Philosophy of Ministry
Find out how we structure ministry and about how God has uniquely called Catalyst Life Alliance to make a difference in our current context.
(This is specific to us and should not be seen as a statement of how EVERY church should operate- just how we do)
Table of Contents
The Gospel Life is the Catalyst Life
The Gospel is the Good News of Jesus Christ: That though we were sinners, desperately broken and falling short, alienated from God, Jesus, the second person of the Godhead (The Son of God and fully God), chose to leave heaven to take on the form of a man, to live a sinless life, to die the death we deserved as a result of our sins, and then to rise again defeating sin and death. In His victory, Christ offers new life to all who choose to believe in Him, confess Him, and follow Him as Savior and Lord.
With lives surrendered to His Lordship, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, to reside inside each of us. It is through the redemption of Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, and the work of the Holy Spirit that we are able to fully embrace the Catalyst Life of the Gospel.
The Catalyst Life of the Gospel is a changed life, one where the old is gone and the new has come. This changed life is continually being worked out in all those who believe. The Gospel produces upward change, inward change, and outward change:
- Upward Change: The Gospel draws us into right relationship with God.
- Inward Change: The Gospel draws us into right relationship with ourselves.
- Outward Change: The Gospel draws us into right relationship with the world.
Each catalyst of the Gospel (Upward, Inward, Outward) results in definitive attitudes, choices, and mission for us as individuals, but also for us as a church body, united together for the work of the Gospel.
The Upward Changed Life
We seek to Enthrone Christ. This means that Christ is King of our lives. We don’t follow Christ simply as a means to escape hell. We follow Him because He is God, worthy to be praised. We enthrone Christ not only for what He has done but also for who He is. We engage in authentic praise and rhythms of faith because Christ is worth our whole selves. The upward changed life leads us to be worshipers of the Most High King.
In our personal life, enthroning Christ means:
- We surrender our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, acknowledging the authority of Christ and seek to live lives that bring Him glory.
- We take ownership of the perfect and unconditional love of God toward us and allow our identity to be shaped by what He says is true over any other opinion or voice.
- We seek His will above our own, intentionally prioritizing the things of God over the things of the world.
- We actively engage in a life of worship, prayer, and confession.
- We welcome the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and cooperate with His sanctifying and empowering work in our lives.
In the life of the Church, enthroning Christ means:
- We exist to glorify Christ and build His kingdom, not our “brand”.
- We are led by the Holy Spirit’s guidance, corporately engaging in seeking and listening for His voice.
- We engage in corporate worship, communion, and baptism as means of remembering, giving praise, and celebrating our Lord and King, Jesus Christ.
- We surrender style, preferences, and comfort to the mission of Christ.
- We worship Christ with our time, energy, finances, and giftings- generously and joyfully giving all to our King.
The Inward Changed Life
We seek to Equip the Church. This means that we believe that all believers (both inside our congregation as well as other congregations) are a part of the Body of Christ. With Christ as our Head, each member is added to the body to grow, serve, and connect in authentic, unique, and creative ways. Biblically, we are each called to use the Spiritual gifts, natural talents, interests, passions, and personal stories that God has given us to edify the Church and further the mission. We recognize that the Church is more complete and more effective when all members are thriving in the Body. The inward changed life leads us to be vibrant members of the equipped body of Christ.
In our personal life, equipping the Church means:
- We actively pursue the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, surrendering to His cleansing, convicting, and purifying work, even when it’s difficult.
- We seek healing from and actively choose to abandon any false doctrines, false idols, lies, addictions, and sins, leaving behind the “old person” and choosing to actively and daily put on the “new person” created in Christ Jesus.
- We engage in personal prayer, reflection, sabbath, and confession as rhythms in our faith.
- We take personal ownership of our knowledge of God’s Word and commit to becoming life-long students of the Bible.
- With mission and Gospel in mind, we intentionally and consistently seek to discover, develop, and employ:
- Our Spiritual Gifts
- Our natural talents
- Personalities
- Our interests
- Our personal stories
In the life of the Church, equipping the Church means:
- We commit to cooperate, small group, and one-on-one teaching of the Word in the fullness of its message and teachings.
- With mission and Gospel in mind, we actively seek to help each other to discover, develop, and employ:
- Spiritual Gifts
- Natural talents
- Personalities
- Interests and passions
- Personal stories
- We honor all parts of the body (male, female, young, old, rich, poor, etc.) as equal heirs with Christ- not in uniformity, but in unity, and without partiality.
- We engage in a culture of discipleship, recognizing each member of the body has something to share and something to learn.
- We intentionally create space for leadership and learning based on the empowerment and gifting of the Holy Spirit.
The Outward Changed Life
We seek to Embrace the Lost and Empower the Next Generation. This means that we take seriously our call to be “fishers of people” and the Great Commission mandate to “make disciples of all nations.” We are honored to partner with Christ in the declaration of the Good News and the sending of the saints into all the world. As a church, we must continually be seeking new and creative ways that the Spirit is calling us to further the kingdom mission. We have been called into Christ’s ministry of reconciliation to the world. We believe that authentic relationships create everyday connections that the Holy Spirit uses in powerful ways. The outward changed life leads us to be ambassadors for Christ and ministers of His reconciliation to the world.
In our personal life, embracing the lost means:
- We actively engage in community outside the church body.
- We eagerly seek authentic relationships with those who do not know Jesus- not as projects, but as people- opening our home to others, choosing hospitality as an effective means of evangelism.
- We live out the love of Christ in our relationships, remembering that it is the love of Christ which draws people to repentance.
- We embed ourselves into the community, looking for opportunities to create new connections with and serve those who are lost.
- We acknowledge that it is the Holy Spirit who convicts and changes hearts. It is our job to cooperate with His moving, to be faithful to plant seeds and water them, trusting Him for the growth.
In the life of the Church, embracing the lost means:
- As a church body, we seek opportunities to serve the community together.
- We use our corporate resources to create opportunities for the lost to interact with God’s people and create authentic connections with His love.
- We commission each member as missionaries into their specific context, providing resources, training, and support for real-life evangelism.
- We partner with other churches and organizations in our community (both faith-based and secular) to combine efforts to serve and reach the lost.
- We welcome the lost to ask questions, take chances, try things, serve alongside us, and be a part of our community.
In our personal life, empowering the next generation means:
- We actively participate in ministry that will inspire and engage future generations (not only younger people, but the next generation of leaders regardless of age).
- We push ourselves outside our spheres to make connections with other cultures, generations, and demographics.
- We are always on the lookout for someone to pass our skills, understanding, and learning to.
- We take personally the responsibility of the community of Christ in raising up Christ-centered young people who are impassioned for the Gospel.
- We make efforts to learn the language of the culture around us to better connect and share the Gospel in their “heart language”.
In the life of the Church, empowering the next generation means:
- We eagerly foster opportunities for inter-generational collaboration, learning, and discipleship.
- We create a church culture that future generations eagerly want to inherit.
- We raise up leaders from all generations, celebrating different voices in powerful ways.
- We build ministries that do not rest on any one person or one group’s shoulders, empowering people at every level to step into increasing levels of leadership.
- We are consistently on the lookout for new opportunities to plant churches and send missionaries, and we intentionally set aside resources and time to making this a priority.