Upcoming Love First Coast Gatherings

• April 19 – Good Friday Sunrise at Mickler’s Landing (6:55AM)
• April 21 – Easter Worship Gatherings (Visit any church in Jacksonville, or come to the one the Alexanders are hosting in their neighborhood at 10:00am at 320 S. Buck Board Dr., 32259)
• May 5 – Worship Gathering (6:45pm @ Faith Community Church 3450 CR210, 32259)
• May 19 – Dinner Together (6:00pm.  Place TBD)
• June 4 – Worship Gathering
• June 23 – Dinner Together

At LoveFirst Coast, we try to be very intentional about living missionally.  Our annual meeting is a point to report and provides a little accountability.  What could we point to that reveal our communities commitment to missional living?  What follows is a brief summary of that report.

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The fruit of the gospel flows from the imitation Christ.  A tool we use for evaluation is the Up-In-Out triangle: Up, nurturing a relationship with God, In, investing in one-another in terms of discipleship, and Out, going out to meet needs in the world the God’s grace, love, and power.  (Based on I Corinthians 4:16-17 and Luke 6:12-19).  Here are some highlights.

Up: Worship Highlights.

• We held bi-monthly worship services which include services of prayer and healing and special gatherings.
• Our worship gatherings are more closely connected to our own initiatives in mission and leadership. We commissioned covenant partners to specific works and to work in places of mission (their work place, neighborhood, etc.)
• The focus of our worship gatherings is about equipping and encouraging those who are living on mission. Gatherings offer a time to report and prayer.  We also have invited guests to share during a time in our services called “What Is God Doing on the First Coast.”

In: Discipleship

• We have three weekly Up-In-Out (or Hebrews 10:24-25) groups gathering.
• Our Wednesday night group that met for five years has ended its time together. The fruits of the season together included members engaged in mission wherever they find themselves and engaging in discipleship activities and involvement with other organizations in the city.
• We have learned a helpful term: “missional incubator”.  Hebrews 10:24-25 calls us to “spur one another on to love and good deeds.”  We go “in” in order to go “out.”

Last year, I was able to report ways our covenant partners were touching the lives of people in various networks around the city.  And it still holds true.  Our people initiate mission wherever they are – without making a long list, we have come to “see ourselves as sent” to several neighborhoods, to our workplaces, and we work alongside area churches and ministries.  A number of these now fall into “organized outs”, (i.e prayer groups.)

Additionally, we are cultivating partnerships with other ministries and churches in the city, including participating in a mission trip to Costa Rica.  (Shout out to Axis Point Church, J1:9 ministries, Clearer Vision Ministries, Iron Sharpens Iron, and some new missions coming into place.)  We continue to emphasis a relationship based partnership in mission.

All Three came together at the annual retreat.  With a focus on Clarity of Calling, twenty-five folks, including a number who were guests, enjoyed fellowship, food, worship, times for prayer, encouragement, and conversation.  The group that came together represented a wide swath of the body of Christ across the First Coast.  This was a cause to celebrate!  And it is also something from which we might build.

What are some questions and considerations that will help us focus for the season ahead?

• On-going question: What can we do to nurture and release God’s call and the God-given visions and dreams that are active in the hearts of the people of LoveFirst Coast?
• Given that we have a number of well-equipped disciplers, what needs to happen in order for us to be engaged in discipling others?
• How can we help, encourage, and equip others who are living life on mission on the First Coast?