Introduction

Our Lake Avenue Family experienced the first phase of our REACH Journey this past year with the church-wide emphasis that focused on challenging EVERYONE calling Lake their home "to point at least one person to faith in Christ, and to disciple that person to maturity in Christ." (Col. 1:28,29 )

The underlying theme for this next phase of the Journey is "Knowing Him so that we can Make Him Known." However, this kind of "knowing" has to do with more than simple recognition of who Jesus is. It involves "breathing in" or experiencing him and his love, grace and resurrection power in every aspect of my life. And, following him wholeheartedly as his disciple, trusting him, obeying him and living a life that honors and pleases him.

It also involves "breathing out" or taking the person and the transforming message of Jesus to others, who need his love, grace, mercy, justice and forgiveness.

As we have been learning through the first phase of REACH, we live in a world a.k.a. "mission field" that is becoming more and more secularized. We are also learning that the most effective way to reach others in our secular world is through a "relational" and not a "confrontational" approach to sharing our faith. It is the "guide by the side" rather than the "sage on the stage" that speaks to today's unchurched people in our neighborhoods, our workplace and in our families. It involves reaching out to others, building a relationship with them and being available to share with them the life-changing Good News of the Gospel, in word and action.

It is also critical that our "reaching out" be done in a "holistic" manner. We can't separate the spiritual needs of people from their physical, economical, social and/or emotional needs. We must communicate a Gospel that not only transforms our lives spiritually (forgiven, justified, reconciled), but also is capable of meeting every other need we might have in the name of Jesus ("love your neighbor as yourself"). God has called us to minister to the poor, the widows, the orphans, to those imprisoned, to the unemployed, to at-risk kids in the name of Jesus.

The call to be witnesses in the power of the Holy Spirit includes not only our "Jerusalem," but also "Judea", "Samaria" and the "uttermost parts of the world." In other words, we must recognize that our mission field includes the world, both those near to us crossculturally, but also those far removed from our cultural "comfort zone"! To take that challenge seriously, we must be ready and willing to send many of our church family members to serve in other parts of the world. What all of us have learned is that these opportunities to "make Jesus known" a.k.a. to "breathe out" is only possible to the extent that we have come to "know Jesus" personally and intimately a.k.a. "to breathe in". Jesus made this connection between the lives we live and the message we share with others very clear when he told his disciples in Acts 1 not to begin their ministry until they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit, who would manifest the "fruit of the Spirit" in their lives (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) and empower them to be "witnesses" in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Breathing in and Breathing out are the two aspects of the "normal Christian life!"

As we move into this next phase of our "REACH Journey" we will be asking God to do something new and special in each one of our lives and in our church family - that he will create in us a desire and an ability to love others as he loves us - unconditionally and sacrificially, resulting in many, many new members of God's forever family!

This fall as we embark on Phase II of the REACH journey, we are called to grow closer to God and to move out of our comfort zones.

Vision

The Vision Statement of REACH 2:

Our Goal

That each member of LAC joins the 2010 version of "the Company of the Committed."