Vision:
To be a committed follower of Jesus Christ
Mission:
To make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18-20)
Our mission accommodates significance, value and belonging.
Significance
An individual’s life can only find significance in the center of God’s will for their life. Everything in this world is temporary and will one day pass away (1 John 2:17). People who invest their lives in a passing world are living contrary to God and therefore can never find significance (1 John 2:15). The Bible reveals that we were created by God for a purpose and that God has planned our days long before we took our first breath (Romans 8:28-31, Psalm 139:15-18). Significance is found by walking in the plan that God designed for each individual. We aim to help others find significance by building a relationship with God and finding joy in surrendering to His plan.
Value
Value is the benefits we see from living a life in fellowship with God. The world’s measure of value is, ‘he who dies with the most toys wins’. The world system is at war with God (James 4:4) and when we are born into God’s kingdom, we find true value and now live for the eternal rather than the temporary passing life we now live on earth. We find value by first laying down our life and following Christ – for whoever seeks to save his life in this world will lose it but whoever loses his life for the sake of Christ will find it (Luke 9:23-24). The value of living for eternity begins by faith – by faith, we believe the promises of God and are therefore willing to lay down what is worthless to gain what is priceless.
At Rock of Ages, we seek to show the value of a Christian walk that has worth now and also possesses eternal worth. Fulfillment begins now but rewards are the promises we hope for in the future. The Bible tells us that our labor and the benefits are a gift from God (Ecclesiastes 3:13, 5:19) but the life focused on labor and pleasure is vanity – grasping for the wind (Ecclesiastes 2:1, 11, Isaiah 55:2). We still work in this life, but we receive all things as a gift from God. When God is our focus, all good things can be enjoyed; however, when gifts become the focus, life falls out of balance and labor becomes a vain attempt to find satisfaction outside of God’s plan.
It is true that our hope is on the promise that “the eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him”, but it is also true that fulfillment is found in this life as well. In the path of life there is fullness of joy, and God’s river of pleasures (Psalm 16:11, Psalm 36:8).
We seek to show the value of God’s plan both now and the eternal. We do not live for pleasures but we must know that God takes joy in blessing the lives of those who are willing to lay down everything for Him. Those who focus on pleasure will grasp the wind but those who lay down their lives in obedience will find pleasure, satisfaction and hope for eternity.
