A picture of biblical community:
"42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:42-47
Why?
As a community of believers we have each been blessed differently in our natural abilities, spiritual gifts, and material resources. Although those things make up a big part of who we are as individuals it is not all we are. Our identity is ultimately found in Christ and our part in the greater body. The church, then, is a living organism comprised of believers striving to know God and make him known. Each of us has something to offer. Yet no one part can function effectively alone. We need each other. We were made to work together, complement each other, and come alongside each other in times of need (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, John 17:20-23).
At Chapel Pointe our vision is to be a:
Christian Community...Reaching Seekers & Developing Believers.
Our mission as Christ-followers is to demonstrate our love for both God & others by working together to meet the spiritual, physical & material needs in our:
Congregation (individuals & families that form Chapel Pointe)
Communities (the places we live - Jenison, Hudsonville, Grandville, etc)
Cities (our neighboring cities - Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Holland, etc)
World (to the ends of the earth)
How can we do that?
Often times we sense there are needs and want to help. We just don't know where to start. TheCommon.org is a simple, yet powerful resource to help us fulfill our vision and mission as a church. Through TheCommon we will be better able to identify and meet needs in our congregation, communities, cities, and world.
The primary purpose of TheCommon is to match needs with abilities. It's important to remember that each of us has both and we need to be willing to share both. Let's break it down:
Abilities: The starting point is recognizing that each of us has something to offer. Each member will create a profile identifying their strengths/natural abilities.
Needs: After creating a profile members are then able to view needs that match their abilities and help meet those needs. Also, as needs arise members are able to post them and allow others to help meet their needs. They are also able to post needs on behalf of others (i.e. neighbor, friend, volunteer organization, etc).
For more information about how it works see the video below and check out the FAQ page at TheCommon.org
What now?
Sign up for an individual account.
Join the Chapel Pointe community.
Begin sharing needs and abilities.
Questions?
Feel free to email Dan Hoffman - dhoffman@chapel-pointe.org