Our desire is for the lost to come to saving faith in Jesus and for Christians to be discipled to full maturity.
What is discipleship?
We see discipleship in the New Testament as Jesus' disciples give up their entire lives to follow and learn from Jesus and share the good news with everyone about what He had done.
Likewise, Christian discipleship involves devoting ourselves to Jesus through studying His Word and following His example of obedience, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Christians are called to be disciples and to make disciples.
Discipleship happens primarily in relationship with one another - which is why everybody needs to be in Gospel-community.
What are gospel communities?
On Sundays we gather corporately but throughout the week we meet in smaller communities for the day to day living out of our faith in obedience to Christ. These smaller communities are where we experience Gospel Community - life together under the Lordship and in the pattern of Christ.
Our Gospel Communities are centred around the four focuses of the early Church found in Acts 2:42: "And they devoted themselves to the 1) apostles' teaching and 2) the fellowship, to 3) breaking of bread and the 4) prayers." Click here to learn more.
Find a Gospel Community
In the past our model was leader-led Gospel Communities, however due to capacity limits, in order to accommodate more people and remove barriers we invited the body to training sessions to be equipped for living in gospel community. Now, this might sound confusing but "Centre Gospel Communities" are hosted (rather than leader-led) where there is an emphasis on shared leadership. The other option, the previously existing "Gospel Communities" are leader-led. Both communities happen in homes throughout the greater Vancouver area. This change has created more opportunity for the body to meet in gospel community throughout the city. Register for both below.
Find a Hosted Centre Gospel Community in Your Area
If you have attended the 8 week Centre GC Training Sessions, register for a hosted Centre Gospel Community below.
Find a Leader-Led Gospel Community in Your Area
We also have leader-led Gospel Communities meeting all over the Greater Vancouver area, register below.
Centre GCs Training Sessions
Learn everything you need to know about being in Gospel Community, focusing on the four devotions we find in Acts 2:42. Other topics include: how to pray, how to practice hospitality, how to have hard conversations, the cruciform life, and why and how we take communion together. Once you have completed the 8 weeks, you will launch out into your own GCs in your neighbourhood continuing to practice what you've learned throughout the training. And don't worry, we'll continue to resource and equip you with everything you need for living in Gospel Community with others. The next training sessions of Centre GCs starts April 2nd and runs to May 21st (8 weeks).
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to community@wchurch.ca.
FOUR FOCUSES OF GOSPEL COMMUNITY
Apostles' Teaching
The Bible is God's authoritative Word, revealing His character and purposes in the world, while guiding us in all aspects of life and equipping us for good works (2 Tim. 3:16-17). As Jesus' people we are submitted to Scripture as our standard of truth, conforming our lives to God's will rather than cultural trends or personal feelings.
Fellowship
The New Testament describes the church as a family united in Christ, with a biblical responsibility to love and care for one another. As Jesus' people we are devoted to embodying this identity and calling by living out "one another" practices such as, having Christ's mind, offering His welcome, speaking His words, showing His love, and giving His grace.
Breaking Bread
The Christian life is centred on Christ's sinless life, death, resurrection, and ascension, with the Lord's supper being central to gatherings. As Jesus' people we are devoted to a life of dying to self, living by faith, and surrendering personal desires to align with Christ's will, guided by Scripture and the Holy Spirit.
Prayer
Prayer in the simplest form is talking and spending time with God. As Jesus' people we are devoted to pursuing an ongoing relationship with Him that is formed by His Word and His Spirit, as He brings us into alignment with His heart.