Discover Life | Step One
July 29, 2021

Welcome to DISCOVER LIFE

Discover Life guides you to discover your redemptive purpose and live the life God created for you.

Discover Life is a very important process that helps you mature as a believer.

Please understand that going through this process doesn’t make you a mature believer, but it helps you become one.

Explore the ministry of Life Church and find out how to connect with our church. Step One takes place the first Sunday of every month or may be done online at any time.

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STEP ONE | BECOME A MEMBER

OUR PRAYER FOR YOU

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people.” EPHESIANS 1:17–18 NIV

Our spiritual journey consists of four steps:

1) KNOW GOD

“[I pray]… that you may know Him better [personally].” EPHESIANS 1:17-18

2) FIND FREEDOM

“[I pray]… that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened [focused and clear].” EPHESIANS 1:17–18

3) DISCOVER PURPOSE

“[I pray]… that you may know the hope to which He has called you.” EPHESIANS 1:17-18

4) MAKE A DIFFERENCE

“[I pray]… the riches of his glorious inheritance[in his holy people].” EPHESIANS 1:17–18

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KNOW GOD THROUGH Sunday Worship Experiences.

We consider reaching people who do not know God personally to be one of our greatest responsibilities. Our Sunday Worship Experiences are for people at all stages in their spiritual journey but are primarily designed for those who do not yet have a genuine relationship with God.

Our Sunday Experiences focus on four values:

1) Celebration

We believe church should be enjoyable.

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’” PSALM 122:1 NKJV

2) Inspiration

We believe church should be a place where people experience God’s presence.

“But…when some unbelievers or ordinary people come in, they will be convinced of their sin by what they hear. They will be judged by all they hear, their secret thoughts will be brought into the open, and they will bow down and worship God, confessing, ‘Truly God is here among you!’” 1 CORINTHIANS 14:24–25 GNT

3) Preparation

We believe church should be a place where people learn how the Bible applies to their daily lives.

“So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the
pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” EPHESIANS 4:11–12

4) Salvation

We believe church should be a place where people come to faith in Jesus and experience Him in a real way.

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
ACTS 2:38-39 NIV

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How we share Christ with others:

“Go out into the country…and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.” LUKE 14:23 TLB

As we continue to reach people far from God, every one of us can do our part by following these four principles:

1) Accept the personal responsibility.
2) Build a personal relationship.
3) Share your personal story.
4) Give a personal invitation.

In our city, our nation, and our world

“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ACTS 1:8

In addition to our efforts during Sunday Worship Experiences, we are focused on reaching people in three key places designated by Jesus:

1) “In Jerusalem” — our city

“Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight.” JAMES 1:27 MSG

The primary way we reach our cities is through our Sunday Worship Experiences, Serve Opportunities throughout the city and Parish, and Serve Days.

2) “In Judea and Samaria” — our nation

“As they traveled from town to town, they presented the simple guidelines the Jerusalem apostles and leaders had come up with. That turned out to be most helpful. Day after day the congregations became stronger in faith and larger in size.” ACTS 16:4-5 MSGJ

The primary way we reach our nation is by starting new churches and strengthening existing churches. We do this through financial and spiritual support to Church Planters across the nation.

3) “To the ends of the earth” — our world

“Jesus said to His followers, ‘Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone.’” MARK 16:15 NCV

The primary way we reach our world is through strategic missions. At Life Church, we intentionally invest a portion of our resources in missions work all around the world with a focus on unreached people groups, children, and church planting.

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How you can participate:

1) Pray

Pray that we might reach people in each of these areas with the Good News of Jesus.

“Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.’” MATTHEW 9:37–38

2) Give

Give your time and resources to reach people for Christ.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” MATTHEW 6:19–21

3) Go
Go to our cities, nation, and world to serve others and show people the love of God.

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’ He said, ‘Go and tell this people…’” ISAIAH 6:8–9

FIND FREEDOM THROUGH Life Groups.

We believe life change happens in the context of relationships. Life Groups have one simple purpose: to bring people together. God created us to live in community with others, and it is only then that we can experience the full life He intends for us.

Life Groups provide three things:

1) A place to connect with others.

“Yes, whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him.”
1 CORINTHIANS 9:22 TLB

We were not made to do life alone. God created us for community, and Small Groups provide a place for you to connect with others, share life, and grow in faith together.

2) A place to protect each other.

“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
1 JOHN 3:16 NLT

When we do life together, our problems become smaller as God uses others to bring support and encouragement to our lives. Life Groups become a place where others don’t just know your name but care about what is happening in your life and want to support you in your spiritual journey.

3) A place to get together.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
PROVERBS 27:17

We believe every person is created with God-given potential to make a difference in the world. Life Groups are a place you can grow with others to become more like Jesus and reach the potential God has put inside you.

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Life Church Groups Model
We base our Life Groups model on the early church as described in the Bible in the book of Acts. In Acts, you can read about how small group meetings in homes helped lay the foundation for tremendous growth in the first church in Jerusalem.

”Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” ACTS 5:42

Life Church is a church of Life Groups, not a church with Life Groups.

Three things to know about Life Groups:

1) Our groups are “free market.”

We want people to gather together based on things they enjoy and are important to them.

Essentially, the things you are already doing in your life are the things that can make up your Life Group! From sports groups to lunch groups, parenting groups to student groups, Bible study groups to creative arts groups, our groups are as varied as we are.

2) There are three semesters every year.

Life flows in seasons, and we want to make it easy for you to be in the right Life Group for you in each season. This is why we have new groups that start and stop three times a year in what we refer to as “semesters.”

Spring – 13 Weeks
Summer – 6 Weeks
Fall – 13 Weeks

3) Everyone can join a group.

Our hope is for every person at Life Church to be connected in meaningful community through a Life Group. With so many groups to choose from, we are confident there is a group that is a great fit for you. You can search groups by topic, location, day, and time in our online Life Groups directory at https://mylifechurch.churchcenter.com/groups/life.

Once you find a few groups that interest you, contact the host(s) to learn more and make plans to check them out in person.

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DISCOVER PURPOSE THROUGH Discover Life.

Discover Life is a growth track that exists to help you discover and develop your purpose and live the full life God created for you. Discover Life is made up of four steps, which guide you through next steps in your journey to know God, find freedom, discover purpose, and make a difference.

“Let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity.” HEBREWS 6:1

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” JOHN 10:10

MAKE A DIFFERENCE THROUGH THE Serve Team.

All of us were created by God to make a difference in the world around us. God has a place for you where your unique abilities and passions can impact the lives of others. We believe your life will never make sense until you find, develop, and fulfill your purpose.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” EPHESIANS 2:10

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LIFE CHURCH GOVERNMENT

As you consider investing your heart, time, family, and finances into the life of a church, it is important for you to feel confident in church leadership. Our goal in sharing the details of the Life Church government is that you will understand that our church is structured to support the values of integrity, accountability, and spiritual authority.

Our church government is made up of three groups of elders:

1) Guided by Lead Team.

The Lead Team is led by Pastor Chad. This team oversees the day-to-day ministry and operations of the church. The Lead Team serves the congregation and are responsible for the development of the spiritual life of the church.

2) Protected by trustees.

Our Trustees are members of the congregation appointed by the Lead Pastor to oversee the finances and direct the provision of the facilities needed by the church. They provide counsel to the Lead Pastor regarding the major financial commitments of the church.

3) Strengthened by Overseers.

The Overseers are pastors of respected congregations and ministries who love Life Church and are willing to provide spiritual protection to the church. They may be called upon to help in accountability matters relating to the Lead Pastor if requested to do so by the Lead Team or Trustees. The Overseers serve as Apostolic Elders.

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CHURCH FINANCES

“Every Sunday each of you make an offering and put it in safekeeping. Be as generous as you can. When I get there you’ll have it ready, and I won’t have to make a special appeal.” 1 CORINTHIANS 16:1–4 MSG

At Life Church, we practice tithing for the support of Christ’s body, the church, as God commands. We recognize that giving 10% of our income is the Biblical standard for giving.

“Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.” DEUTERONOMY 14:22-26

Giving is one of the central themes in the Bible. Jesus talked more about this subject than Heaven, Hell, or prayer. To understand what it means to be a Christ follower, we must also understand what it means to be a giver.

1) Tithe

The tithe, or “first fruits” of our labor/income belong to God. We find this principle all through God’s Word. Tithing, giving God the first 10% of our income to the local church, is the primary, practical way we acknowledge that God is first (Proverbs 3:9–10).

2) Offerings

An offering is giving over and above the tithe. The Bible says that by giving generously, we are able to “take hold of the life that is truly life.” You aren’t really living unless you are freely giving (1 Timothy 6:18–19).

3) The Gift of Giving

The gift of giving is a spiritual gift that God gives to some people (Romans 12:8).

It is a Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by giving of your material resources, far beyond the tithe, to further the work of God.

Many people love to give to God and as they do, they want to feel confident in the organization through which they give. At Life Church, we want people to understand they are giving to God through the church, not to the church. As we openly share the honesty, integrity, and spiritual values that guide the financial practices of Life Church, we believe people can focus on what God is calling them to give and trust that He is leading our church to steward it well.

The giving of tithes and offerings is worship to Jesus and an expression of the relationship between the individual giver and the Lord. Funds are not “income only,” they are worship and are not considered to be a business transaction but an expression of gratitude toward God.

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NEXT STEPS

1) Become a member of Life Church.

Membership at Life Church is not about adding your name to a roster; it’s about connecting with the people and the vision of the church. We would love for you to be a part.

2) Join a LIFE Group.

Browse our online Life Groups directory at https://mylifechurch.churchcenter.com/groups - Once you find a few groups that interest you, contact the host(s) to learn more and make plans to check them out in person.

3) Complete all of Discover Life.

Before beginning Step Two of Discover Life, please be sure to take our online DISC assesment and Spiritual Gift assesment that can be found at the links below!

DISC: https://mylife.church/disc
Spiritual Gifts: https://mylife.church/spiritual-gifts

stepTWO – Discover your Design, Discover your Leadership, & Join the Team

Dive into the details of your personality, discover your gifts, and see how your design reveals your purpose in life and your best fit in ministry. Find out what it means to be a leader at Life Church and learn how you can strengthen your character. Connect to the opportunities available at Life Church to live out your purpose and serve others. Step Two takes place the second Sunday of every month, or anytime online.

4) Join the Serve Team
Find out what it means to make a difference on the Searve Team by connecting to the opportunities available at Life Church. This will allow you to live out your purpose and serve others by using your God-given gifts.

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LIFE CHURCH MEMBERSHIP COVENANT

Being agreement with the values and ideas presented in Step One of Discover Life, I now feel led to unite with the Life Church family. In doing so, I make the following commitment to God and my fellow church members:

I will protect the unity of my church by:
Acting in love toward other members.
Refusing to gossip.
Following the leaders.

“So let us concentrate on the things which make for harmony, and on the growth of our fellowship together.” ROMANS 14:19 PH

“Live in complete harmony with each other—each with the attitude of Christ toward each other.” ROMANS 15:5 TLB

“Have a sincere love for other believers, love one another earnestly with all your heart.” 1 PETER 1:22 GNT

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs.”
EPHESIANS 4:29

“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” HEBREWS 13:17

I will share the responsibility of my church by:
Praying for its growth and health.
Inviting the unchurched to attend.
Warmly welcoming those who visit.

“To the church…we always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.” 1 THESSALONIANS 1:1–2

“Go out into the country…and urge anyone you find to come in, so that the house will be full.”

“So, warmly welcome each other into the church, just as Christ has warmly welcomed you; then God will be glorified.” ROMANS 15:7 TLB

I will serve the ministry of my church by:
Discovering my gifts and talents.
Using my God-given gifts to make a difference in the lives of others.
Developing a servant’s heart.

“Serve one another with the particular gifts God has given each of you.”
1 PETER 4:10 PH

“So Christ Himself gave…pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”
EPHESIANS 4:11–12

“Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus… taking the form of a bondservant.” PHILIPPIANS 2:4–5, 7 NKJV

I will support the testimony of my church by:
Attending church and Life Groups faithfully.
Living a Godly life.
Giving regularly.

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” ACTS 2:42

“Let us not neglect our meeting together…but encourage one another.”
HEBREWS 10:25 NLT

“But whatever happens, make sure that your everyday life is worthy of the Gospel of Christ.” PHILIPPIANS 1:27 PH

To read through our full Statement of Faith, visit https://mylife.church/beliefs.