1. Because of the vision and the burden God gave to us (Isa 6:8, Rom 1:14-16). We want to be obedient to the Lord (Matt 28: 19-20).
2. The need - the primary reasons are the lost people who need to hear the Gospel (Mark 16:15).
3. We believe that it is the most effective tool for evangelism anywhere (Acts 14:23, 6:7). Church planting is the Great Commission at its best.
4. New churches produce more ministry leaders and tend to grow faster than older churches (Acts 16:5, 14:23). Multiplication is at the heart of church planting (Acts 2:47, 16:5).
5. To work with God. It is something only God can do (with human instrument).
6. A desire and passion to reach lost people for Christ.
We believe that this difference in value, style and structure will help to enhance the work of evangelism among the Abesha group in Sweden.

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2. Mission Statement

2.1 Communicate the message of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Presenting the Gospel in a clear and culturally relevant way to our community.
2.2 Grow in our relationship with God. Acknowledging God for who He is and what He has done. Encourage and support the continual growth of believers and discipleship.

3. Purpose statement
Based on the above our purpose statement is: to worship the almighty God, reach the community around us, equip believers and strengthen fellowship through the love and glory of God.

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We accept the statement of faith of the Evangelical Free Church of Sweden (EFK). We further subscribe to the Lausanne Covenant (www.lausanne.org) as our basic statement of faith and christian value.

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1. Bible: We believe that the Bible is the inerrant, infallible, inspired Word of God and is the final authority. We believe that there is only One true God revealed in three persons- Father, Son and the Holy Spirit (the Trinity).
2. Authentic worship: We desire to acknowledge God's supreme value and worth in our personal lives, private and corporate worship.
3. Prayer: We believe and rely on private, group and congregational prayer in the conception, planning and execution of all the ministries and activities of the church (Matt. 7: 7-10).
4. Passionate Evangelism: It is the instruction of our Lord to go to the ends of the earth and make disciples of all nations. Our mission is to reach the unreached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and church planting. Together we join our hands with other christians to reach the unreached (Matt 24:14, Acts 1:8, 2 Cor 10:15-16). All members of the church are involved in personal evangelism.
5. Kingdom minded : Our focus is on the Kingdom of God. We are called to link together with other groups in the body of Christ and pursue unity as we reach the world together (Matt 6:33, Ephe 4:1-6, John 17, Psalm 133). The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church and we submit to His leadership and Word to expand His kingdom.
6. Multiplication and reproduction: Multiplication should be expected and encouraged in every sphere of church life. Small groups should multiply into small churches. Multiplication is part of the DNA that runs through the new church. It is part of the very fabric that drives the new church.
7. Godly servant leadership: The leadership philosophy is basically pastoral. Team work is central and the five offices are actively working in their respective areas. Servant leadership is emphasized. Leaders are expected to empower others for the work of the kingdom.
8. Bible-centered teaching and preaching: We believe that bible centered teaching and preaching is a very important and key factor in discipleship. We strive to teach God's Word with integrity and authority so seekers find Christ and believers mature in Him (2 Tim 3:16).
9. Warm fellowship: We are committed to the Great Commandment to strengthen christian unity and love.
10. Family: We support the spiritual nurture of the family as one of God's dynamic means to perpetuate the christian faith (2 Tim 1:5).
11. Small groups: We encourage all our members to commit to and fully participate in biblical functioning small groups where they may reach the lost, exercise their gifts, be shepherd and grow in Christ likeness (Acts 2: 44-46). Every member is a priest and a minster of the living God.

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The purpose is fulfilled through four basic functions:
6. 1. Worship : We worship God through singing songs, praise, adoration, testimonies, obedience and proclamation of His word. We embrace worship as one of the central ways we live out our christian faith. We worship through a variety of traditional, blended and contemporary styles.
6.2. Evangelism: reaching the world around us with the gospel of the risen Lord through personal and group evangelism, mass media, preaching in church, cell groups, outreaches, planting churches and crusades.
6.3 Discipleship: teaching individual believers to become less self-centered and more like Christ- to become imitators of our Lord. We envision a church that develops to spiritual maturity through teaching the word of God, Bible studies, training and prayer.
6.4 Fellowship: building relationships, and creating unity and love for each other with the commitment to both the great commandment (Matt. 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). Regardless of our numbers, we strive to notice needs and heal hurts, both for other and for ourselves. We affirm a role of both caregivers and burden bearers.

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The church therefore develops the following ministry areas:
. Worship group
. Prayer groups
. Effective evangelism
. Teaching and training
. Cell groups and
. Leadership development
Therefore our vision is to be a church which:
1. grows predominantly through the conversion of the lost to Jesus Christ
2. is relevant toward and respected by its surrounding community, thereby having a spiritual impact on it
3. provides dynamic worship which is edifying to believers and sensitive to seekers
4. has a continuously expanding small group ministry which builds relationships, stimulates personal growth and develop ministry skills
5. equips every believer for ministry by helping them find a place of significant service in God´s kingdom
6. produces mature believers who are fruitful and fulfilled by effectively ministering according to their gifts
7. contributes to the evangelical movement locally, nationally and internationally by sharing spiritual gifts with other evangelical churches and fellowships.

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