What does the East Sunshine Church see as its purpose?
Since we believe that followers of Jesus are to become like Him by sharing His life, the East Sunshine leadership is dedicated to helping people move toward this purpose. We seek to lead people to share life up with God, in with each other, and out in service. We do not think that these are three separate categories, but instead are connected, inter-related, and overlapping. Like a three-stranded rope, each dimension increases the growth and strength of the others.
How does the East Sunshine church family practice this life?
SHARING UP with God: Jesus said the greatest command is to love God. We share life with God by engaging in worship both in the church assembly and in personal devotion. We also seek to learn continually from Jesus through Scripture, to relate to Him through prayer, and to open ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s power to transform us through long-standing practices like fasting, solitude, silence, and rest. The East Sunshine leadership wants to encourage and inspire you to be a part of the worship assembly and Bible classes and to nurture a vibrant relationship with God outside of the church assembly.
SHARING IN with each other: Jesus said the second greatest command is to love your neighbor as yourself. We are created for community and we share life with God as we share it with others. In the East Sunshine family, we do this through a variety of small groups available for children, teens, and adults. The leadership wants to help you develop deep relationships with other members of the church by helping you connect to a small group.
SHARING OUT in service: We see service as a way to show love for God and for others. We believe every person is gifted by the Holy Spirit to serve in the church family and the world. For example, your service might be to children or teens in the church, to the poor or marginalized in our community, to people in other countries, to your home-bound parents, or in the care for creation, just to name a few.
Will I/We Fit in at East Sunshine?
We recognize that people may come to the East Sunshine Church from various church backgrounds, bringing diverse interpretations of Scripture and different understandings of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Because it is important to us that we communicate clearly who we are, written statements are available that express our identity. We have a non-denominational spirit, so the statements are not meant to be exclusionary, but instead are intended to let people know who we are at the core.
We also understand that some people have little or no church background and want to know about the Christian faith. We believe that Jesus desires to show who He is through His presence in His people, the church. Therefore, we believe that one way people will come to know what it means to follow Jesus is by being in community with others who have committed their lives to learning from and following Him. We believe that part of our mission is to teach people the basics of Christian faith in a way that is appropriate to where they are in their spiritual journey.
So, who can be a member?
Based on the various backgrounds of those who come to East Sunshine, we recognize two ways of sharing life in our church family:
1. We recognize as members of the body of Christ, the church, those who have responded to the call of the gospel in faith, with a repentant heart, who have been baptized into Christ, and who express a commitment to be God's person. Members of the body of Christ at large are welcomed as members of the local church at East Sunshine.
2. We welcome into our congregational journey those who seek a relationship with God, Jesus, and/or his family, the church. This means that we invite people to grow and learn with us, even if they have not yet made a decision to follow Christ.
In either case, by joining the East Sunshine Church family, you are stating your intention to be spiritually led, influenced, and cared for by the elders and ministers of this congregation. At East Sunshine, places of leadership, including teaching, will be held by those who have responded to the gospel in the way described in number one.
How do I become a member of the East Sunshine Church family?
1. Talk to one of the shepherds (elders) or ministers about your desire to be spiritually led, influenced, and cared for by the leaders of this church. A shepherd or minister will talk to you (or let you talk) about your relationship with God and your current level of faith and commitment to Christ. This is not intended to pass judgment on you, but rather will help us more fully understand how we might shepherd you effectively and in a way that is faithful to our understanding of Scripture.
2. Read the other identity statements of the East Sunshine Church, which include:
- We Believe
- We Value
- Our Heritage
If you have any questions or comments about anything you read, please ask.
3. Inform one of the shepherds or ministers that you have read the identity statements and that you have decided to be a part of this church family. One of our ministers, Nick Fouts, will arrange a meeting with you (or at least with parents, in the case of a family) to help you connect with a small group ministry, to identify spiritual gifts and help you find a place to serve, and introduce you to a shepherding couple. This shepherd will be "assigned" to you to have primary shepherding responsibility in your growth toward Jesus. You are welcome to call on this shepherd at any time if you have a need. We will either arrange to take a photo of you or ask that you send a recent digital photo of you (and your family) to the church office email. We will include you in our directory and will create a PowerPoint slide to project when we introduce you (if you are willing).