The foundation for the Purpose Driven model is the Bible -- with an intentional emphasis on the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

Jesus gave the Great Commandment when he was asked to identify the most important of God's commands. To paraphrase his response, he said, "Here is the entire Old Testament in a nutshell. I'm going to give you a simple summary of God's commands: 'All the Law and all the Prophets can be condensed into two tasks: Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Later, as Jesus said goodbye to his disciples, he gave them a Great Commission that included three more tasks: go make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything Jesus taught.

These two passages, the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, combine to create the essential elements of a healthy, growing, biblically-based church: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and missions.

Being a purpose-driven church helps us to bring God's purposes into balance within our congregation.