The (New) Mission of ACC

New Website Mission Statement

Several years ago, the elders of ACC began praying about and discussing the mission of our church. Over time we included other church leaders in the discussion, asking for their feedback and prayers. We embarked on this endeavor, not because we wanted to lead the church in a radically new direction, but because we felt that ACC needed a fresh understanding of why God has placed us where we are and what he has called us to do.

The result of this discussion is a new mission statement for our church. In our worship services, for four consecutive Sundays (Sept. 12 – Oct. 3), we will focus on different aspects of our church’s mission. Community Groups will be meeting to study passages related to these ideas. To sign up for a Community Group click here.

Here is an explanation of our new mission statement and the core values we want to emphasize as a church. 

The mission of Astoria Community Church is to glorify God by learning of God, living in Christ, and loving God and our neighbors.

Explanation:

  • “Our church exists to glorify God” -- To glorify and enjoy God is the primary purpose for which all humans were created. As a community of people chosen by the Father, ransomed by the Son, and brought to faith through the work of the Spirit, we recognize that we belong to God (1 Pet. 2:9). Our first priority is to bring glory to him.
  • “Learning of God” -- Jesus said, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (Jn. 17:3) We want to be a church where every member truly knows their Savior, where everyone is grounded in a deep knowledge of God’s Word, and where we all know what we believe and why we believe it. We pursue this goal with a humble commitment to the historic creeds of the Christian faith and the rich tradition of reformed theology.
  • “Living in Christ” -- As we learn God’s Word, we want his truth to transform our lives. We want the Holy Spirit to empower us to lead lives of joy, gratitude, and obedience so that all we do and say will bring glory to our Savior.
  • “Loving God and our neighbors” -- Jesus taught that the two most important commandments are to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Mk. 12:29-31). We want to show our love for God by loving and serving each other and our neighbors.

Core Values:

In pursuing our mission, we seek to emphasize the following values:

  • Scripture -- The Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice. It contains the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His glory and for our salvation, faith, and life. We want to be a church where God's Word is learned, loved, believed, and obeyed (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
  • Disciple-making -- We want everyone in our church to grow continually in the grace and knowledge of Christ. Because of this, we intend to put much energy into Christian education and spiritual formation for our church members of all ages.
  • Worship and Prayer -- The Father seeks worshipers who worship him in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:23-24). He invites his children to cry out to him in prayer (Eph. 6:18; 1 Tim. 2:1). We want to be a church that worships God with reverence and joy. We want to be a congregation whose devotion to prayer demonstrates our dependence on God’s power and our faith in God’s love.
  • Mercy and Justice -- God calls his people “to act justly and to love mercy” (Micah 6:8). We want to demonstrate the kindness of God through works of service to our neighbors, especially those who are poor, needy, or marginalized.
  • Neighborhood -- Some churches are called to reach out to a broad metropolitan region. We are not. Though we welcome people wherever they live, we understand that God’s purpose for us is to be a parish-based congregation focusing on reaching the neighborhood of Astoria, Queens with the gospel of Christ.
  • All Nations -- Scripture tells us to “make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19) and that God is glorified when the gospel unites people from different backgrounds (Eph. 3:10-11; Rev. 7:9-10; Jn. 17:20-21). We rejoice to live in one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the world. We want to be a church that reaches the nations for Christ, a church where people from various backgrounds are not only welcomed, but also heard, valued, and empowered to contribute and to lead.