"We are ordinary people being changed by Jesus to do extraordinary things."
This statement isn't a marketing ploy or a corporate slogan. It represents a major shift in our desire to join Jesus on His mission.
Why do we need a "statement" if we have the Bible? It's a great question and has a simple answer. We don't! Our new mission statement wasn't written to replace scripture but to express biblical truth concisely and memorably. This statement is not a rewrite of a verse in the Bible but rather a statement based on the truth, seen in many places in the Bible. (Matt.28:18-20, Matt. 4:19-20, Mark 8:3-4, John 15:10, Acts 1:8, Acts 5:42, and many more)
No one part of the mission statement stands on its own, but there are three distinct sections that we should explore further.
"We are ordinary people". This first segment is seemingly innocuous and yet incredibly important to the premise of what is trying to be conveyed. Possibly, one of the greatest dangers of a church that genuinely desires to make disciples is an idea that creeps in through the back door. It is dangerous for the people of God to believe the mission of God is for the spiritual elite or the staff of the church. Many church staff find themselves stuck in a loop of event planning and management instead of truly walking alongside the congregation, preparing them for the work each person is called to do. The mission of God is an all-hands-on-deck mission and requires, yes requires, every believer to see themselves as an everyday missionary.
"We are ordinary people being changed by Jesus". The entire mission statement hinges on this second piece. “Being changed by Jesus” is the transformative journey that bridges the gap between who we are and what we do. No man can please God with works or effort apart from the life-changing power of the gospel. The word "being" was purposefully selected because it signifies that being a disciple of Jesus means we always have room to grow in relationship and obedience to Him, and that we will never fully achieve perfection until we join Jesus in heaven.
“We are ordinary people being changed by Jesus to do extraordinary things.” This last part is the outcome of every life Jesus is transforming. This is not Christian busyness, but spirit-led, mission-critical work. It may be easy to get hung up on the word "work" here, but I implore you to see this as intended and not colored by the fear of works-based salvation. You cannot separate the Christian life from the Christian work. We all join Jesus in His mission, and we are expected to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12). It is a privilege to serve the Lord in whatever capacity He desires. And because we are fully surrendered and dependent on the Spirit of God to equip us and work through us, our efforts become more than ordinary; they become extraordinary.
Every man, woman, and child, saved by grace, are ordinary people being changed by Jesus to do extraordinary things! This is our collective mission, and we are all part of it.