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The
Apostolos Campus Ministry is an interdenominational
ministry committed to spreading the gospel to
the ends of the earth, testifying to the eternal
love of the Lord. Working with various people
and ministries, our goal is to spread the good
news of Christ, reaching out to the ones who do
not know the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Just
as our lives have been touched and changed by
the Lord, we wish to reveal the love of the Lord
that was shown to us, becoming a beacon for all
of His lost children and our fellow brothers and
sisters.
There are three
strands woven into each Apostolos Campus Ministry
in everything we do. These three strands, known
by their Greek terms, are: Kerygma, Koinonia,
and Diakonia.
I. Kerygma (The Word)
John 1:1
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God."
Our ministry is heavily focused on the study of
the scriptures and to their application and integration
into our daily lives. The greatest revelations
the Lord has given to man are through Christ in
flesh and through the Holy Bible. The Lord came
to this earth in a humble form of a man for the
salvation of man and redemption of man's sin so
that his relationship with God may be restored
once again. We grow in faith by following the
Gospel daily. Through the Gospel, the Lord reveals
to us His heart, His will, and His plan, and,
also through the Gospel, we receive guidance and
direction from Him. As it is written, "Your word
is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path"
(Psalm 119:105). And so realizing the importance
of the Gospel in our daily lives is core and is
the first focus of our fellowship. We devote ourselves
to the reading, the teaching, and the preaching
of the Gospel. It is through the scriptures we
come to know Christ and it is with the Gospel
that we are able to guide others and bring them
to Christ. Having the desire to seek Christ and
know Christ, and then having the desire to testify
to Him and make Him known, originates from the
work of the Holy Spirit through the reading of
the Gospel.
II. Koinonia (Fellowship)
1 John 1:3
"We proclaim to you what we have seen and
heard, so that you also may have fellowship with
us. And our fellowship is with the Father and
with his Son, Jesus Christ."
Using the model of the first Churches that are
described in the Acts of the Apostles, we focus
not just on spiritual growth through the Word,
but also on growth through sharing fellowship
with others. As Christians are the ones who form
the body of Christ, unity within the body is important.
When we unite with our fellow brothers and sisters
in Christ, we can truly grow together and be the
strength and support for each other. God has not
intended for us to walk our paths alone, but to
share in the love that He has so abundantly poured
into our hearts.
Through the breaking of bread, we can truly experience
the heart of Christ who gave His love selflessly
to us. He came and died for us on the cross so
that we would be able to gain eternal life. Christ
set for us an example to follow, as seen when
He washed the feet of His disciples. And upon
doing so, He stated, "For I gave you an example
that you also should do as I did to you" (John
13:15).
Love is something that is heavily emphasized in
the teachings of Christ. Love is so important
that Apostle Paul proclaimed that, "If I have
the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and
all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as
to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am
nothing" (1 Cor 13:2). And even Apostle John wrote
that, "The one who does not love does not know
God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8). Not to mention
that Christ Himself said, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE
LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL
YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' This is the
great and foremost commandment. The second is
like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'
On these two commandments depend the whole Law
and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40). And so seeing
Christ's love for us, we teach others to live
as Christ.
The benefits of fellowship are great, not just
in our own personal growth, but also in helping
the growth of each other. It is a time when we
can give out the great love of Christ. Just as
we have received the unconditional love of God,
we teach the importance of living lives of love,
as Christ lived His life. By sharing in fellowship
with each other, we can see the works of the Holy
Spirit displayed in each other as it unites us
in Christ.
III. Diakonia (Service)
Galatians 5:13
"You, my brothers, were called to be free.
But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful
nature; rather, serve one another in love."
After planting the seeds (the Gospel)
into our hearts, our goal is to nurture those
seeds so that we may come to be fruitful. As we
receive the Gospel, we experience a change within
ourselves, which eventually becomes evident through
our speech and our actions. And this Light that
has come into our lives must be shown to the world.
No one "lights a lamp and puts it under a basket,
but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all
who are in the house" (Matthew 5:15). Just as
Jesus' life was the life of the Word, we too must
put the Word into action. Apostle James had said
"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith
without deeds is dead" (James 2:26).
Christ demonstrated to us the life of Gospel as
He humbled Himself and showed Himself lowered.
From this we learn the true way of the Gospel
and that path of the Cross, which is a path of
self-denial, emptying, and sacrifice. By serving
others, we're able to experience the heart of
Christ as He came giving Himself completely for
us.
So as disciples, we must also serve others, and
not live selfishly, but selflessly. In doing so
the Word is made alive in us, and the Light of
Christ is revealed through us so that it "shines
before men in such a way that they may see your
good works, and glorify your Father who is in
heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
Through our actions and our daily lives, we can
bring glory to Jesus Christ and become a living
testimony of the great works He has done in our
lives. In the act of serving, we put into action
the lifestyle of Jesus that is depicted in the
Gospel. We believe that service and promoting
the community and culture of Christ through missions
and ministries is one vital aspect to learning
about the scriptures deeply.
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