The Mission
The mission of Franklin Community Church is the same mission Jesus gave his followers in the Great Commission of Matthew 28, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
The Vision
The vision of Franklin Community Church summed up in one phrase is to Cultivate Christ-Centered Community. Read more about how we understand this below!
Cultivate Christ-Centered Community
CULTIVATE: Cultivation is a farming or gardening term. It refers to preparing the soil so that it will produce a crop. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul uses this language as a metaphor referring to the Corinthians’ spiritual development. He says that we are God’s field and that some plant seeds and some water the land, but only God makes things grow. The language of cultivation is a reminder to us that we participate in the work of God, but that we can’t make things grow. We are both active and receptive. Thus, for us to Cultivate Christ-Centered Community means we intentionally prepare for and actively pursue growth individually and communally while entrusting any and all results to God.
COMMUNITY: So what are we trying to cultivate? COMMUNITY. We all likely have an idea of what community is. For us, our hope is to develop an intergenerational and diverse group of people with common purpose, passions, and vision. Community ought to be full of organic and authentic friendships; those with whom you do life. As previously mentioned, our idea of community is grounded in the nature of God. And, it is in the context of relationships that much of our spiritual formation occurs. For us to “cultivate” community means that we intentionally invest in relationships with others, even though sometimes it costs us. There is no shortcut to community; it takes time, intentionality, and commitment. So, we worship together, we study together, we fellowship, we pray for each other, we spend time together without an agenda. We develop practices and a culture of invitation. We practice hospitality and solidarity. We rejoice with those who are rejoicing and mourn with those who are mourning. We encourage each other and bear with each other. We forgive and are forgiven. We love and are loved. We give of ourselves for the community, but entrust the growth to God.
CHRIST-CENTERED: “Christ-Centered” describes the kind of community we seek to cultivate. There are many kinds of communities. Some communities are centered around a love for a common sports team or an interest in birdwatching or an affinity for renaissance art. But what if those only point to a deeper kind of community we could have? One established by God, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and centered upon the person of Jesus Christ. And what if that community wasn’t just about admiring God--as we might admire renaissance art--but about communing with God and helping each other commune with Him thereby becoming more like Him together? We are communal beings. We strive for relational connection. We want to center this around Jesus Christ. This doesn’t mean we don’t talk about things other than the Bible. We have a lot of other common interests. But it means that our deepest connection is Jesus Christ and our highest goal is to grow in becoming like Him for our joy and for his glory. We believe that a community centered around Christ ought to be the most life-giving community in the world. After all, as believers, we have the Spirit of God indwelling us providing us with supernatural gifts of love, joy, patience, kindness, gentleness, and more. But again, we cannot make anything grow. We can only cultivate it. We give ourselves to this. And, we entrust all growth to God.
And so, for each of us, as vital members in the community, we have the privilege to cultivate God’s field. We all need each other. We need each other’s gifts. As you become part of our community, we need you and the gifts God has given you. The pastors and elders are unable to do this alone. It takes all of us together. We will grow together as we are centered on Christ. In this way, we all play a vital part in working with God to cultivate and expand the tiny corner of His Kingdom here in Franklin, Indiana.
COMMUNITY: So what are we trying to cultivate? COMMUNITY. We all likely have an idea of what community is. For us, our hope is to develop an intergenerational and diverse group of people with common purpose, passions, and vision. Community ought to be full of organic and authentic friendships; those with whom you do life. As previously mentioned, our idea of community is grounded in the nature of God. And, it is in the context of relationships that much of our spiritual formation occurs. For us to “cultivate” community means that we intentionally invest in relationships with others, even though sometimes it costs us. There is no shortcut to community; it takes time, intentionality, and commitment. So, we worship together, we study together, we fellowship, we pray for each other, we spend time together without an agenda. We develop practices and a culture of invitation. We practice hospitality and solidarity. We rejoice with those who are rejoicing and mourn with those who are mourning. We encourage each other and bear with each other. We forgive and are forgiven. We love and are loved. We give of ourselves for the community, but entrust the growth to God.
CHRIST-CENTERED: “Christ-Centered” describes the kind of community we seek to cultivate. There are many kinds of communities. Some communities are centered around a love for a common sports team or an interest in birdwatching or an affinity for renaissance art. But what if those only point to a deeper kind of community we could have? One established by God, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and centered upon the person of Jesus Christ. And what if that community wasn’t just about admiring God--as we might admire renaissance art--but about communing with God and helping each other commune with Him thereby becoming more like Him together? We are communal beings. We strive for relational connection. We want to center this around Jesus Christ. This doesn’t mean we don’t talk about things other than the Bible. We have a lot of other common interests. But it means that our deepest connection is Jesus Christ and our highest goal is to grow in becoming like Him for our joy and for his glory. We believe that a community centered around Christ ought to be the most life-giving community in the world. After all, as believers, we have the Spirit of God indwelling us providing us with supernatural gifts of love, joy, patience, kindness, gentleness, and more. But again, we cannot make anything grow. We can only cultivate it. We give ourselves to this. And, we entrust all growth to God.
And so, for each of us, as vital members in the community, we have the privilege to cultivate God’s field. We all need each other. We need each other’s gifts. As you become part of our community, we need you and the gifts God has given you. The pastors and elders are unable to do this alone. It takes all of us together. We will grow together as we are centered on Christ. In this way, we all play a vital part in working with God to cultivate and expand the tiny corner of His Kingdom here in Franklin, Indiana.