Article 20191101

PPCF – The Who & the What, the How & the Why (& the Where) of our Vision & our Mission – Rich Cloud, PPCF Chairman

Part 3:  Our Mission (Cont.)
 

     Our Mission statement follows with our focus within this current article on Step #3.  See additional remarks for the background to our Mission at PPCF in Article #2 of this series.

PPCF Mission

     1.  Education – regular monthly meetings focusing on Biblical Creation Apologetics.

     2.  Personal Discipleship Growth – where each person who is a part of this fellowship seeks to grow in knowledge, understanding and wisdom to individually implement their personal calling to ministry in the area of Biblical Creation Apologetics.

     3.  Intentional Outreach (in article #3) – each person would seek to utilize their growth in discipleship, which we each experience, to in turn share this understanding with others outside of this immediate fellowship (one’s home church, various groups and individual contacts).

How & Why & Where are we as we accomplish our Mission at PPCF – Mission:  Part 3, in Intentional Outreach

     I have provided four questions below, which I believe will help us answer and understand how Step #3 of our Mission Statement could be implemented as Intentional Outreach.  While these same questions may be applied to any ministry effort, I believe that each one can help all of us at PPCF to better serve our region in a way that is likely unique in some ways yet still focused on each of us as a disciple becoming a disciple maker in the area of Biblical Creation (BC). 

Why is the Gospel foundational & the calling of God key to all Biblical Creation Teaching?

     As was mentioned in article #2, the importance of sharing the Gospel of Christ is paramount in all that we at PPCF do as a ministry – as this should truly be for any Christian ministry.  The church has always relied on those who hear and accept the truth of the Gospel to then go and share this same truth with others.

     God desires to use all believers to both participate and become active in God’s Kingdom work as we each fulfill our individual role.  In order for this to occur, however, it would require that those who hear the Word and recognize the Truth from it to then respond and to go forth to carry out this mission effort.  It is important that we use both the knowledge, which we have learned, plus our giftedness, which we have received from God, to share our calling with others.  We need to consider how God’s calling on our life will fulfill the desires He has for and in us.

     Because of the need within so many churches for the foundational teaching of BC, this ministry effort is the primary means of fulfilling our call at PPCF to reach out to others.  We recognize that the Good News of the Gospel was necessary because of the bad news of sin, which is recorded in Genesis 3.  This fact from God’s Word is an "origins-based" reality, which needs to be placed in the context of truthful history, which is contained in the Genesis 1-11 account (along with teaching Origin’s science based in Genesis 1 to 11).

Why is the role of each individual important in sharing the truth of Biblical Creation Outreach?

     Many may feel that they are not sufficiently equipped to take on the role of discipleship in the technical aspects of BC.  Some find that it can be quite difficult to respond to the challenges that could be encountered when sharing the details and the scientific content of this subject.  And yet the need remains.  Thankfully there are those like the Apostle Paul who demonstrate the need to go and tell others.  The question then becomes – in what "ways" can this telling be carried out?  By you, by me, by each of us?

     Maybe your role would be that of an ambassador to your church, to provide an inside voice to help make the availability of this teaching known.  This voice may be demonstrated by any number of examples, such as:

• a grandparent disciplining one’s grandkids, or

• sharing these truths as part of a small group, or

• being available by using personal outreach to individual families in the way of encouragement, or

• in simple conversations of sharing with another as God leads, or

• in direct church settings, like teen groups or Sunday school classes.

     The opportunities to speak the truth of BC can be open-ended.
 

How are we doing?

     As I look back at our meeting in October, we did not have large numbers in attendance, but I am thankful for those who came for that meeting and for those who choose to regularly attend our meetings.  But while I was pleased to see all who were there, I was also concerned by one simple fact.  When I surveyed those attending this past meeting, I recognized that we had no one present who was younger than 40 years of age.  This has been the "norm" at most of our meetings.  The common attendance, which we typically have, likely averages around 55 to 60 years of age.

     Up to this point we have been unable to effectively reach younger generations who need to hear this truth. We must do more.  Somehow, we need to make these BC truths available to them.  Right now, I would say that we have been mostly ineffective in accomplishing this.

     So how do we begin to reach and impact these younger generations?  Maybe this can be done in a different way.  Maybe we can start with your church body.  It is vitally important that we do not stop our outreach in teaching Biblical Creation to just our planned monthly educational meetings.  Can we really be satisfied in continuing as we are?  Can we stay with the status-quo or should we not do more?  I believe we need to speak into the lives of our youth and our younger adults with another voice.  We need to counter the false concepts on origins, which are currently taught as science.  So, we need your help.  What role can you take in this?

So how do we proceed from here?

     God has given us at PPCF an opportunity that did not exist 18 months ago.  God has drawn together a group of likeminded believers and called us to this place and given us this time as a ministry.  For the present and the foreseeable future, we will continue to share the truth of BC at our monthly meetings, under the direction of our leadership team (Al, Bill, Chris, Don, James, Pete and Rich).  But we also sense that God has given us an opportunity to reach beyond our current ministry role and to impact many more with the message of BC.

     In some ways we have begun to do this.  One way is through our Facebook page, which is administered by Pete B. from our leadership team.  This provides postings of recent articles to encourage further educational opportunities in multiple subject areas of BC.  A second way is our website, administered by Don Hartlaub of our leadership team, and on which this series of articles is located.  This site is currently our newest means to share the truth about BC.  We have also included on this site multiple links to other BC ministries, which provide numerous educational resources.

     But is this really enough?  God provides opportunities and He has provided an open door for us to do more.  But it is also true that opportunities come and go.  God can open a door, but He can also close it.  How long will this door remain open to us to walk through?  God is allowing us at this time and in this place a real opportunity to be used to share this message.  My desire and prayer is that we will not allow this opportunity to pass by and close.  As Paul has gone to others, should we not go to others also (to churches, small groups, individuals)?

     I, for one, am willing to go, to teach and to disciple.  I believe that there are others in our fellowship who would also like to participate in this way.  While not all are called to teach, all are called by God to be ambassadors for Christ, to use our individual giftedness, provided to us by God, to serve and to share the faith we profess.

     If you would like to be a part of this effort, in whatever way, I would like to hear back from you.  If you think your church or small group or gathering of friends would like to become more aware of what PPCF stands for and what we have to offer, please respond to this paper by letting me know.

     Thank you for taking the time to read about who we are at PPCF – Our Vision and Mission¹.  Thanks for taking the time to consider this appeal.  I hope that each one who has done so has been challenged to become more active in sharing the truths of Biblical Creation.  May God and His Word always be exalted (Psalm 138:2b).

     Rich Cloud, PPCF Chairman

¹To better understand the background, passion and focus of PPCF Vision & Mission, please read:

Our Vision and Mission as a Biblical Creationist Ministry:  Part 1  (1st Article)
Our Vision and Mission as a Biblical Creationist Ministry:  Part 2  (2nd Article)

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