CHRIST’S PRIORITIES – CHURCH’S DIRECTIVES
Since Jesus-The Christ, is the Head of the Body, the Church’s directives are set by His priorities.
The Lord summarized His priorities on at least two occasions. The first occurred on one Sabbath Day, when He stood up in the Synagogue to read:
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18,19)
The second instance took the form of a mandate for the Church, which occurred after His resurrection, and prior to His ascension. This commandment has become known as The Great Commission:
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)
In keeping with these priorities, the Lord has given the Pastor a very comprehensive vision for FFCC that consists of three (3) branches: the Pastoral Branch, the Administrative Branch, and the Ministerial Branch. In Dr. Barney’s Vision for FFCC, the Pastoral and Administrative Branches will work in concert with the Ministerial Branch, to achieve these directives.
Thus, at Faith Fellowship, our aim shall be to demonstrate the love of Christ and execute His priorities, through our Enrichment and Inreach Programs that minister to individuals and families within Faith Fellowship, and through our Evangelism and Outreach Programs that minister to persons on the outside of the Church and in the community.
ENRICHMENT AND INREACH PROGRAMS
The Enrichment and Inreach Programs of the Church are responsible for the development and promotion of the Church programs that fortify believers within the Church, by focusing on the development and intensification of our personal relationships with Christ, as well as on our interpersonal relationships with others. The Enrichment and Inreach Programs are intent on strengthening the family unit and on promoting virtuous conduct within the family structure. A top priority of the Enrichment Programs is to minister specifically to married couples, because strong marital relationships are foundational to strong family units and strong communities. The Enrichment and Inreach Programs further aim to reach the men and young men in the Church, by addressing the issues and challenges that relate specifically to them, as well as to the women and young women in the Church, to the adult- and young adult-singles in the Church, and to the youth and children in the Church. In keeping with Scripture, the Enrichment and Inreach Programs seek to fortify the believer by engaging in intensive teaching about who we are in Christ, about our restoration, and about our Covenant rights and entitlements.
EVANGELISM AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS
The Evangelism and Outreach Programs of the Church are responsible for the development and promotion of the Church programs that reach out to disadvantaged individuals and families by supplying food, clothing, shelter, and financial assistance, and by providing education support services, vocational support services, and career development services to persons in need. The Evangelism and Outreach Programs are further intended to touch the lives of residents in nursing homes, hospitals, convalescents, and the bereaved, and to minister to current and former substance abusers, and to persons confined to, or recently released from, jails and prisons. In keeping with Scripture, the Evangelism and Outreach Programs seek to equip the body of believers to engage in “Jesus-type” ministry, in which we focus on the needs of the underserved, of persons in need of spiritual and physical healing, and of persons in need of deliverance from the misfortunes of life, by addressing temporal needs, and by preaching and teaching who we are in Christ, and about our redemption from sin, sickness, poverty, and spiritual death.