God's Church Purposes

Leaders need a good grasp on pursuing God's purposes for the church and how they fit into steering the Body toward it.

Begin by Identifying God's Purposes

Jesus identified the greatest commandments as that of loving God and loving people. What better purpose can there be for a church and ministry leaders to pursue than what Jesus points to as top priorities?
 
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matt. 22:37-40)

Indicators that Your Church Purpose is to Love God and Love People

When love for God and people truly become our primary purpose, it will be evidenced.
  1. We'll see indicators of it in ourselves as leaders -- the way we lead, do ministry, and how we help others learn to love.
  2. We'll observe it in the lives of church members as they go out into their daily lives.

Assess Your Pursuit of God's Purposes for the Church

To determine what barriers you need to break through to line up more with God's Purposes, click on your response to the following questions. After reading some thoughts on that answer, use your back button and continue on this page.
  1. How actively have you been pursuing God's purpose for the church?
    1. don't think much about it
    2. occasionally take it into consideration
    3. regularly make it a part of leadership decisions and activities
  1. Do you have a written purpose statement?
    1. yes
    2. no
    3. plan to

Determine the Grid Through Which You Pursue God's Purposes

Church leaders might turn to one or more of the following sources to guide their pursuit of God's purposes. Click on the links below to determine if you're using the best means for making decisions.

Hindrances to being more Purposeful in Your Leadership

Click on links below to think through what might be holding you back from wholeheartedly pursuing God's purposes.

Understand How These Priorities Permeate All Your Leadership Responsibilities or Tasks

The Practicum on this site gets practical about how the basics of life in Christ affect all we do as leaders. Click on links below to learn more about how this Church Purpose relates to specific leadership tasks and issues.
 

 
The points on this page form the outline for content in the Steering the Church Toward God's Purposes Leadership Guide.
 

For More: Church Purpose Resources
 

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