Identities

As followers of Jesus, we have been made into new creations, given a new identity (2 Cor 5:17).  At August Gate we believe that this new identity shows itself in our lives in 7 very distinct ways. We are a family of worshippers who, as parts of the body of Christ, serve, steward, and learn, as missionaries to the world. 

FAMILY MEMBERS (1 John 3:1-3, 1 Timothy 5:1-2, Hebrews 10:23-25)
-We should live from the security of knowing that we have been adopted by God, welcomed in to his family and given and inheritance.
-The church should function as a family that is submitted to the will of God,
 redeeming the broken sense of family that many of us carry.
-We should love others in the church community as we would
 a brother or sister, son or daughter.

WORSHIPPERS (1 Peter 2:9, Romans 12:1-2, Revelation 22:3-5, John 4:23-26, Hebrews 12:28-29, Romans 1:22-25)
-We have been made to worship the one true God.
-We are prone to direct our worship to idols (people, things, ideas) instead of the one true God.
-We should worship God through the renewing of our minds, our knowledge and acceptance of God’s truth.
-We should worship God by engaging emotionally with the truth of who he is,
 the heartbreak of the fall, and the beauty of the gospel.
-We should worship God by consciously choosing to live in obedience.

PARTS OF THE BODY (Ephesians 4:1-16, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27)
-The church is like a body with many unique members that work together for a common purpose.
-The church is healthiest when each member plays the role that God equipped him/her to play.
-The body is in harmony when each member values the other members and does not elevate his/her own value.
-The goal is for the entire body to grow into maturity, health, and strength.

SERVANTS (Mark 10:45, Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 4:10, Philippians 2:1-7, 2 Thessalonians 3:13, John 13:3-5)
-Our natural state is to serve ourselves.
-Jesus gives us the example of selfless humility and sacrifice.
-Scripture calls us to consider other’s needs before our own.
 Selfless humility should be a defining characteristic of followers of Christ.
-We should be people who are attuned to seeing the needs around us
 and responding accordingly, never assuming others will fill the need.

STEWARDS (Genesis 1:26-28, Psalm 24:1-2, Matthew 25:20-21, Colossians 1:24-25, Matthew 6:26, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
-Everything we have is from God, which should lead to thanksgiving.
-God has entrusted us to be stewards (caretakers) of what belongs to him.
-Because we have received freely from God, we should give freely and be generous.
-Members should support their local church body through regular giving.
-While the giving of 10% (tithe) is not explicitly commanded in the New Testament, it serves as a helpful starting point when considering what it means for you to give cheerfully and sacrificially.

LEARNERS (Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 4:11-14, 2 Timothy 2:2, Ephesians 1:16-19, John 17:17)
-We are called to worship God with our minds.
-The communication and acceptance of truth plays a vital role in salvation and sanctification.
-We should continually pursue deeper understanding.
-We should look for opportunities to proclaim to others what we have learned.

MISSIONARIES
-To Testify of the Risen Lord (Mark 16:10-14, Luke 7:20-22, Acts 1:8, Luke 19:40, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, 1 Peter 3:15)
  -We are called to proclaim the good news (gospel) that Jesus has risen from the grave and paid for our sins.
  We can be reconciled to God!
  -Evangelism requires the verbal proclamation of truth. Words are necessary.
  -We should be prepared to proclaim what we know, nothing more.
  -August Gate Church looks to its members to be the primary witnesses of Jesus Christ in the city.
-To Make Disciples (Matthew 28:18-20, Colossians 1:28, Hebrews 5:14)
  -All believers are called to grow into mature disciples and subsequently make disciples of Jesus.
  -Discipleship is a process that is often unpredictable and irregular.
  -Jesus offers us an example of discipleship that involves learning in the context of real life.
 Jesus offered guidance to his disciples while living, serving, eating, mourning, and celebrating together with them.
  -August Gate Church offers multiple opportunities and environments for learning and interpersonal connection.
  But we believe that the best context for discipleship is in a Gospel Community where individuals experience life together.
-To Love [God/Church/World] (1 John 4:19, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 John 3:11, 1 John 4:7, 1 John 2:15, John 3:16, Mark 12:28-31, John 14:15, 1 Timothy 1:5, 1 John 3:18, 1 Corinthians 13)
  -The primary command of Scripture is to love.
  -We are primarily called to love God with all of our faculties.
-We are secondarily called to love other people, both in the church and outside of it.
-Our love should be proactive, sacrificial, and tangible.
-To Be Agents of Restoration (2 Corinthians 5:14-21, Colossians 1:19-23, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Ephesians 1:7-11, Revelation 21:5)
-God declared his creation to be good.
-Despite the stain of sin, God has not chosen to destroy his creation but to redeem it.
-We should look for elements of God’s good design in people and creation.
  We should also be aware of how sin distorts God’s goodness in people and in creation.
-We seek reconciliation of people back to God through Jesus, which leads to the restoration of God’s image in them.
-We seek the restoration of God’s creation (business, arts, agriculture, relationships) back into alignment with his will.
 -At August Gate Church, we do not lead with defensive rejection but with loving redemption
 of both people and the world around us. 

For a more complete look at our identities, click here.