What is "Ministry"?
OUR MINISTRIES
It is common for churches to talk about their "ministries", but what does that actually mean?
The term 'ministry' comes from a Latin word that means 'service.' God's Word teaches us that we were created to glorify and enjoy God as we serve Him. But because of humanity's fall into sin we have all become self-serving by nature. Now, it is God who must first serve us. The good news of the gospel is that God drew near to us, while were running away from Him, to minister to us, freeing us from living for ourselves to serve Him and our neighbors instead.
It is our high privilege and pleasure to be used by God to minister to others in Jesus' name, whether by word (teaching) or by deed (helping). What you will find below are descriptions of ways Jesus Christ uses us to serve others on His behalf.
Family Ministry
We believe that the the church's primary calling when it comes to families and children is to equip parents to bring up their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). We encourage parents to come with their children to participate in our Worldview Workshop youth nights that are held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month. In addition to providing our young people the opportunity to have fun with one another, Worldview Workshops are designed to teach our young people to think critically about the culture we live in and evaluate it in light of our Christian faith.
Men's Ministry
Our men enjoy studying God's Word together on a bi-weekly basis. The discussions are lively and provide an opportunity for young and old men alike to talk candidly about their spiritual need and to gain wisdom from God's Word through this fellowship. There are other gatherings that take place regularly in less formal and spontaneous ways among the men in the congregation, which we strongly encourage.
Women's Ministry
If you are looking to connect with other women who know their need of God's grace and want to grow in the knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ while also developing friendships with other women, you will find that here at Covenant Grace. The women meet once a month for fellowship and once a week to study a book or watch a video by biblically sound and trusted teachers.
Diaconal Ministry
Perhaps the word 'diaconal' is new to you. But it is a term that has been in use for a long time. It simply refers to the work of a deacon, which is one of the callings or offices in the church. A deacon is gifted and officially set apart in the local church to lead the people of God in showing off the mercy and compassion of Jesus to those who are in physical distress.
We want to look for opportunities to follow our Savior Jesus Christ's example by "going about doing good" to those in need (Acts 10:38). There are regular opportunities for people to give financially and to serve in this way.
Local Outreach
We seek to reach our neighbors in Roseburg and Douglas County, who have been spiritually misled or underfed by offering open classes on biblical or theological themes and topics related to the Christian life.
We also believe that it is vitally important for us to reach the spiritually lost, not by waiting for them to come to us, but by going into the neighborhoods of our city to meet people where they are at. There are occasional opportunities for members of our church to go out with Pastor Jeff, doing the work of evangelism.
Global Outreach
We participate in the global mission of Jesus Christ, make disciples of all the nations of the earth, through the OPC's Committee on Foreign Missions. We have active mission fields in China, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Haiti, Quebec, Uganda, Ukraine, and Uruguay. Exploratory efforts and blossoming partnerships with indigenous churches are underway in Austria, Columbia, Switzerland, and Vietnam. There are many opportunities for members of our church to participate in foreign missions through our Short-term Mission Program or as year-long missionary associates on our active fields.
