Who We Are

There has been a crevice created within the hearts of individuals toward the concept of Christianity. Ideas of the Christian faith have been taught as a strict religion rather than a loving relationship. There is an association with the ideas that in order to be a true practicing believer, you must live with this religious undertone. Christ however shows us that religion will bring limitation, bondage, and ultimately spiritual death. However, to live in relationship is to live in the fullness of God and the freedom of Christ.

What would “church” look like if the purpose was simply not to establish rules that control the lifestyles and thoughts of people? If instead we, as believers, would put into practice the teachings and biblical principles that would guide us to dive into and develop an authentic relationship with the living God, if we would teach that discipleship is more than a simple bible study, and if we would push past program-oriented outreach to reach out to people in their own element; how, then would our world change? How would our world change if we truly became the hands and feet of Jesus?

As the body of Christ we should be willing To walk where others choose not to walk, To reach out to those that seem unreachable, and To embrace the unlovable. To many believers and unbelievers, our lives are falling through the cracks. The reasons for this range from one being wounded by experience, or simply by one feeling ignored. Whatever the reason; for us to ignore these lives, is for us to forfeit our own. From across the world to our very own back door people are hurting. Hope comes with the knowledge and faith that God has not forgotten.

Our mission is that through the truth and teachings of Christ, we will impact our Community and affect our Culture. The Union will be a place for relational growth and spiritual maturity, a place where people have a desire to be a part of something bigger than they are, and a place for people to feel connected to a cause. This is where churches can get caught up in their own program-driven world and where churches begin to focus solely on the property that the people gather together on.

Our desire is to buy into a cause. It’s a cause that I frequently talked about but seldom lived. Matthew 25.35-40 states that where the “hungry, thirsty, the unknown, naked, sick and imprisoned are, there he is”. God’s passion is not only for us to know him, but for us to make him known; not just by verbal evangelism, but even more importantly, by physical interaction. The beginning of this is to meet the needs physically and spiritually of those within our community. As one life at a time is impacted, it begins to ripple throughout the world. The influence that we have on our own is limited. But as a ministry, as a church, and as the body of Christ in service to an Infinite God, our outreach and impact is limitless.

The question is: how do we go about accomplishing our passions? First, we must communicate our vision. The primary goal of the Union is to reach out, to teach, and to equip the people that we interact with, and to create an atmosphere where one can be in a community of believers where questions are welcome so that truth can be revealed and maturity can occur. We strive to develop relationships that spark true discipleship. Our ministry is to be a place that accepts people as they are and encourages one to find their identity in Christ.

As we continue daily to develop and grow as a whole spiritually, we are also interactive with the community around us. By teaming up with local homeless programs, after school tutoring, and community service projects, we will be outwardly focused on being part of the community around us. The Union will not be a ministry that will wait for those who are hurting to come to us, rather we will meet them right where they are, whether it’s at school, at home, or on a street corner.

Our impact will also be felt globally. By interacting with missionaries across the world and partnering with orphanages and similar organizations, our ministry will strive to be the hands and feet of Christ by creating opportunities to raise funds and to establish trips to help reach out and support these people, as well as helping them pursue the dreams that were laid upon there lives. We want to bring awareness to the reality of the world that we are a part of.

The Union will make every effort to be the ministry that encourages and invites a connection with the Living God. It will be outwardly focused to impact the lives of people we come in contact with through our community and world. We want to provide a place where visions are welcome and dreams can become reality, as well as a place where Acceptance, Love, Truth, Understanding and Maturity are the core of our existence. We will reach the generations that have seen church as anti-relationship, distant, and disconnected place.

Ovie Moore

Director of the Union Ministries