East-West’s vision stays the same. We want to be used by God to multiply disciples in the spiritually darkest areas of the world. Each year, we have renewed fervor to see this vision through as we mobilize believers, share the gospel, equip leaders, and multiply churches.
Our foundation for this vision? Jesus.
We want to pursue Him like never before and are confident that in doing so, we’ll see His grace proclaimed in even greater ways among the unreached. That’s why we’ve set these six resolutions for the new year.
Pursue Jesus through the Bible
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God […] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” -John 1:1, 14
We believe in the Bible.
It unlocks the mystery of God’s character and makes known to us His will for the world. It’s greatest hidden treasure? The revelation of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. He is the Word made flesh who made His dwelling among us.
Through His life and the lives of his original disciples, we can best learn what it means to stay in communion with God while living on mission. Daily we want to dive into Scripture to meet Christ and discover how to faithfully follow Him as we labor to be His witnesses in the world.
Pursue Jesus through Prayer and Fasting
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you […] But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” -Matthew 6:6, 17
Prayer and fasting are implied practices for disciples of Jesus that display a reliance of the power of God over our own strengths and abilities.
History and scripture reveal that breakthrough occurs as we pray and fast. The Jerusalem Church was born in a prayer meeting (Acts 1:14). As the Antioch Church prayed and fasted, Barnabas and Saul were called to missions and sent out (Acts 13:1-3). If you’re reading this, you probably know what that led to—a global movement of the gospel that continues to spread today!
We want to be devoted to prayer and fasting out of desperation to see breakthrough among the unreached.
Pursue Jesus through Fellowship
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” -Hebrew 10:24-25
The early church met regularly in their homes and large gathering spaces.
Why? Because missions requires renewed courage. We need other believers to inspire and encourage us to move forward in boldness as we walk with Jesus and make disciples. That’s why Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs, and that’s why we work in tandem with other believers on the mission field.
We’re committed to continue gathering together to spur one another on toward love and good deeds for the sake of God’s glory spreading among the nations.
Rest in His Grace
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:28-30
Christianity’s distinctive is that we rely on the finished work of Christ for our salvation over our own attempts at meeting God’s standard.
We have found rest. There is no more striving for eternal life. There is no more performing in hopes of pleasing God. It is solely by grace through faith that we have been saved, not our works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Yet we can easily bend back toward performance-based acceptance. So this year, we’re aiming at resting in His grace. Ultimately it is faithfulness to reside in Christ’s abundance grace that leads to ministry fruitfulness (John 15:5).
Demonstrate His Grace
“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” -Colossians 4:5-6
God has intentionally placed us in dark spaces to be lights that point people to His glory.
With that in mind, we want to demonstrate His grace to everyone we encounter—at home, work, coffee shops, and cafes, and on planes, trains, and trails. As believers, God has designed our actions and words to always tell a greater story, which is why we want to be winsome in how we live in spiritually dark places—whether that’s our neighborhoods or unreached nations.
Proclaim His Grace
“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” -Romans 10:17
Since our start, East-West has had a deep conviction that this scripture is true. Throughout the life of Jesus and the apostles, the Kingdom of God is proclaimed, preached, and shared. The good news has always spread through believers speaking of the goodness and love of God displayed in Jesus Christ.
That trend continues today and God has chosen us to be the beautiful feet to declare the gospel (Romans 10:15).
We want to take greater risks to get the good news of Jesus Christ’s miraculous life, death, and resurrection to even more unreached people this year. We’ve counted the costs, and have placed our stake in the ground.
Jesus is worth giving our all to see His name exalted among the nations.
We want to send, share, equip, and multiply in greater ways than ever before, and you can be a part of that. Want to resolve to pursue Jesus more boldly? We invite you to join us in reaching the unreached.