Partnerships
by Andrew Moroz, D.Min., Teaching and Outreach Pastor
Gospel Community Rivermont,
Our mission as a local church is shaped by the same Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and Great Commandments (Matt. 22:36-40) that inspired the early church. As the Gospel of Jesus Christ moved out from Jerusalem toward the ends of the earth, first century Christians were diligent in making disciples everywhere that God scattered them. One of the ways that the Gospel was able to be multiplied so quickly, and so effectively, was through the avenue of partnerships and associations. As Christians partnered with fellow Christians, and churches partnered with fellow churches, there were more resources to bless others and share the Gospel.
Today, as a non-denominational church, we also rely heavily on different associations and partnerships to help us make disciples who love God, grow in community, and reach out with the love of Christ. All of our local, national, and international partnerships are carefully established and assessed (on a yearly basis). We look for opportunities that would be a blessing to our church and opportunities for our church to further the Gospel through our partners.
Sometimes a partnership is established because of the resources that they have, while other times it is established because of the resources that we have. Partnerships are always established in order to bring glory to God and to maximize Gospel impact.
There isn’t enough space in one newsletter to succinctly list all of our individual partners and partnerships, but I wanted to highlight some of our organizational partnerships and introduce you to one recent partner that has come to us via the 2017 GCC and RABC merger.
Our local partners help us bless our city and make disciples in our “Jerusalem”:
Nationally and internationally we are connecting with other churches, showing the love of Christ, planting churches, and making disciples with the following partners:
After our 2017 merger, we realized that God may be opening additional doors for revitalizing older churches and planting new churches throughout Virginia. In order to be better resourced, we have decided to team up with the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV). The BGAV has a long history of advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Virginia and beyond, and they have some helpful resources for missional churches like ours.
Since this is a new partnership, I think it’s helpful to clarify two things: 1) rather than being identified as a “denomination,” the BGAV is known as a “cooperative missions and ministry organization” that connects independent, like-minded churches together for the sake of advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ; 2) the word “baptist” can be confusing and, to some, even intimidating or offensive – you will not find baptist in our name because Gospel Community will continue to be primarily identified as a Gospel-centered group of people who live in community and on mission for Jesus Christ. Our only comfort in life and death is Jesus. He is our Chief Shepherd and Sr. Pastor. We will always raise His flag above every partnership and association.
When Barnabas and Paul teamed up (Acts 13), the Gospel was preached and new churches were established. When the churches in Macedonia partnered (2 Cor. 8), the Gospel was displayed and declared throughout Judea. In the same way, we pray that all of our missional partnerships will bear Gospel fruit as the hungry are fed, the destitute are clothed, and healthy churches are established in Lynchburg and beyond.
-Pastor Andrew
Gospel Community Rivermont,
Our mission as a local church is shaped by the same Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and Great Commandments (Matt. 22:36-40) that inspired the early church. As the Gospel of Jesus Christ moved out from Jerusalem toward the ends of the earth, first century Christians were diligent in making disciples everywhere that God scattered them. One of the ways that the Gospel was able to be multiplied so quickly, and so effectively, was through the avenue of partnerships and associations. As Christians partnered with fellow Christians, and churches partnered with fellow churches, there were more resources to bless others and share the Gospel.
Today, as a non-denominational church, we also rely heavily on different associations and partnerships to help us make disciples who love God, grow in community, and reach out with the love of Christ. All of our local, national, and international partnerships are carefully established and assessed (on a yearly basis). We look for opportunities that would be a blessing to our church and opportunities for our church to further the Gospel through our partners.
Sometimes a partnership is established because of the resources that they have, while other times it is established because of the resources that we have. Partnerships are always established in order to bring glory to God and to maximize Gospel impact.
There isn’t enough space in one newsletter to succinctly list all of our individual partners and partnerships, but I wanted to highlight some of our organizational partnerships and introduce you to one recent partner that has come to us via the 2017 GCC and RABC merger.
Our local partners help us bless our city and make disciples in our “Jerusalem”:
- Urban Mountain Adventures
- Community Restoration Initiative
- Rekindling Ministries
- Interfaith Outreach
- Hill City Crash
- Parkview Community Mission
- Rivermont Early Learning Center
- Meals on Wheels
Nationally and internationally we are connecting with other churches, showing the love of Christ, planting churches, and making disciples with the following partners:
After our 2017 merger, we realized that God may be opening additional doors for revitalizing older churches and planting new churches throughout Virginia. In order to be better resourced, we have decided to team up with the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV). The BGAV has a long history of advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Virginia and beyond, and they have some helpful resources for missional churches like ours.
Since this is a new partnership, I think it’s helpful to clarify two things: 1) rather than being identified as a “denomination,” the BGAV is known as a “cooperative missions and ministry organization” that connects independent, like-minded churches together for the sake of advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ; 2) the word “baptist” can be confusing and, to some, even intimidating or offensive – you will not find baptist in our name because Gospel Community will continue to be primarily identified as a Gospel-centered group of people who live in community and on mission for Jesus Christ. Our only comfort in life and death is Jesus. He is our Chief Shepherd and Sr. Pastor. We will always raise His flag above every partnership and association.
When Barnabas and Paul teamed up (Acts 13), the Gospel was preached and new churches were established. When the churches in Macedonia partnered (2 Cor. 8), the Gospel was displayed and declared throughout Judea. In the same way, we pray that all of our missional partnerships will bear Gospel fruit as the hungry are fed, the destitute are clothed, and healthy churches are established in Lynchburg and beyond.
-Pastor Andrew
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