GAIN Retreat - Gospel Centrality - Friday Morning Session

Gospel Centrality

What we need to be focused on is reaching people for Jesus…

That’s it!

Identify ourselves by what we are for, not by what we are against.

We do not have enough time to get caught up in these types of debates…

Colossians 2:8 ESV

8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

It is going to be exceptionally easy for us to look at what is happening all around us with “woke church” and cultural themes, but we are going to need to be driven by something else…

Yes, it is important to understand these things, but we do so in an effort to bring life, hope, and truth into the culture.

It will be the gospel that will change the hearts of our people - not our tirades against wokeism…

The Need

Demographic research of Bryan/College Station (Brazos County)

Population - 237,032 people (2022 - US Census Bureau - https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/montgomerycountytexas,sanantoniocitytexas,brazoscountytexas,pasadenacitytexas/PST045221) **I don’t believe this includes college students.

58.8% claim none as religious affiliation (that was in 2010 - and had nearly doubled since 2000) (http://www.city-data.com/county/Brazos_County-TX.html)

With old data, this is ~140,000 people

11.3% Catholic

2.9% other (Muslim, Hindu??)

only 19.7% Evangelical Protestant

Demographic Research of Pasadena

Population - 148,626 (2022 - US Census Bureau - same reference as above)

You have actually lost population 2.2% to be exact

41.6% claimed none as their religious affiliation (http://www.city-data.com/city/Pasadena-Texas.html)

This is almost 62,000 people

18.1% Catholic

5.2% other

Demographic Research of Magnolia

Population - 2,553 (2022 - https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/magnolia-tx-population)

50% claim none as their religious affiliation (https://www.city-data.com/city/Magnolia-Texas.html)

This is 1,276 people

12.8% Catholic

4.0% other

Demographic Research of San Antonio

Population - 1.45 Million (US Census Bureau - same reference as above

43.6% claim none as their religious affiliation (https://www.city-data.com/city/San-Antonio-Texas.html)

This is 633,000 people

30.8% Catholic

3.6% other

Lots of people...

Just in our contexts, there are 836,000 people that claim none as their religious affiliation....

Add in those of other religions, most catholics, and perhaps a lot of evangelical church goers, and we are likely well over a million people.

Pew Research Center Article

In 2020, Pew estimates 64% of Americans (including children) were Christian

This is down from 90% in 1972

Estimated decline over the next 50 years...

Christian pop could be as high as 54% and as low as 35%

They argue that their “No. 2 Scenario” best illustrates what will happen if we follow the trends in recent years.

The result is a population with:

39% Christian

48% none

12% other religions

We have something to be FOR...

The salvation of these people

The churches that we have are not going to be sufficient

So we need to be raising up new, gospel-centered church plants.

Theological distinctives

Christ is ALL: We will live and die on the biblical gospel of Christ crucified, Christ raised, and Christ our righteousness. Above all, we will maintain a clear gospel focus and centrality. (Romans 1:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4) We hold to salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. We believe that this is freely given by Jesus who gave Himself up to crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection to secure that salvation. (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 6:23) Furthermore, we believe that Christ alone is mediator between God and man. We hold to the truth that in Christ, every believer has direct access to the Lord, needing no priest or intermediary to go before them or give them access. As such, we hold that elders and pastors are not to serve as gatekeepers to the Lord and His grace, but rather as under-shepherds, graciously leading the Lord’s people. We hold that elders are also sheep in the flock in no way superior to the other brothers and sisters in the body. Because of this, we reject the “CEO” model of church leadership and the “Lone Ranger” pastor who exalts himself above the rest. (1 Peter 2:9, 1 Peter 5:1-5, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Timothy 3:1-7)

The Bible is enough: We believe in the absolute authority and sufficiency of the Bible to equip Christ-followers for a life of godliness and mission. (2 Tim 3:14-17, 2 Peter 1:3)

God is sovereign: Though we do not diminish or downplay the biblical basis for man’s responsibility, we affirm God’s perfect sovereignty over the affairs of man, including his salvation. (John 6:65, Philippians 1:6, Colossians 2:20-23, Romans 8:28-30, Ephesians 1:3-10, Ephesians 2:1-10)

The Spirit is essential: Transformation, growth, renewal, revival, restoration, and reconciliation will not come through the efforts and work of man. It will not come through fleshly wisdom, power, and skill. We are completely dependent upon the Holy Spirit to be the primary agent of all these things. (John 14:26, John 16:8 Acts 1:8, Romans 5:3-5, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 2 Timothy 1:14)

Men as servant leaders of the home & church: We hold to a complementarian view of men and women in the home and in the church. Though God created man and woman equal in worth, value, and dignity, there is a distinction of roles. We believe that the role of pastor/ elder is reserved for men. (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:20-25, Ephesians 5:22-33, 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 2:2-10)

Believers should be baptized: We hold to the baptism of believers - those who have placed personal faith in the life, death, resurrection, and righteousness of Jesus Christ alone for salvation. (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:36-38)

Philosophical distinctives

Primacy of a thoroughly biblical worldview (Acts 17:24-25, Colossians 2:8, Romans 12:2)

Expository Preaching (Acts 20:27, 2 Corinthians 2:12-16, 2 Timothy 4:2-5)

Evangelistic/Soul Reaching focus (Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, 1 Corinthians 9:22)

Disciple Making systems (Matthew 28:16-20, Acts 14:21, Acts 18:24-26, Philippians 3:17, 2 Timothy 2:2, Titus 2:4, Ephesians 6:4, Hebrews 13:3)

Teams approach to church planting (Mark 6:7, Luke 10:1, Acts 14:23, Titus 1:5)

Unity in Diversity (Romans 14, Galatians 4:1-7, Ephesians 2:11-22)

Open Review of GAIN Overview Document

Minus What we DO and Goals (will do those this afternoon and tomorrow)