Church is about people. Not programs, not strategies, not buildings, not facilities, not equipment, but people; people reaching out and touching other people. Churches—like individuals—can be too absorbed with their own survival or success. Our overriding concern may be that we become the church that everyone likes. We focus on how many people attend our …
Evangelism is the activity of communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ to others. Its basic intent is to encourage the recipients or hearers of the message to establish and nurture a personal relationship with God the Father and to experience the life-transforming work of the Holy Spirit through submission to the lordship of Christ. In …
The church is about ministry. It does not exist for itself, but for Christ and the accomplishment of God’s purpose in this world. Ministry is done in the name of Christ for the benefit of the world. And so, in addition to the foundational values that answer the question, “Who do we desire to be?” …
One core belief of Vallejo International is that the Christian Bible, consisting of 66 books, is the primary document of the church. This means that it is the primary resource to guide the faith and practice of the church. For this reason our fifth declared value is that we be biblical—our self-identity and fundamental character …
Life is about growth. To live life to the fullest, one must continue growing. Of course, I’m not referring to physical growth alone—although that is part of the human experience, up to a certain point. But we are to grow in every way if we are to enjoy the full benefit of what life can …
The third declared value of Vallejo International is that we desire to be a people who are faithful. A church that is truly Christ-centered and dependent on God will naturally be faithful to her Lord. Faithfulness is all about the Lord finding us loyal and trustworthy, reliable and dependable, constant and steadfast, to him and …
When Paul addressed the people in Athens, he declared: “In [God] we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17.28). He affirms that people exist by God’s creation and sustenance. No God; no life. The second of Vallejo International’s foundational values—that is, who we desire to be—is that we be “dependent on God.” Of …
The gospel is about God’s commitment and action to restore all things to what he intended for all creation. And the primary and irreplaceable person through whom this gospel is accomplished is none other than Jesus the Christ, through his sacrificial death on the cross and his continuing work as Lord of God’s people, the …
The three-fold purpose of Vallejo International, reviewed the past three weeks are: exalt God in every area of life, empower believers to become faithful disciples, and engage the unchurched with the gospel. To fulfill this purpose, certain functions must be in place and operational. From Scripture we can discern at least six church functions that …
The Great Commission (Matthew 28.19-20) is the Lord’s final instruction to his church before he ascended to his heavenly abode. The primary task he left for his church to accomplish is to “makedisciples.” One must not miss the fact that the very first word that introduces this final instruction is “go.” Making disciples involves going …
