizing ministry with children, youth, young adults and families
-doing evangelism
-establishing new congregations

SERVE FROM "OUR DOORSTEPS TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH"
-engaging in outreach ministries
-showing compassion
-embodying unity and justice

In accepting these imperatives, we affirm our need to strengthen relationships among congregational, regional, institutional and general ministries. We also affirm our need to share mutually and more full your gifts, testimonies, and life in Christ, across the boundaries of our racially and culturally diverse church family, and with our ecumenical friends and global partners.

A Statement of Identity for The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a community of believers who through baptism into Jesus Christ are bound by covenant to God and to one another. Disciples draw their inspiration from Scripture and the Holy Spirit, celebrating around the Lord's Table the life, death and resurrection, and continuing presence of Christ. We proclaim the good news of salvation. We claim as our particular witness the quest for Christian unity as a sign of God's unity for the human community. While stressing freedom and diversity under God, we believe unity and mission are inseparable; we witness and serve among the whole human family in the interest of peace, justice, mercy and kindness.

Composed by General Minister and President Emeritus Kenneth Teegarden, affirmed by the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)