Meet, Mature, Mission

At one1seven church we will be encouraging you to take these three steps of faith towards living the cross and sharing the cross.

1) Meet with Jesus

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:5-8

We believe that faithfully meeting with Jesus to sing his praise, listen to his Word in the Bible and talk to him in prayer is absolutely essential for anyone who calls themselves a Christian. We know that apart from Jesus we can do nothing. It is only by Jesus’ grace, strength and guidance that we can move towards spiritual maturity. It is only as we remain in Him that we bear fruit that glorifies the Father. Therefore, we expect all Christians to meet with Jesus both corporately, in church, and privately, in personal devotions.

2) Mature with Friends

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25

The bible tells us that genuine relationships with other Christians are also vitally important for those who want to become mature in Christ. We would like all members to join a small group and/or have a Christian mentor where they can share life’s struggles, read the Bible, pray and be spurred on towards maturity in Christ.

3) Mission: the Cross

^“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34

The hardest step towards becoming a cross-shaped missionary is taking up the cross and following Jesus. As Christians we must put into practice the things Jesus and fellow Christians are teaching us from the Bible. Be assured that we will support and encourage you as you strive to “live the cross”, - humble obedience to God and loving service of others and “share the cross” – sharing the message about Jesus with others. The cross is the one true message that can bring forgiveness, eternal life and freedom to those who believe. This is our mission.

The Christian life is meant to be a journey from infancy to maturity in Christ and we believe the only way you can progress in that journey is by meeting with Jesus, maturing with friends and engaging in the mission of the cross.