Mid-South Church

THE MANDATE
"Make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 28:19)

THE MISSION
To glorify God by knowing Him, being known by Him, and making Him known.

THE METHOD
The church's aim is to be structured around relationships and community life as opposed to events and programs. By concentrating efforts on discipleship and leadership training, ministry is magnified. The goal is not to just get a crowd, but to raise up fellow ministers who raise up more ministers, etc.

In essence, our methodology flows from our theology, and our structure from our relationships. This Eastern concept runs contrary to established church protocols, which are typically very program and consumer based. This "cell church" approach is generally less-popular in Western culture, but it has been extremely successful around the world.

By bringing the focus of ministry back into the home-based cell (a small group of about a dozen people), personal attention is more possible, accountability and friendships more easily develop, and maturity is fostered as each person participates by giving and receiving ministry. In this manner, we are able to "bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the Law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2 KJV).

THE MESSAGE
Salvation is freely available through Jesus Christ. Yet our message transcends that of only personal salvation. We strive to proclaim the full counsel of God as revealed in all of Scripture, even when it conflicts with current doctrines or cultural patterns. Since God is concerned about the transformation of human society as well as the human soul, devotion to Christ then leads us not only into a life of holiness before Him, but also to interact with the world as we seek to expand His rule.

THE MULTITUDE
The Memphis metropolitan area has approximately 1.2 million people. It is the largest city in Tennessee, and the 2nd largest city in the Southeast. While its reputation is mired by historical racial division, it is a growing international city. Among the immigrants there is a growing Hispanic community, while other people groups such as Russians, Bosnians, Arabs, Asians, Indians, and Africans are represented as well. Besides having a vast number of churches of every variety, Memphis is home to a Buddhist temple, 2 Hindu temples, 4 mosques and 6 synagogues (including the largest Orthodox synagogue in the U.S.), and also has a significant number of Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons (including an LDS temple). Even a trip to Wal-Mart can be an intercultural experience!

We seek to connect with two primary kinds of people: The Unreached and the Unafflliated. This field includes immigrants, international students, foreign workers, inter-faith couples, inter-racial families, church drop-outs, and everyone else who calls the Mid-South home. While some in these groups have not had a clear presentation of the Gospel, many have heard the Good News but choose to reject it. Among those people, some reject the Gospel message because of its content, while others despise organized religion. In spite of the abundance of churches, synagogues, temples & mosques, many people simply opt-out on religion. Though ethnic congregations exist for Memphis area minorities (Hispanic, Chinese, Korean, etc.), they only reach a fraction of their particular constituents, and are often divided by denominational lines. We wish to reach those outside the touch of conventional religion, whether there by circumstance or choice.