Our Mission Statement
At First Marion, we know success doesn’t happen by chance. It happens when you have a clear mission that determines what you do as a church. Without it, a church is like a person shooting an arrow without a target. We believe the Lord has called us to make disciples who “share and show the love of Jesus.” This comes directly from the teachings of Jesus commonly called the Great Commission and the Great Commandments.
The Great Commission
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
Matthew 28:18-20
The Great Commandment
“And [Jesus] said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Matthew 22:37-39
Our Future Vision
Change is scary, but being “made new” is a major theme in the Bible. So, we know that First Marion won’t always be the way it is right now. Instead of fearing these changes, we look forward with excitement. In fact, we already see glimpses of where God is leading us.
We believe God is leading us, through innovative ministries and strategic partnerships, to be the flagship church in the northeast Arkansas Delta that helps broken people find healing through the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Our Core Values
First Marion shares a set of core values that are the “why” behind what we are striving to accomplish. These convictions determine our priorities. They also play a major role in our decision making process as we determine new ministries and evaluate existing ones. Our core V.A.L.U.E.S. are:
Vibrant Faith
We “walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7). At First Marion, we encourage all Believers to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Trusting its guidance by taking bold steps of faith allows the Lord to grow our faith and trust in Him.
Authentic Worship
We believe the worship of God is key to our shared experience as Christians. Worship must be authentic. Therefore, we value individual expression in worship.
Living Biblically
Christians are called to live by the principles found in the Bible. This applies to the individual, as well as the family. We believe one learns these precepts by reading the Bible, growing as a disciple through Bible study, and by encouraging others to do the same.
Unity
Relationships are at the core of biblical living. The Lord expects us to have unity in our relationships. Therefore, we reject negative behaviors and seek to encourage one another in love. We will do this across social boundaries such as age, economics, ethnicity, or background.
Excellence
The right thing, done the right way, at the right time is never wrong. The Lord deserves our best. Therefore, we want to give Him our best. This applies to our ministries, our campus, our behavior, our family, our everything!
Sacrifical Generosity
To whom much is given, much is expected. Since everything we have belongs to God, our generosity with what He has given us allows us to model our faith in Him. We seek to be good stewards with all that He has entrusted to us. This includes our time, our talents, and our tithes.
Our Pathway for Spiritual Maturity
The success of the church’s mission directly correlates with the spiritual success of every person in the church. So before we can consider how to make the church successful, we have to consider how to spiritually mature its membership. Our pathway to do this involves a four-fold process summarized using four words:
Believe | Connect | Grow | Serve
Step 1: Believe
Believing in Jesus is the first step toward salvation and the forgiveness of sin. At First Marion, people hear the gospel in all our ministries, while worship is the main setting for expressing that faith in, and love for, the Lord.
Step 2: Connect
Connect with other believers in small groups builds lasting, healthy relationships. At First Marion, we offer numerous opportunities for people to build relationships with other people. Whether you participate in a Life Group on Sunday morning, one our Men's or Women's Bible Studies, or the Pastor's Midweek Study, you will find a setting in which to study the Bible while making lifelong friends.
Step 3: Grow
We desire for people to develop into spiritually mature disciples of Christ This happens through participation in on of our on-campus ministries. These are available for children, youth, and adults. We also encourage our membership to maintain a personal devotional life that includes daily prayer and Bible reading.
Step 4: Serve
We provide opportunities for people to serve others throughout the year. These include serving in on-campus opportunities, in one of our age-graded ministries, at our local mission church, or on a mission trip. Serving others allows you to share and show the love of Jesus with others!
Our Stategy for Evangelism and Discipleship: Four Fields
The Four Fields refers to the different stages in the disciple making progress. It’s based on what Jesus did in his ministry and what his disciples reproduced in the Book of Acts. It’s based off of a parable Jesus taught in Mark 4:26-29.
Field 1: Go
The first field represents people or places where the gospel has not been shared. Jesus said a farmer went out to sew his seed in an empty field. This empty field represents people who are far from God. The first strategy of the four fields is to engage people who are far from God. This field reminds us to look for ways to increase the number of people that hear the gospel for the first time.
Field 2: Gospel
Once the farmer enters the field, he sews the seed generously wherever he can. In the Bible, Jesus compares the gospel to seed, so this field represents his mandate to share the Good News to all people. Sharing one’s personal testimony is often part of this process. It also includes sharing the gospel an understandable way that concludes with an invitation to follow Jesus
Field 3: Grow
The third field deals with aspects related to discipleship and spiritual growth. Once the farmer sows the seed, the seeds begin to sprout. Growth is a process, especially spiritual growth! The farmer doesn’t cause the seed to sprout, but when it does, he nurtures it, waters it, and cares for it. Growing a crop to maturity takes time and discipline. The same can be said for growing disciples. Jesus spent years discipling his followers.
Field 4: Gather
The farmer gathers the harvest when it is ready. This fourth field represents the gathering of believers into what we call the church. While regular gatherings for worship are a basic function of any church, there are certain elements that comprise a healthy congregation.
Inner Circle: Guide Others in Leadership
It’s not explicitly mentioned in the parable, but the farmer would have taken some of the seeds from the harvest to go back and sew the field the next season. In so doing, the farmer multiplies and facilitates continuous growth. This is the goal! We’re not after a single gathering but a movement that extends beyond the four walls of the church to the ends of the earth. So, just as Jesus trained leaders that trained leaders, we want to following Jesus’ example. We want to develop the people around us into leaders who can train others to share the gospel.
As we learn the tools associated with each field, the holistic stretegy begins to take shape!
