Families Growing in L.O.V.E., Serve to A.C.T.
As a Church, we embrace volunteering and serving as one of our Core Values because this is what Jesus modeled for us.
If you are new to CCF, you will notice that committed members are encouraged to both serve in a ministry and belong to a small group, or Dgroup. We believe serving should flow from our love relationship with God. Discipleship through small groups helps us experience transformation, while serving alongside others helps us grow in loving people.
Jesus saved us not only for our salvation but also so that we could participate in bringing others to Him. In Matthew 28:18–20, Jesus gives the Church the Great Commission: to make disciples of all nations.
The Great Commission is not something the Church does for God, but something we do with God. Jesus promises, “I am with you always.”
He has given us divine appointments and assignments through the Holy Spirit to spread the Good News. Through our ministries, we can be instruments God uses for His purposes.
The task is too great for any one person. Therefore, every believer must be activated to fulfill the Great Commission. Every member is a discipler and every member is a servant of Christ.
At CCF Vancouver, roughly one in three Dgroup members is serving in a ministry or leading a Dgroup, while about 205 are not yet serving. We have tremendous potential to grow. If we are to accomplish our mission, we need to equip and activate everyone.
Families that grow in love must A.C.T. now!
1. Advance the Gospel
Paul’s letter to the Philippians is often called the “Epistle of Joy.” What makes this remarkable is that Paul wrote it while imprisoned and facing possible execution. Yet he continued to rejoice.
The Gospel is advanced through the love of God’s family.
In Philippians 1:1–2, Paul addresses the saints, overseers, and deacons—the church family and its leaders and servants.
Paul was grateful because the Philippians supported him in advancing the Gospel. Lydia opened her home to Paul and his companions and hosted the first house church in Philippi. The Philippians also supported Paul financially, and Epaphroditus delivered gifts to him while he was in prison.
Many people encouraged, supported, and served Paul in his mission.
The Great Commission cannot be accomplished by an individual. The Church needs to work together, growing in love for one another, to accomplish this task.
Think of someone who has encouraged you, prayed for you, or helped you in your faith. God often advances the Gospel through ordinary acts of love and service.
Grow in love by serving the family.
Sanctification is the lifelong process of becoming more like Christ—growing in Christlikeness, loving God, and loving others.
Biblical love is a commitment directed toward imperfect people to seek their highest good, often requiring sacrifice.
It involves:
• Commitment – choosing to love and remain dedicated.
• Imperfect people – loving people who need grace.
• Highest good – seeking what is best for others, not simply what they want.
• Sacrifice – putting another person’s good ahead of our comfort, time, energy, or convenience.
Paul prayed that the Philippians would “abound in love” with knowledge and discernment. This is where discipleship comes in.
Jesus modeled discipleship by investing deeply in His followers. He called twelve disciples, shared life with them, gave them ministry, and taught and corrected them as they served.
The disciples were essentially doing on-the-job training with Jesus.
That is why discipleship and serving go hand in hand.
Sunday worship is important because we gather as God’s people. But we also need smaller, relational communities where we can process God’s Word, share our struggles, apply truth, and grow together.
Dgroups are not simply a Church program; they are the Church in one of its most basic, relational, life-giving forms.
A church that teaches the Word but does not help people practice it can produce informed hearers rather than obedient disciples.
Dgroups are places where we can be cared for, encouraged, corrected, and equipped to become disciple-makers.
Every family and Dgroup can be a disciple-making hub. Every CCFer can be mobilized to make disciples.
Paul’s imprisonment did not stop the Gospel. Instead, his circumstances became an opportunity for others to hear about Christ, and his example encouraged other believers to speak God’s Word more boldly.
We grow in love when we encourage others through the way we respond to life’s circumstances.
The most powerful testimony of the Gospel is a life transformed by God’s grace.
2. Carry the Burden of One Another
We carry one another’s burdens.
Galatians 6:1–5 distinguishes between a burden and a load.
A burden, or baros, is a heavy weight that may be too much for one person to carry alone. This can include grief, moral failure, or overwhelming trials.
A load, or phortion, refers to our normal personal responsibilities—the things each person is expected to carry, such as our work, choices, and spiritual growth.
God calls us to take responsibility for what He has entrusted to us while also helping others through burdens they cannot carry alone.
This is one reason we encourage everyone to belong to a Dgroup. It is where we can experience God’s grace through people who walk with us through difficult seasons.
But it is not simply about attending a group. What matters is the quality of the relationships:
Belonging
Connection that feels like family
For us to grow in love as a Church, we cannot just stay in rows; we also need to meet in circles.
Our circumstances and calling may change. We may have children, begin a new job, move to another city, or enter a different season of life.
Our calling can change, but our purpose does not.
God can fulfill the Great Commission through whatever calling or season He gives us.
Each of us has a God-given role in God’s family.
3. Treat Others as More Important Than Yourself
The Philippian church was not perfect. There were rivalries and different motivations for serving.
It is possible to belong to the same family, Church, and Dgroup while having different reasons for serving.
Sometimes we serve sincerely. But sometimes we may want recognition for our gifts, talents, or contributions.
Philippians 2:3–4 teaches us to do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility to consider others more significant than ourselves and look not only to our own interests but also to the interests of others.
The answer to our struggle with selfishness is to look to Jesus.
Christlike Humility
Philippians 2:5–8 points us to Christ, who had the highest position in the universe yet humbled Himself and served mankind in obedience to the Father.
Jesus did not use His position to be served. He served.
If Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, chose humble service, then we are called to follow His example.
Following Christ means denying ourselves daily, letting go of ego and pride, and choosing to honor Christ above ourselves.
How Should We Respond?
1. Pray.
Ask God for the grace and strength to respond to His call.
2. Belong.
If following Christ means joining a Dgroup, will you follow Him? Dgroups give us a place to experience God’s grace, wrestle with His truth, and grow together.
3. Act.
Look for opportunities to see the needs of your family and our Church and ask:
“How can I help?”
Sometimes the most encouraging thing we can do is not point out what is missing, but simply ask:“How can I help?”
Perhaps the missing piece in the puzzle is you.
God may be calling you to belong to a Dgroup and serve in a ministry.
Let us not grow weary of doing good. As Galatians 6:9–10 reminds us, let us take every opportunity to do good to everyone, especially to those who belong to the family of faith.
May we grow in love, serve faithfully, and become a Church where every member is equipped and mobilized to make disciples.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What gift, ability, resource, or experience has God entrusted to me to bless my family and others?
Who can I serve and be a blessing to at home, at work, in school, or in my community? What practical ways will I show love to them?
Do you know any burdens that your family or Church family has? List them down and pray for them as a family or Dgroup.
PRAY CARE SHARE IN ACTION
Pray by asking God to show you someone you can bless and serve this week. Show care by looking for simple ways to show love through your time, words, and actions. Then share by looking for opportunities to share the love of Jesus as you care for others and build relationships with them.