Churches predominantly fall into two categories of belief:
1) Centered Set: everything revolves around Christ
2) Bounded Set: everything revolves around keeping a boundary around the church.
1) Centered Set: everything revolves around Christ
2) Bounded Set: everything revolves around keeping a boundary around the church.
Bounded Set
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In a Bounded set, the focus is on being either inside the defined parameters of a group or not. This is seen in contemporary society as well. Democrats, Republicans, Masons, and even card playing groups all have "rules" to define who is in and who is out.
Churches sometimes have long lists of rules that are sometimes backed by the Bible to keep a rigid set. These churches, as long as those inside play by the rules and continue to keep generations inside, will rarely go away but always remain. Most bounded set churches have very set ideas on:
Most, if not all their focus is to save or witness to those outside the boundary and to keep those inside the boundary pure. |
To be sure, there are strengths with this belief model. Hope Community Church followed and still wavers back to this type of belief model from time to time and we are not here to judge churches or Christians who want to follow this model.
Centered Set
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Hope operates with a Centered set. In this model, everyone has orientation around Jesus; not predefined rules. EVERYONE can come closer or move further away from the one who is the true judge, and has the opportunity to influence others to do the same! Missions and evangelism aren't with the same focus as the other model as all need to move closer, both the pastor and chief sinner!
This model makes traditional Christians uncomfortable. It means that a drug-abusing, gay, ex-con has the same opportunity to worship the forgiving Holy Spirit as anyone! A mormon, muslim, pentecostal, methodist...whatever the label...have unfettered access to the creator of the world. This model is inherently more biblical from the viewpoint that the Bible is not a rule book, but a story of how to be saved. Many churches will have pseudo centered sets where they say all are welcome, but, in fact, there are boundaries around areas that make them uncomfortable like sexuality. "All are welcome" unless you are gay. "All are welcome" unless you ________. In a Centered Set the Holy Spirit as given through Scripture is allowed to move with power and authority. Miracles can occur that all have responsibility to move one another towards Jesus Christ! |
Therefore, Hope doesn't have elaborate statements on sexuality, God, End times, Free Will (to name a few), but ALL people are able to come and join in MOVING INTO A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.
It is messier, harder, but, wholly much better in proclaiming what we are believe together: Jesus Christ is the savior of the world and the embodiment of God and wants to see each and every person transformed. We see people that are divided in politics, race, family, and even favorite football teams able to come to the one who wants desperately to have relationship with Him. And therefore true relationship with others.
Hope is committed towards this model of ministry, and has an Elder Board that is committed to walking alongside all people with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
It is messier, harder, but, wholly much better in proclaiming what we are believe together: Jesus Christ is the savior of the world and the embodiment of God and wants to see each and every person transformed. We see people that are divided in politics, race, family, and even favorite football teams able to come to the one who wants desperately to have relationship with Him. And therefore true relationship with others.
Hope is committed towards this model of ministry, and has an Elder Board that is committed to walking alongside all people with the Good News of Jesus Christ.