Mission, Spirituality, Connecting  

Have you considered the purpose of your local church? Why does it exist? If your church ceased to exist, would it make a difference in God's eternal plan? Would it make a difference to your community?

The benefits of a local church are numerous. It can provide an opportunity for corporate worship and prayer, build spiritual community and preserve meaningful traditions. All these are important, and many members are content to stop right there. But what if the Lord Jesus was physically present to lead a strategic planning session at your next church business meeting? What directions would He give for what the church should be doing in the immediate future? I believe He might take us directly to His focus: our mission.

Christ's primary mission was to secure our salvation. He left Heaven, emptied Himself to become human, took the risks, bore the pain, endured separation from His Father to atone for our sin and conclusively settle the Great Controversy. Throughout His life, Christ revealed the character of our Father as He constantly reached out to those around Him. He was externally focused on meeting the needs of people. And it didn't stop at the healing of physical ailments; it included forgiveness, hope and an invitation for a more abundant life with the Father. Read more.

NOTE: The message in this section is the Editorial written by the Lake Union president, Don Livesay, reprinted from the current issue of the Lake Union Herald. It will be updated monthly.