Transforming Communities

We as the church of Jesus Christ want to see the Kingdom of God come here on earth, just as it is in heaven. The Gospel transforms lives. It is through the proclamation of the Gospel that people can receive salvation from God and become part of His Kingdom. It is our mandate as the church, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to establish God’s reign here on earth.

The Gospel not only transforms the life of the individual, but it also has the power to transform our communities, so that society as a whole can reflect the Kingdom of God. God never intended for us as Christians to separate our religious life from our vocation. Conducting our businesses and daily work in a godly manner, looking after the needs of the poor in our communities and developing our communities are as important to God as evangelising the unsaved. God’s mandate to the church is therefore all-encompassing. He is calling us to be the change in our society – to be the salt of the earth.

It is therefore not a matter of whether we should or should not engage in transforming our communities. Our purpose here on earth is to establish the Kingdom of God in all spheres of human life, and that includes the influence we have on the fabric of society. The question is rather: how do we move from just doing good to actually solving problems? What can we do differently so that we can see lasting change in our communities? How can we, as the Church of Jesus, be truly externally focused?

Rick Rusaw, one of the speakers at Convergence this year, will be presenting our first Short Course on Transforming Communities. He will be sharing his vast knowledge and experience on how we as the church can have a positive and lasting impact on our communities by being externally focused.

The course will be held at Shofar Durbanville on 9-10 September. You can also register to stream this course online if you are unable to attend the course at Shofar Durbanville.