OUR MISSION: To Help People Discover REAL Life in Christ.
John 10:10 – “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Jesus declares that He came to us so that we may have abundant life. In the Greek, the New Testament’s original language, the term for “life” means a “real, genuine, active, and vigorous life that is blessed.” If that wasn’t enough, “abundant” can be translated “excessive in quantity and quality.” In other words, Christ came not just to give us a full and enjoyable life, but to give us a full and enjoyable life beyond our expectations or imagination!
Although the abundant life Christ offers is accessible to everyone who has received Him as Lord, many born-again believers never experience this life God has for them. While it’s up to each person to take the necessary steps to the abundant life, Northside’s mission is to help people along the journey. Northside’s REAL Life mission is based on an acronym that unpacks the major markers for this journey:
R
RELATIONSHIP with Jesus
The first objective is to lead people to understand and receive a Relationship with Jesus. In this relationship Jesus is our Savior, Lord, Friend, and Helper. As our SAVIOR, Jesus removes our sin, so we can enjoy a life free from judgment and guilt. As our LORD, Jesus removes control, so we no longer have to feel the force of bondage or limitations. As our FRIEND, Jesus removes abandonment, so we no longer have to suffer with loneliness, isolation, or depression. Finally, as our HELPER, Jesus removes our excuses, so we no longer have to endure blame, apathy, or lack.
E
EMANCIPATION from destructive life patterns
The second objective is to help believers to experience Emancipation from destructive life patterns. From the moment a person is physically born, outside influencers bombard them with deposits which largely shape how they think, how they look at the world, and what they become. While not all are bad, they collectively create our thought patterns which generally dictate one’s life patterns. Because these life patterns are inherently driven by thoughts generated from the flesh and the world rather than God’s Spirit or Word, they often pull a person away from Christ rather than toward Him. Therefore, if a person is going to experience abundant life in Christ, they must BREAK FREE from these destructive life patterns and the thought processes that create them.
A
ACCESS to the whole life offered in Christ
The third objective is to help believers Access the whole life offered in Christ. Here, Christians really tap into the depths of life in Christ and truly own it. This is not merely about Bible knowledge or Christian activity. Rather, it is about accessing the abundant life of Christ in every aspect of one’s being. REAL life in Christ is all-encompassing. There is no part of a person’s life that is not infiltrated and empowered by God’s Spirit for God’s glory. This objective is focused on helping believers learn how to let Christ take control of NINE MAJOR AREAS of one’s life: spiritual, internal, marriage, family, finances, work and career, community, recreation and rest, and physical health. As a person gives Christ access into each of these areas of life, they will find Jesus blesses these specific areas with an unexpected abundance and joy.
L
LEADING others to REAL Life
The final objective of REAL Life Discipleship is to equip believers to Lead others to REAL life. It is designed to challenge and equip believers to lead others through the same journey to REAL life that they have traveled. The tasks here are to train mature Christians to share with others how they can experience this life in Christ in the context of the church, their community, and the world. Specifically, these mature believers will:
-learn how to SHARE their faith;
-actively SERVE in the church; and
-become missional, IMPACTING their COMMUNITY and INFLUENCING the WORLD with the gospel of Jesus.
Our Vision: To See People CONFORMED into JESUS’ Image
Romans 8:29
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Romans 12:1-2 – 1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
When a person experiences the kind of life Jesus has for them, they will begin to look more and more like their Lord. They will begin to speak like Him, act like Him, love like Him, serve like Him, give like Him, and even sacrifice like Him. Finally, they will find the peace, joy, and power for this life that is only available in Jesus.