Live in God’s world … Discipling the Planet

The human race rebelled against God and came under his judgment — way back at the beginning, with Adam.

Yet, from that very point, God had a mission of restoration: instead of leaving Adam and Eve in their sins, he came down, calling them, searching their hearts with convicting questions, and ultimately, covering their nakedness himself by means of blood shed, and giving them promises that would come to fulfillment in the sending of his own Son.

Evangelism is not just something that the Church happens to do. It is our participation in God’s mission. God promised long ago that all the nations would be blessed in Abraham, and in the Great Commission, the Son of Abraham calls upon us to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20).

At Christ Covenant, we are committed to that same divine mission, and seek to encourage and promote it through our own teaching, practice, and support.

Where Mission Begins

God’s mission field is the entire world. So when we participate in his mission, we can start immediately without waiting for a visa to a faroff land. God’s mission begins with us.

Discipling the nations, therefore, takes place first within our own circles — discipleship in our own lives and families, and as discipled ones, opening our lives up to bear fruit for others whom God has connected to us — extended family, friends, co-workers, teammates, and so on.

One of the practical virtues advocated by the New Testament is hospitality (e.g. Romans 12:13). At Christ Covenant, we seek to enter into one another’s lives and provide mutual discipleship through eating together and sharing together in other ways in our homes. This living partnership and communion is then extended outward into the lives of others so that they too can share in the fruit of the gospel that has come into our lives and homes.

Of course, we do not stop there. Discipleship then grows to extend our circle within our own local community. In addition to seeking informally to expand our friendships with those with whom we can share God’s living grace, Christ Covenant also participates in various community events and other forms of local evangelism. For example, for some time we had a small team that engaged in evangelism efforts at the Grande Prairie Regional College, and we continue with similar ventures.

All Those Afar Off

At the same time, we understand the danger of becoming comfortable with simply reaching out to the Grande Prairie community while ignoring the rest of the world. Christ Covenant is connected to and supports various international endeavours aimed at mission and practical assistance, and we encourage our members to be personally involved and financially supportive, as well.