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Distinctives

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DISTINCTIVES

It is important while we read through our distinctives, that these are not things which we have presently attained, but are goals for our fellowship as we seek to be conformed to the image of Christ, with a desire to make God primary in all we do.

1. Loving God, with all of our heart mind soul and strength!
This includes:

a. Knowing God and being in a devotional relationship with the Creator.
b. Proclaiming, teaching, preaching truths of God’s word.
c. Knowing & Studying God’s word.
d. Knowing & Believing Sound doctrine.

2. Loving People -We are committed to both those who are saved, and those who do not know Christ. We believe that the love of Christ compels us to find our Joy in Christ and, out of our joy in Christ, one of the primary ways in which we fulfill this is by bringing the Gospel to both the saved and the lost.

* Hospitality – Listening to – Pray for – reconciling – restoring –encouraging –relating – understanding

3. The Gospel Message – We are committed to the Gospel, which is salvation by Grace through Faith in Christ alone, and not of works. We believe that there is nothing we can do to earn salvation, favor, righteousness, acceptance, or love of God, but that God in His mercy chose a people for himself, and it is available for those who believe. The result of Christ’s finished work on the cross is that we are now compelled by love to do the works in which God has prepared us to walk.  We are not saved by works, but we are saved for good works. God has a mission for His people.  This leads to point 4.

4. God’s People With a Mission - We believe we are the people of God called out for the purpose of God, to proclaim His glory to the nations until the whole earth is filled with His glory. This is to say we have a mission while we are here to personally reach people where we are, make disciples and send missionaries out around the world.  Jesus was our example, he came for a purpose and when He left, he gave us both the Holy Spirit and gave us the mission to the world.  We are still on that mission today, to share the good news with the lost and teach them all we have observed.

5. Community Focus – We believe the best way to do this is through  Missional Community Groups.  This means we must spend time with one another, and this time spent with one another is part of the sanctification process where we practice speaking the truth in love as we all become conformed to the image of Christ. We believe that Jesus came in the form of man, and they called Him Emanuel, “God with Us.” It is in this example that we have a sympathetic high priest who is with us and who was tempted in all ways as we are today. We,  in turn, come together in community and intimacy, knowing full well that being with one another isn’t easy, but it is what is profitable for our Good to be conformed to the image of Christ.

6. Making Disciples of all nations – Many of the primary core families of LFKC have been uniquely placed in the Northeast section of Kansas City where it is estimated there are 50 to 60 foreign people groups from varying other nations.  We have been providentially placed here to see the nations come to know Jesus Christ and  these believers raised up into maturity, and perhaps go back to their own countries to share the love and good news of Jesus with their own people!  We desire to share the gospel cross-culturally and see the nations come to know Jesus Christ as we set our hearts on reaching the nations for the Glory of God.

7. Every member a minister ­– Every believer is called to be a functioning part of the body of Christ. We are committed to the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, (ie ministering one to another). We affirm the reformed understanding of the priesthood of believers. This means the ministers of the church equip the saints for ministry, and as those in leadership also seek to set living examples. We desire to both preach the word, and be the church. We desire that each member fulfills God’s appointed function in our local expression of the body of Christ at Living Faith KC. (We resist the idea of 20% of the church being doers of the word while 80% are the givers only. We believe we are all to give our lives to  wholly to Christ! )

8. Families - We are committed to Godly families, and although we would not consider ourselves family integrated, we are definitely family focused, holding that the parents are the primary disciplers of their children.  Yet we also acknowledge that there are many spiritual orphans in need of discipleship, and we will not refrain from teaching children where others who are more mature in the faith share what God has previously shown them through others.

9. Marked by “Humility” – We desire as a church to be marked by living out the gospel in biblical Humility. We are determined to fight pride and cultivate humility. We believe that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble, and we desire in our innermost being to be recipients of God’s abundant grace at Living Faith KC.  God grants us to see where we are blind, often using our brothers in Christ to help reveal truth about one another.  It is a never ending battle, one we must fight daily.

10. Discipleship & Discipleship into Ministry –  Living Faith KC places a strong emphasis on discipleship that makes disciplers, resulting in believers being steadily matured not only into Christlikeness, but also in personal ministry that multiplies itself in more disciplers.  We are committed to multiplying disciplers, planting churches, and global missions.  We believe God has structured His Church in a way that should multiply and reproduce itself through new churches being planted.  It is our hope that we work to that end in Christ.