About Emmanuel Baptist Church
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The Mission of Emmanuel
We believe God has placed Emmanuel Baptist Church in the metro Kansas City area in order to ENGAGE PEOPLE BEYOND OUR WALLS WITH TRANSFORMING GOSPEL TRUTH. Sounds great! But just exactly what does it mean? Implicit in our Mission Statement are three basic commands:
First, the phrase “BEYOND OUR WALLS” calls for mobilization – for believers in Christ to go beyond the walls of the local church. Too often Christians view their faith as something that happens only on Sunday mornings, and only inside the walls of the church. But Christ calls us to mobilize, to go out into our world and actively take the good news of Christ to people who have never experienced His life-changing grace. In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus left His disciples – including us – with our marching orders:
Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV) – And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Second, we’re called to “ENGAGE PEOPLE,” to actively build relationships with people who’ve not yet come to faith in Christ, and share the truth claims of the gospel with them in a winsome manner. That’s permeation. Just as salt must permeate food in order to make it appetizing, and just as light must permeate darkness in order to dispel it, we must move out of our comfort zones and take the good news of Christ to people who may be very different from us. Jesus said it like this:
Matthew 5:13–16 (ESV) – “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
This means we view non-Christians not as the enemy, but as neighbors and friends who are just like we were before Christ found us and changed our lives. We’re to “seek the welfare” of our cities and our neighborhoods, making life better even for those who don’t share our faith in Christ. That’s exactly what God instructed the Old Testament Israelites to do during the years when they lived in Babylon in the days of Jeremiah the prophet:
Jeremiah 29:7 (ESV) – “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”
Finally, our mission includes transformation, engaging people beyond our walls “WITH TRANSFORMING GOSPEL TRUTH.” We believe the Bible is a supernaturally inspired book, given to us by God Himself:
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV) – All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
The Bible’s core message is the good news that God sent His Son into the world to save a people who would bring Him honor and glory. As we share these truths with the people we meet, God opens hearts and changes minds, making former enemies of God into followers of Christ. Paul said it happens like this:
Romans 10:17 (ESV) – So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
This verse is saying that in order for a person to place saving faith in Christ and experience salvation, they first have to encounter “the word of Christ,” the gospel message. Perhaps a friend shares it with them in a conversation, or maybe they read the gospel message in a book or on a website. But then then they have to experience what this verse calls “hearing,” which refers to God enabling them to “hear with the ears of their heart,” as the Bible calls it – not just understanding the facts of the gospel but for the first time grasping their need for Christ and His love for them. Then and only then can they place saving faith in Christ and receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Only the transforming truth of the gospel message can change people’s lives in this way. Thus, as God’s children we have to be prepared at all times to share with non-Christians about our faith:
1 Peter 3:15 (ESV) – Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.
It’s every Christian’s privilege and responsibility to lovingly share the Gospel through our lives and with our words.
