Mission, Vision, Values and Aim

MISSION

Our mission is to be a Spirit filled, Christ centred, Gospel proclaiming community, placed by God in Dorchester to be a City on a Hill introducing people to a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ.

VISION

Our Vision is to build a People of Significance who:

 

VALUES

Our values are expressed in a devotion to:

 

• Obedience

The church we want to see built in Dorchester, Dorset, is a church that hears Gods voice through His word, by His spirit, and obeys with a desire to honour God.

 

 

From the very beginning, God's love for men and women was shown in creating us with free wills. He could have made us like robots that would automatically choose to love and follow Him, but that would not have been real love. For those of us who are parents, we know how much more satisfying it is to receive unconditional love from our children as opposed to a false, shallow love. Real love demands a choice, God is looking for men and women who really love Him and are willing to show that love by obeying Him.

 

That's the pivotal point of the scale: obedience. It's black and white. We either obey or we don't and whatever we choose, reaps its own consequences and clearly shows our Father whether we genuinely love Him or not.

 

Obedience is not optional if we have committed our life to Jesus and wish to express our love to Him.

 

 

• Integrity

"Let integrity and uprightness protect me; because my hope is in you"

(Psalm 25:21)

 

The church we want to build is to be built with integrity, and honesty. According to Scripture, the true gauge of a man's integrity is his heart. The world evaluates a person's integrity from what it sees in man's outward behaviour. God judges integrity from what He sees in a man's heart, for:

 

"Every way of a man seems right to him but the Lord weighs the heart"

(Prov 21: 2)

 

In other words, man measures integrity from the outside, and God measures integrity from the inside.

 

When David prayed:

 

 

It was only through David's total inward submission that he could walk;

 

"in integrity of heart, and in uprightness".

(1 Kings 9:4)

 

It is important to understand that Biblical integrity is not reached by following a moral standard, it is through following Jesus Christ, the Author of moral standards. Biblical integrity is essentially righteousness, and righteousness is impossible apart from God. Our Lord instructs us to seek:

 

"first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness"

(Mt 6: 33)

 

We are not to go about trying to establish our own righteousness, but rather to submit ourselves to Gods.

• Worship

The church we want to see built, is on fire for God and passionate for His glory. Meetings are consistently marked by exuberant praise, rich encounters with God’s manifest presence, thankfulness and genuine expressions of our total dependence on God for His guidance and aid.


Worship is our highest calling as believers, whether on Sunday morning, in our connect group meetings or in our everyday lives, God is looking for a people who will worship Him in Spirit and Truth.


Our worship is to be joyful and lively, with many people contributing (1 Cor 14:26)

“When we gather together in our corporate meetings, we are not coming together to worship, we are worshipers coming together”

• Prayer

New Testament believers prayed a lot, both alone and in groups, why? Because God says when we pray, He will act.

 

We uphold prayer as a huge privilege, and being able to pray to God the Father, through Jesus God the Son, in the power of the God the Holy Spirit, will obtain life and community changing results.

 

We want DFC to be, and be known as a praying church, and to achieve this we hold regular prayer times throughout the week:

 

Thursday mornings: 7:00-8:00am in the church office.
Sunday evenings: 7:00pm-8:00pm twice a month
Sunday mornings: 9:15am-9:45am upstairs in the dressing rooms at the Corn Exchange, prior to the morning meeting.

We meet in our connect groups on various evenings of the week.

 

We also encourage all who have made the commitment to family membership to develop an ongoing devotional life through daily prayer, bible study, and worship.

Pick up a copy of the “DFC Prayer Shield”, and sign up to pray regularly for the “Five Prayer Points” covering the Past, Present, and Future ministry of DFC.

• Purity

The church is called to purity, to be holy, to be like Christ Jesus.

 

Living a pure life is not easy, so we work hard at being disciples of Jesus at DFC. We want to have relationships with one another that are strong and which help us become increasingly like Jesus. And we believe in the power of God’s Spirit to enable us to live in purity.

Sometimes a pursuit of purity will mean acting in a way that doesn’t appear respectable! Respectability tries to cover up sin, while purity exposes it to the light of the gospel. How we live matters to Jesus, so we want to be a church where people are helped to live Godly lives.

 

Purity is not about legalism, so we don’t try to control one another through rules and regulations. Sacrificial living in a way which is pleasing to our God and Saviour can only happen by grace, so our desire is to be a grace-filled community.

• Truth

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

(John 8:31-32)

 

The church we are called to build, honours the whole of God’s Word as the unchanging Truth. The Bible is always relevant, but we must engage with our culture and communicate its total truth about creation, salvation, humanity, community, relationships, God’s reality, in ways that really connect.

 

Why not sign up for the next ‘Freedom in Christ Course’, and find out the truth of who you are in Christ? Read the books ‘Victory over Darkness’, and ‘The Bondage Breaker’, by Neil Anderson.

• Grace

The church we desire to build will walk in acceptance and love of others, displaying total forgiveness for wrongs, and care for one another. It is concerned for the poor and is known for its love in helping people of all backgrounds to experience God’s restoring love as they are set free to be themselves under Gods grace.

 

The Doctrine of Grace teaches that we are totally unable to save ourselves, to help in our salvation, to do anything to merit all or any part of our salvation, or to keep our salvation. We are saved totally as an act of God’s will, and we do not deserve it in any way.

 

Indeed, those that are saved are equally deserving of Hell as those who actually go there! This is the most important first principle in understanding Grace, no one in the entire human race deserves any consideration from God, we are all rebels and sinners. Except for His own redemption plan, God could rightfully have sent the entire human race to eternal punishment long ago!

 

We were dead spiritually; we were fit for nothing but judgement, we were rebels and in bondage to sin and Satan. In the midst of that condition, God saved us. We exercised faith, which is itself a gift of God (Jn 6:44-47), and God blessed us with the greatest possible gift, eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Grace is: “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”.

Grace is: “Gods empowering presence to enable us to be all God intended us to be, and to do all He has intended us to do”

 

As God has extended His amazing grace to us, through forgiveness, acceptance, and unconditional love, we are called to extend that same grace to others.

• Giving

“But just as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us - see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”

(2 Cor 8:7)

 

Generosity is an indisputable characteristic of a New Testament church. We desire to excel in this! How much you give or don’t give is entirely up to you! You don’t have to give anything! – your salvation is totally free and all of God’s grace. Your giving must be a freewill offering of thanksgiving to God.

 

DFC is a local independent church which is self supporting through the giving of its members. We receive no funding from a central organisation or denomination, nor do we receive any charitable or government support. Therefore, to see our Mission fulfilled and to allow us to provide support to our family members, we rely upon God meeting our financial needs through the regular giving of our members.

 

Here is how things work at Dorchester Family Church:

1. Tithing (giving 10% of gross income) is no longer a law as it was in Old Testament times. But it is now a principle that, out of respect for the greater power of grace, 10% should probably be equaled if not bettered.

 

2. But here is the challenge; we do not want to talk about money all the time, or do mini-preaches on giving each week. So here’s the deal: we agree up front what the expectation is, and then we all keep to it and thus we excel in giving in an atmosphere of grace!

3. As leaders, we feel comfortable to make the principle of the tithe (regular giving of 10% of gross income) the agreed standard for members. Whilst many of us will give more, some may need some time to readjust things to get up to the tithe.

4. As leaders of the church, we will continually seek God as to how to use wisely and with integrity the tithes and offerings we have received. The trustees of DFC oversee the way in which we use the finances under our stewardship. Members are entitled to discuss and view any aspect of church finances with the treasurer, trustees or the leadership team.

5. Your salvation is free and is not dependant upon your tithes and offerings.

 

6. Because we are opposed to any hint of legalism, we would like everyone to do this joyfully and out of a clear conscience. To this end, if you are not comfortable with this arrangement, then please let’s chat about it.

 

7. But let’s not dodge the issue: whilst we are determined that this should not feel legalistic, we are equally determined that we should not try to justify our own short-comings or lack of discipline or stinginess in the name of avoiding legalism! For example, we never blame our bosses for consistently paying us a regular salary on a regular basis. On the contrary, we commend them for their discipline and commitment!  John Piper says that ‘another name for serious intention is planning… Failure to plan…results not in spontaneity, but the same old rut’. The principle and discipline of the tithe helps us consistently excel in this grace of giving (2 Cor 8:7). We have found that consistently surrendering a decent portion of our income to God on a monthly basis is an act of faith, obedience and worship that also stops us worshipping money.

8. We believe that the full tithe should go to the local church:
R.T. Kendall writes:

Tithing is the solution no one talks about. If every professing Christian would tithe, every congregation would be free of financial worries and could begin to truly be the salt of the earth…“

Tithes, therefore, should be exclusively for the work of the gospel. Tithes should not be given to charity or any other noble work. Non-church organizations should be supported by non-Christians, or by Christians who have first given all their tithes to the church, or given by the church itself.’

 

Occasionally, people are committed to giving outside of the church. In this kind of situation we suggest that they tithe to DFC, and possibly give offerings elsewhere. We encourage church members to give via Direct Debit where possible, as this is safer, easier, and helps us with our budgeting.

 

We also encourage all tax payers to give by Gift Aid, as this allows us, as a charity to re-claim 25% on any of your giving.

 

Where giving is made via Direct Debit, it is important that we recognise giving is an act of worship towards God and we should take time to ensure that it does not simply become a habit or a debit from our bank account. Thanking God for providing the resources that allow us to give is an excellent way to worship.

 

We also take up an offering each Sunday and there are regular annual Gift Days for specific needs. As a church we remember the poor, giving away at least 15% per cent of our income, which is also used to advance God’s kingdom globally through church planting.

 

Please consider reading the “Giving Gods Way” booklet produced by the church to give you greater understanding about the whole subject of giving.

 

 

Let’s Excel in the Grace of Giving.

• Growth

We have a promise that God made to Abraham and to his seed, the Church. That God’s purpose is to bless us and make us an increasing blessing to the whole earth. We confidently expect the supernatural power and favour of God that all people might see the Church and turn to Christ.

God has spoken a promise to us as a church:

 

“If you build it, they will come”

 

What is the “it” that we are to build? It is a church based on the New Testament principles, a church that honours Gods word, and welcomes His Spirit. When we do this we will be blessed, and God will draw men, women, and children to Himself through His church, and they will also be blessed.

• Serving

 

 

 

The size of the task is irrelevant. The only issue is, does it need to be done?

 

You will never arrive at the state in life where you're too important to help with what we consider menial tasks. God will never exempt you from the mundane. It's a vital part of your character development.

 

"If you think you are too important to help someone in need, you are only fooling yourself. You are really a nobody"

(Gal 6:3 NLT)

It is in these small services that we grow to be like Christ.

 

Jesus specialized in menial tasks that everyone else tried to avoid: washing feet, helping children, fixing breakfast, and serving lepers. Nothing was beneath him, because he came to serve. It wasn't in spite of his greatness that he did these things, but because of it, and he expects us to follow his example (Jn 13 :15).

 

Small tasks often show a big heart. Your servant's heart is revealed in little acts that others don't think of doing, as when Paul gathered brushwood for a fire to warm everyone after a shipwreck (Acts 28:3).

 

He was just as exhausted as everyone else, but he did what everyone needed. No task is beneath you when you have a servant's heart.

Great opportunities often disguise themselves in small tasks. The little things in life determine the big things. Don't look for great tasks to do for God. Just do the not-so-great stuff, and God will release you into His destiny for you.

There will always be more people willing to do "great" things for God than there are people willing to do the little things. The race to be a leader is crowded, but the field is wide open for those willing to be genuine servants.

Sometimes you serve upward to those in authority, and sometimes you serve downward to those in need. Either way, you develop a servant's heart when you're willing to do “anything” needed.

If you are not playing your part in DFC someone else is having to do it for you, or the church is being robbed of your vital gift. And if you are not serving, you are consuming.

 

We are looking for a church where everyone plays their part
whatever your gift is, God is looking for you to use it!

 

• Humility

The church we desire to build has a leadership team and membership pulling together with humility in the same direction. It relates well to Ephesians 4 ministries designed to encourage interdependence, maturity, stability and unity.

Humility equips and mentors others so that everyone looks out for the interests of others and believes that no part of the body is dispensable.

The true meaning of humility is found in Phillippians 2, which calls for us to be like Christ and humble ourselves, and this is done by becoming servants to others with our abilities, not denying our abilities.

 

 

Humility is the most essential character quality of the believer. Humility allows you to respond properly to conviction of sin, as one being led to Christ.

 

Isaiah also reveals the necessity of humility for one to be esteemed in God's eyes.

 

"This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." (Is 66:2)

 

 

• Excellence

The church we desire to build is known for its excellence in all that it does. In serving God and building up His people, sacrificially giving its time,

 

 

The Bible identifies five characteristics of people who excel at what they do.

 

1. People who excel work with enthusiasm. Regardless of whether the job is big or small, give it your best. Great performers give their best effort, no matter the size of the audience:

 

2. People who excel sharpen their skills. They never stop developing, growing, learning, and improving:

 

“If your axe is dull and you don’t sharpen it, you have to work harder to use it. It is smarter to plan ahead”

(Eccl 10:10)

It takes more than desire to excel, it takes skill! Remember, you’re never wasting time when you’re sharpening your “axe.”

 

3. People who excel keep their word. They are reliable. They can be counted on to do what they say they’ll do. So they excel because people of integrity are rare in our society:

 

“Everyone talks about how loyal and faithful he is, but just try to find someone who really is!” (Prov 20:6)

4. People who excel maintain a positive attitude. Even under pressure, or change, or unrealistic demands, they don’t allow themselves to become negative:

 

 And remember:

 

5. People who excel do more than is expected. This is a secret that every successful person has discovered. You’ll never excel by only doing what is required. Jesus said,

 

“If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously”

(Matt 5:40–42)

 

When you’re tempted to cut corners, thinking, “No one will ever know,” remember God is looking down and sees everything you do. Give him your best this is all you can do.

 

Let’s do ALL we do in serving both God, and others at DFC with excellence!

• Relationships

The church we are called to build is highly “relational” and not ‘religious’. It feels like family, experiencing true friendship and fostering deep unity through meals together, Sunday celebrations, small-group meetings and outreach with other gospel-centred churches across the town, and county.

 

One of the primary places we build relationships with each other and God is in our connect groups (Mid-week, small groups).

 

“Everyday they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts”

(Acts 2:46)

 

We want every member to play an active part in a connect group, where they are to love, serve and care for one another. It is almost impossible to care for you if you’re not part of a connect group – it simply doesn’t work. Connect groups are your first point of pastoral care.

 

It is also an opportunity as a group together to reach those who are on the fringe of the church through evangelistic outreach.

 

Connect group is a high priority in our week as a church.

 

Connect group exists for the following six reasons:

1.  To keep Jesus at the centre of our lives through worship
2.  To build relationships through fellowship
3.  To reach the wider community through evangelism
4.  To raising leaders through responsibility
5.  To build trust through honest accountability
6.  To disciple new believers through example

 

 

AIM

Our aim is to be a church where everyone belongs and is equipped to reach their full potential in Christ.