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Pillar 11. Build each other up in Christ

(exhort/affirm/encourage/peacemaker)

a. FMC is committed to taking our next steps towards Christ together by exhorting, affirming, and encouraging others

b. FMC holds that Jesus is the head of this church & He calls His church to build up, strengthen, and encourage believers

c. FMC helps all believers find their confidence in Christ

d. FMC desires that all should engage in ministry expressions with a Holy Spirit empowered affirmation of Truth

e. FMC promotes our ultimate encouragement that Christ is triumphant over sin and death

f. FMC rejects the lies, doubts, guilt, and shame from the accuser

g. FMC does not sit in judgement on anyone’s situation; we will stand beside you, no matter what you are going through

h. FMC is always about the business of pointing people to the person, words, & works of Jesus Christ, the cornerstone

Reformed [ECO] Theological Tenets

ECO Polity, While believers may experience their membership in Christ’s body in spontaneous and unstructured gatherings, they fulfill the Lord’s purposes best when they covenant to fulfill the biblical vision of membership in particular congregations. These covenantal relationships provide the real-life context for the Holy Spirit’s ongoing transformation of believers into spiritual maturity, by nurturing understanding, encouragement, correction, and discipleship-in-mission.

ECO Polity, Becoming a covenant partner is important not only to the congregation but even more importantly for the covenant partner, as they are positioned to receive encouragement, support, and correction that the Lord promises to those who share spiritual fellowship. In committing to the cause of a life lived in and through Jesus Christ, covenant partners grow in Christian community together to become more Christ-like. In Christian community, we realize the fullness of life together and life in Christ, and discover our unique place in a common mission and narrative of God’s work. The covenant partner and the congregation are both blessed and become a great blessing as they covenant together, intentionally, in Christ’s work.

Q. 107. What doth the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?

A. The conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen,” teacheth us to take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise him, ascribing Kingdom, power, and glory to him; and in testimony of our desire and assurance to be heard, we say, “Amen.”

Q. 36. What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?

A. The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification are: assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.

Q. 107. Is it enough, then, if we do not kill our neighbor in any of these ways?

A. No; for when God condemns envy, hatred, and anger, he requires us to love our neighbor as ourselves, to show patience, peace, gentleness, mercy, and friendliness toward him, to prevent injury to him as much as we can, also to do good to our enemies.

Recommended Books

Venues to Implement this Pillar

1. Partner with the Serve Pillar to provide encouragement to those FMC serves.

2. Volunteer as Auxiliary Deacon assistants in areas where encouragement is needed such as reaching out to our shut-ins or writing letters to those who are experiencing grief.

3. Volunteer to support FMC funerals.

4. Serve as greeters for worship services

5. Serve as a mentor in one of our student ministry programs

6. Encourage elders, deacons, and church staff with candid, loving, and helpful feedback

Platforms & Exercises to Develop this Pillar

  • Have an open discussion on the 5 Love Languages and create lists about how we can speak different love languages better.
  • Identify 10 Bible verses that offer hope in times of struggle such as Lam 3:22-23
  • Discuss as a group how FMC might provide hope to those who receive a cancer diagnosis
  • Prepare a list of Scripture that speaks to suffering in this age as a Christian
  • Meet with those in the Serve Others Pillar to discuss ways in which FMC can better encourage those in need as we serve them
  • Pair up and practice listening to your partner. Ask him or her what their biggest concern is. After you hear their issues, pray with them and then take 30 mins to go to Scripture and look up what God has to say on the matter. Then reconvene and talk your partner through what you learned from Scripture. Pray again with each other
  • As a group, discuss the perils of flattery
  • Discuss conflict resolution and how to deescalate a conflict