"The calling of Reba Place Fellowship is to extend
the mission of Jesus by being a community of love and discipleship and by
nurturing other such communities as God gives us grace."
11-2-2004
The Gospels vividly portray Jesus in
mission-proclaiming a world-transforming kingdom; gathering and sharing daily
life with his disciples through teaching, struggle and growth; healing those
broken in body and spirit; compassionately engaging the poor and those on the
margins of society; suffering death on the cross in obedience to the way of peace-altogether
an amazing witness made possible only by God's grace. The resurrected
Christ goes before us, embodying the virtues and the way of life that reveal
God to all who seek a better world.
In love, God has called us together at Reba and gifted us for a life of
fellowship and service, for our own blessing and to be a blessing in mission to
the world. Alone, none of us can fulfill this mission, but committed to
one another as the body of Christ, we are given God's Spirit to do God's work.
We are "the mission of Jesus" as his love becomes our love, as his word informs
the way we serve, enjoy and disciple one another in community. This
happens in many ways--through our small groups, pastoral relationships and
spiritual friendships, in our pattern of team leadership, and our commitment to
a locally shared life where all our gifts and resources are set free to serve
the cause of Christ. Making disciples calls for continual conversion in
our own lives as we join with interns, Monday night potluck visitors, and other
guests seeking the way of Jesus. His invitation becomes ours as we invite
others to experience the forgiveness and faithfulness of Christ among his
people. Our first priority is integrity as a community where Jesus is
present by his Spirit.
Our second priority flows from it, to encourage the formation and growth of
other Christ-centered cells of the kingdom. We nurture other communities
of love and discipleship wherever God calls us into new relationships.
Our covenant is to stay or be sent as God directs. We participate in an
ecumenical web of associations with congregations and communities, nearby and
around the world. Our closest commitments are to Reba Place Church and
Living Water Community Church, to the people and groups we serve in our daily
work, to the Shalom Mission Communities, and through other "Shalom Connections"
where God has given us mutually sustaining friendships. Our nurture of
other Christ-centered communities happens through prayer, hospitality,
apostolic visits, sharing and vulnerability, generosity with our resources and
presence, and the witness of our life together.
May God guide us in deeper understanding and faithfulness to his gracious call.
