Over the next few weeks, I (and the current leadership team) will be putting together philosophies of what different ministries will look like.

How will our small groups run? What's our main method of evangelism? How do we best reach the community? What types of songs will we sing? The list goes on and on.

These philosophies will shape the culture of Salt Church.

If you know me at all, you know I must have everything extremely cohesive and organized. If you saw my personal budget or my closet, you would probably get a laugh out of the color coordination for either line items or t-shirts.

The nice thing about trying to mesh together philosophies of ministries that don't have much in common (example: worship team and outreach ministry) is that there is one center point to literally everything that is carried out.

That center point is Jesus.

Even though it's our 4th of 4 values, it is the starting place of literally everything we do.
 

Value #4 - Make Jesus big.
 

Without the accomplished work of Jesus Christ, church would not exist. 

Without the finished work of Jesus Christ, my sins would not be paid for.

Without Jesus...what are we doing?

Those thoughts must always remain central.

I get asked a lot what our music will be like. Whether it's a hymn from the 1600s or a song that came out last month, the words we sing will be to bring Jesus glory. 

When I preach, I don't want to come off as the guy who knows all the answers. I don't. But I can point you to the one who does.

When you bring your kids and check them into Children's ministry, it should be your expectation that they receive a fundamental understanding of the Gospel.

When we do outreach events, we should look and love like Jesus.

When we meet in living rooms, it should be to focus our lives and relationships on the glory of Jesus Christ.

Maybe I'm far too simplistic, but I fully believe the supernatural reality that the Gospel carries a supernatural weight with unbelievers just as much as it does with Christians. 

In Romans 1, Paul says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..."

When Paul wrote that, Rome was not largely Christian. If we look around now, the neighborhoods we live in appear to be the same way.

What you win people with is what you win them to. 

Let us not be ashamed of the Gospel and hide it in the background of what we do.

Let's lead with the Gospel, and watch God do a mighty work in our community.

No matter what we do, Jesus must be made big.

- Michael