Philosophy
It has been stated that the “Great Commission” is the final command of the Lord Jesus to the church. Or, it has also been stated that it is the “marching orders of the church.” However, both statements are not biblically accurate. When Jesus gave the Great Commission, He was speaking to the disciples or, more accurately, believers. They were men who had forsaken all and committed themselves to following Christ. When He spoke those words, He was speaking to men.
Unfortunately, when we say Christ gave the Great Commission to the church, we institutionalize the command itself. Although the church is an organism (i.e., the body of Christ), and not an institution, the modern day believer is taught that the “church” is to fulfill the command of Christ. We appear to have forgotten that it is individual believers who comprise the church. Therefore, it is the responsibility of believers to carry on the work assigned to those who would believe.
As a body of believers (i.e., a local church), Lighthouse Baptist Church seeks to train believers in reaching the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This training involves…
- The communication of the believer’s responsibility through expositional preaching and teaching.
- The application of the biblical teaching that missions is not a destination, but a journey.
- The intercession for God-called men and women who will engage in a full-time capacity in carrying the message of the gospel to the remote regions of the Earth.
- The realization of the teaching that all believers are to share the gospel “As you are going…”
Local Evangelism
In order to reach our community (i.e., Judea & Samaria), we engage in multiple opportunities for impacting lives. Personal witness and sharing of the gospel is taught as a manner of lifestyle and seizing each opportunity to verbally share. We believe the best opportunities are presented when relationship are cultivated. Therefore, we teach that every believer should be purposely attempting to connect in a relational way with those who need the gospel.
World Evangelism
To reach beyond our community we have formed strategic partnerships with missionaries, who are committed to reaching the world in our generation. We believe the Great Commission is attainable in our generation. Therefore, we enlist with missionary partners to assist our church in reaching the field of the world.