Fellowship, Service, Growth, and Worship
are the foundational blocks to building lives that reflect the image of God, in Christ Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
These essential components of the Christ-following believer are the tools we use to serve our community as we grow together in fellowship and worship.
Jesus replied, “This is the work of God – that you believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29 CSB)
Fellowship
Participation in the will of God with others is Biblical Fellowship. It is “doing with” Christ in partnership in fulfilling God’s will. When we share, contribute, participate, and hold in common living our lives Christ-centered we engage in fellowship with one another. Fellowship occurs naturally among believers with inner unity of the Holy Spirit and is expressed outwardly in accomplishing God’s will together.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. (Acts 2:42 CSB)
Service
As Christ followers, we are obligated to perform the duties of a servant. All that we do as servants of God is done to bring glory to God. We are called to minister to others, by our words and our works, to show the light of Christ to a dark and dying world in all that we say and do. All believers are called to be active and functioning members of the Body of Christ. We have a role to fulfill. Christian ministry is not easy, but everyone who knows Christ as Savior is called to serve.
For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. (Galatians 5:13-14 CSB)
Growth
Spiritual growth and pursuing holiness is expected of every believer. We are to grow in godliness and to do so we must discipline ourselves towards this end. Christian maturity and Christ-likeness is the purpose for practicing Spiritual Disciplines. Spiritual Disciplines are the means through which we grow closer to Christ and conform to His image. This is the goal. Jesus is our example of spirituality, disciplined personal piety, and a life lived in consistent communion with God. Bible Intake, Prayer, Worship, Evangelism, Service, Stewardship, Learning, and others make up the Spiritual Disciplines practiced and espoused in Scripture.
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head – Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part. (Ephesians 4:14-16 CSB)
Worship
Real worship is not confined only to church on Sunday morning for an hour or so. Praise is offered continually to acknowledge God’s name in songs of praise, public confession of the gospel, speaking in love and truth the words of God to others, and bringing every word we say under the dominion of Jesus Christ. When the Holy Spirit lives in us, worship is a part of our everyday lives, making a difference in the way we live, the way we work, and the way we get along with other people.
Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to God! Serve the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Acknowledge that the LORD is God. He made us, and we are his– his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the LORD is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations. (Psalm 100:1-5 CSB)
J. Kent LeBlanc 