Our Passion, the Irreducible Core: Love God, Love Others, as We Go, Make Disciples

by Terry Shanahan, Northeast Regional Minister

I often have the opportunity to meet with churches and individuals not affiliated with our Conference to present who we are and what we believe. It is my joy to explain to them that we are a fellowship of like-minded believers that honor Jesus Christ together. I have the privilege of telling them that in obedience we adhere to a way of life that honors what Christ has commanded us to do. That includes living a life that adheres to the greatest commandment and the great commission.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37–39)

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. ( Matthew 28:19)

Simply put, I tell them we are fully devoted to loving God, loving others, and as we go, making disciples. Not only is this lived out in our personal lives daily, but we live this way of life corporately as well. Nowhere will this be better displayed then at this year’s annual gathering in Rochester, New York July 20–23. This year’s theme is “Fully Invested,” based on Deuteronomy 6:4–9,

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

As a Conference we want to be fully devoted disciples of our amazing God and to follow His commands as our witness to the world. Our Annual Gathering will emphasize our guiding value number five of A community that lives out a shared life and a shared mission. This emphasis reinforces our like-mindedness as well as our kingdom mindset.

I have to say it is an honor to represent the Conference to others when this is the message I am able to bring. I often hear the comment, “Now that’s something I could be part of.”