Know Jesus. Be Changed. Change
the World. This is the vision statement
for The Door Community of Faith. So many people think that knowing
Jesus means knowing facts or theories about Him. To know a few Bible
verses about Jesus or to know the list of things they shouldn't do is
not what we mean when we say, Know Jesus.
Throughout the New Testament the early church members had an encounter
with God that left them different inside than they were before the
encounter. In Acts 9, Saul encountered Jesus in such a powerful way
that he went from a man persecuting the church and killing Christians,
to a man who literally gave his life to see the church established
throughout the known world. People in the scriptures were not
intellectually convinced that Jesus was real, but they encountered His
presence for themselves and their lives were turned upside down.
This is what we desire to see happen in Portland. That Portlanders
would
encounter
the presence of God in a very real and powerful way that would forever
change the direction and pursuits of their lives. We want people to Know
Jesus.
Be Changed.
Often people get a little unsure when a church has a desire
to see people changed. But what we believe is that God changes us to be
who we really are. No longer trying to change ourselves to gain status
or approval from others, but being changed by God to be who we really
are, and fulfilling the purpose that He has given us to fulfill. The
way this plays out at The Door is through our Lifegroups (small
groups), mentoring relationships, and our Sunday gathering.
Jesus turned the world upside down by investing His life in a few men,
and commissioning them to do the same thing in the lives of others.
Therefore we want to take seriously His call to make disciples and
invest His life in us, into the people of Portland.
Change the
World. Often this statement seems like it is highly
idealistic and maybe a bit out of reach. But it is our belief that
through sharing the gospel, mentoring others, and learning to truly be
a community, God can change the lives of people in Portland and around
the world.