FIRM FOUNDATION PURPOSE STATEMENT

Firm Foundation is ARISE Youth Ministries' annual 2-day winter conference focused on missional living ... being the Church to the world.

As Christians saved, transformed and compelled by the work and grace of Christ, we have new eyes to see and new hearts to relate to the world redemptively. We grow in spiritual maturity through the Holy Spirit and increasingly live out our identity, the "who we are"--openly, humbly, confidently, productively, creatively, purposefully, joyfully. We are witnesses pointing to the love and salvation of our God in Christ for the world. Our purpose and vision for both now and the future is to be faithful to how He has made us, to go where He has called us and to be used in all areas of study, vocation and play to His glory.

In our pluralistic society of privatized religion and in the prevalent Christian culture, "doing church" when at church commonly has no felt spiritual or moral inconsistancy with doing everything else outside the church doors.  It's difficult for youth who are accustomed to compartmentalizing life to think or visualize the "who they are in Christ" bleeding into every part of their present lives and future hopes. 

As ministers and teachers of the gospel, our task is to bring the "why" and "how" to understanding through our own journeys, and to paint a gospel-shaped picture of their possible futures into which, by the Holy Spirit, they are invited and impassioned to live.

Through sharing their understanding of gospel conversion and Christian identity formation, their own stories of God-given calling, personal and tangible experiences, speakers will offer youth focused sessions on missional living and being church to the world.  Break out sessions will expound upon this interactively by focusing on specific industries and fields of work and study (i.e. medicine, arts, corporate business, student life, law, teaching, community/urban development, pastoral ministry, oversees development/missions, etc.)

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing;

it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,

which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10

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