God’s Gift & Our Purpose
We Invite You to Consider Jesus Christ!
Dear Friend, you have a problem. You must make right all the wrong you have done against the Lord. But this is not possible. "All our righteousness is as filthy rags," the Bible states.
But God has made a provision for full payment of our sins. It is through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ. Christ died in your place on the Cross. And His death will satisfy God in regards to your sins. Would you like to have yours sins forgiven and be right with the Lord? If so, then you must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That is you must be willing to rely upon what Christ did on the Cross as your basis for your sins being forgiven. This does not come by growing up a Christian. Rather, you must consciously look to Christ to save you.
Have you done this? If you have, praise the Lord. If you have not, or you are not sure, than this very moment trust Christ to save you. Ask Him to save you from your sin and to give you life in Him. And if you will, He will this very moment wash you from all the guilt of your sin, and He will make you a brand new person in Jesus Christ. Come, my friend, to Christ this very moment. He waits and calls for you. He wants to save you. He is giving you an opportunity right now to be saved from your sin and gain eternal life. It is our prayer you will look to Christ. Nothing is more important. "For what shall it profit a man (you) if he (you) gain the whole world, and lose his (your) soul?"
Our Purpose
Eau Claire Gospel Center exists for two purposes. One is to reach out to a lost and dying world with the good news that Jesus Christ can save them from their sins and give them a new life- eternal life! The other purpose is to take those He has saved, baptize them and teach them so they might become conformed into the image or likeness of Jesus Christ. The end result of this growth is men and women who glorify God through knowing Him, loving Him and serving Him both now and forever.
Our Practice
Our method for reaching the unbeliever, then building him up in the Lord consists of the following four areas:
EVANGELISM: Evangelism to telling other people the good news that Jesus died and rose again from the grave. This is good news because through His death and resurrection people can have their sins forgiven and begin to live a new and transformed life. This evangelism is accomplished through three fundamental means: (1) confrontation - whether through public preaching or private persuasion. I Corinthians 1:18-24 (2) friendship - daily associations that opens the door to tell the good news. II Timothy 3:15 (3) lifestyle - attracting the lost by being and acting like the Lord Jesus. John 4:39-41. The application of these methods our Lord taught are many and include preaching, teaching, tracts, object lessons, time with people, time with people, giving out Bibles, prayer, doing right and trusting the Lord in our daily circumstances.
DISCIPLESHIP: Discipleship is teaching and training those who believe the Gospel. It is done in as least three ways: (1) by the general association the believer has with the church for teaching, fellowship, breaking bread and prayer. (2) by personal oversight by believers in general and elders in particular concerning specific areas and needs in the believers life. (3) by particular training through having someone with the one discipling as a way of life to learn via observation, instruction and doing what is being exemplified and taught.
PASTORING: Pastoring is watching over the spiritual growth of those under his watch care. This is done through public and private work. Publicly those in leadership set the example and teach the Word, reproving, rebuking and exhorting. Privately they take note of the believer and reprove, rebuke and exhort him. This is greatly lacking in our day and age. And while we believe recognize there is a thin line between authority and autonomy, the elders are to watch over the souls of those under them because they will give an account one day in that regard.
LOVING ONE ANOTHER: Loving one another is a function of the body or the church. Many times we are told how to act towards one another. The one that covers all the rest is to love another. This is done by serving each other, using the gifts of the Spirit that He has given us as well as our normal ability and means to help each other grow up in the Lord.
We would want you to note in conclusion regarding our purpose and practice of how we relate to other churches. It has been our practice from the beginning to receive believers from other churches only on a two fold basis. First, they must be recommended by that church that they are in good standing and have the blessing of that church. Second, they themselves must leave with a good attitude towards the church they are leaving. They will not be received into this church if they are going to speak evil of the church they are leaving or not be willing to support and commend that church. While we do realize sin reveals problems and divisions in churches as Paul wrote it would, we ourselves do not want to responsible for being divisive. Further, it is a good practice and Biblical to resolve differences and be reconciled one to another. The idea of going from one church to another without resolving differences is crippling to so many believers and churches. May the Lord give us grace, wisdom and humility to not add to the problem.