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Called by God
JesusFirst began as a home fellowship in 2003. Our goal has been to learn what it means to make Jesus Christ first in every area of our lives. We desire to make Him first in our thoughts and prayers, first in our giving and first in our relationships. The second desire God placed on our hearts was to help one another understand and walk in the revelation and understanding of God’s calling for our lives. We spend so little time in Church as compared to everything else we do. So to live a life in the fullness of Christ, we must walk daily in His calling regardless of what we do for a living. The profession we find ourselves in should not define us as a people. It should only provide the sustenance we need to live. Our walk with Jesus Christ should define us! Yet the average Christian spends so little time reflecting on this great issue, we fail to see our value or relevance in the work Jesus is doing in our world today.
Birthing Ministry
As a point of truth, we realized long ago that so many Churches are organized to teach the truth of God through various means and styles of training. However, only a handful ever release their people into God’s calling once they have been prepared. You know, Jesus went to the Father after training the disciples for three years. We believe one of the reasons He did this was so He could build his church/body in the earth. If Jesus had remained as He was, it is likely that many of His disciples would never have accepted their God given responsibility and fulfilled His will. In other word, Jesus had to kick these guys out of the nest. Can you imagine a University or a High School that never graduates its students? That would be unthinkable! Yet, most Churches today never graduate their students. They never release their disciples into God’s calling. With Jesus becoming First in your life, you will have no choice but to grow, learn and be launched into His will and purpose for your life. Come and join us as we experience God's grace to walk in His will and purpose for our lives.
About Foursquare
Mission Statement
The Foursquare Church exists to glorify God and advance His kingdom. Jesus Christ's command is to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19). Therefore, we are "Dedicated unto the cause of inter-denominational and worldwide evangelism."* These words express our spirit and our focus.
Our call is to preach Jesus Christ, God's Son, as the Savior, Healer, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit and coming King. Our assignment is to develop healthy, growing churches. Our commitment is to plant national churches around the world led by loving servants of Jesus Christ. Churches developed in this manner will reproduce again and again. This makes possible the spread of the gospel to those who have not heard or accepted the message of God's Son.
The Foursquare Name
"Foursquare" is a Biblical term used of the tabernacle in the Book of Exodus, of the Temple of the Lord in Ezekiel 40:47, and of Heaven, as described in the book of the Revelation. The term "Foursquare Gospel" was given in the inspiration of revival to the denomination's founder, Aimee Semple McPherson, during an evangelistic campaign in Oakland, Calif., in 1922. It represents that which is equally balanced on all sides, established and enduring. Such confidence in the power of the Gospel is also expressed by the verse, Hebrews 13:8, displayed in Foursquare churches proclaiming, "Jesus Christ the Same, Yesterday and Today and Forever."
The name represents the four-fold ministries of Jesus:
The Savior
"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him..." -Isaiah 53:5 (Titus 2:14, Is. 55:7, Heb. 7:25, Is. 1:18)
The Baptizer with the Holy Spirit
"For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit... you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." -Acts 1:5,8 (Jn. 14:16-17, Acts 2:4, Acts 8:17, Acts 10:44-46, 1 Cor. 3:16)
The Healer
"He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses..." -Matthew 8:17 (Mk. 16:17-18, Mt. 9:5-6, Acts 4:29-30)
The Soon-Coming King
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout... the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." -1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (Titus 2:12-13, Mt. 24:36-44, Heb. 9:28, Lk. 19:13, Lk. 12:35-37.)
Vision
The vision of The Foursquare Church is to present Jesus Christ, God's Son, to every person in every culture and nation as The Savior, The Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, The Healer and The Soon-Coming King. Since the founding of The Foursquare Church in 1923, that vision has been realized through evangelizing the lost and establishing local congregations in the United States and abroad, through the nurturing and training of believers into leadership on all levels of church life, and in cooperation with other members of the body of Christ at large in the fellowship of the Gospel and the fulfillment of the biblical mandate to be "light" and "salt" on the earth.
Strategy
The strategy of The Foursquare Church is to follow the pattern of church development found in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit led the Early Church in this development. The pattern has four stages. It helps us understand where we are in the growth process and where we need to go. Each stage is different but connects closely with the others.
Stage 1: Pioneer
The church starts when workers bring the lost to Christ and plant local congregations. The goal is responsible disciples who evangelize and reproduce themselves. The church at Thessalonica in Greece started this way (Acts 17:1-9; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10).
Stage 2: Establish
The church grows stronger when workers give practical Christian teaching and train leaders. The goal is responsible, reproducing leaders who serve their families and the local church. The church on the island of Crete matured this way (Titus 1-3).
Stage 3: Empower
The national church organizes to govern and support itself and to do its own evangelism in a way that is sensitive to local cultures. The goal is responsible local congregations that plant other churches. Together they become a national church movement to reach the entire country. The church at Ephesus in Turkey developed and multiplied this way (Acts 19-20).
Stage 4: Send
The national church reaches out to people of other cultures and languages. The goal is responsible national churches that send and support workers who serve other cultures and countries. In obedience to the Holy Spirit, the church at Antioch in Syria became such a church when they sent Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:1-4).
Summary
Each national church preaches the gospel within a growing sphere of influence as it moves through the four stages. It looks forward to the day when "this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14). The spirit of The Foursquare Church is loving unity. It seeks to provide affirming and freeing relationships while following New Testament order. In so doing, we carry out the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. We glorify God and advance His kingdom.#
* The dedication statement on the cornerstone of Angelus Temple, the first Foursquare church started January 1, 1923.
# Taken from the Foursquare website http://www.foursquare.org/landing_pages/2,3.html May 2, 2007.
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