God calls and equips His people to accomplish His purposes. In the same way, we facilitate spaces where each member can learn to share their faith, learn to do good, correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, and plead the widow's cause (Isaiah 1:17). We recognize the unique opportunity we have to help educate our church body, primarily non-Memphis natives, on the city’s history and cultural tensions for the sake of more effective outreach. Our church has developed two primary pathways for learning more about Local Ministry: Learning Resources and Learning Environments.
LOCAL MINISTRY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
LEARNING RESOURCES
In the Old Testament, Nehemiah began the work of restoration in Jerusalem by going community to community to survey the current state of the city, committing time to observation so he might grow in understanding and strategic planning for the work that needed to be accomplished. We believe that our work in the city should begin in much the same way, assessing the unique situation of every community around us so that we might be best positioned for developing understanding and strategy – both personally and corporately.
In 2022, our church developed a resource called “Neighborhood 360 Assessment,” dedicated to educating and mobilizing members toward the unique opportunities to bring hope and help to our communities. This resource represents a survey of the four strategic communities surrounding our church building: Mud Island, Uptown, Midtown, and Downtown/South Main. This assessment offers members a unique insight into the opportunities for ministry in our “Jerusalem” of Memphis (Acts 1:8).
LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
In partnership with our Discipleship Ministry, we are committed to help grow healthy disciples of Christ through Christian education. We are committed to provide regular learning environments that provide attendees with biblical knowledge, skills for effective cultural engagement, equipping for evangelism, and more. Through commitment to intentional and intensive study and education in God’s Word, these learning environments are both transformational and active.
Our primary learning environments take the form of workshops and classes.
WORKSHOPS
1. Sharing Your Faith
a. Goal: The goal is to help believers articulate the gospel, practice sharing the gospel, and pray for non-Christians.
b. Description: Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He gave His disciples a seemingly daunting task: to go and make disciples of all the nations. He also gave them a promise: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The task of inviting others to become a part of God’s kingdom is not yet complete. As followers of Christ, we have the privilege of inviting others living in our broken world to receive the free gift of eternal life Jesus accomplished for them. We know God gave us a command to follow, but we often find ourselves immobilized by fear, insecurity, and a lack of confidence in sharing Him with others.
c. Frequency: This workshop occurs three times a year.
2. Apologetics in the City
a. Goal: This workshop helps believers give a defense for cultural issues and worldviews they encounter within our city
b. Frequency: This workshop is offered once each year.
More Coming Soon!
Learning Workshops will be added as our Local Ministry and Discipleship Ministry continue on the trajectory of growth, development, and collaboration for the good of our church body. Prayer, ideas, and support for the future are greatly welcomed and appreciated.
CLASSES
We host multi-session learning opportunities that give opportunity for deeper exploration of Scripture and equipping for ministry in our community. Classes are short-term, seasonal, and flexible – designed to provide deep discipleship in important and relevant topics. Class information is available online through our Discipleship Learning Environments communication.
Classes may include topics like: book studies on current social issues, “The 5 Capitals” (felt needs in the community: spiritual, relational, intellectual, financial, physical), and more.
LEARN 3 WAYS YOU CAN BRING HELP AND HOPE TO OUR COMMUNITY