* A G A P E' S * S T A T E M E N T *O F * P U R P O S E *

The ministry objectives of Agape Christian Fellowship at the College of William and Mary grow out of the constraining love of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14-21) and our resulting desire to be obedient to His commands. Our goals, to this end, are as follows:

• To know Christ, worshiping Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24) and to grow in His likeness and develop a personal relationship with Him.
• To make Christ known at William and Mary and to the World.
• To train and equip workers for Christ's Kingdom.
• To provide fellowship among the believers.

To know Christ, grow in His likeness and develop a personal relationship with Him. We glorify God in our obedience to Him, and God's glory is the ultimate reason for doing what we do (John 17:4, Colossians 3:23,24). Hence, our worship of God extends to every aspect of our lives, as we seek to develop a personal, intimate relationship with the Living God. As we abide in Him, we trust in God's grace and mercy to change our character by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that we would become more like Jesus Christ and bear much fruit for Him.

To make Christ known at William and Mary to the World. As God has given us the wonderful gift of eternal, full and abundant life, and a relationship Himself, we seek to respond to His great love through obedience in sharing it with others. Our movement is focused on answering God's call to become ministers of reconcilitation, reconciling men to God as we help to fulfill the Great Commission in our age (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 26:15, Luke 24:46-47, John 20:21, Acts 1:8). In our lives and actions we desire to make an impact for Christ on the William and Mary Campus, to "turn lost students into Christ-centered laborers."

To train and equip workers for Christ's Kingdom. Our goal is to equip believers for effective ministry through speakers, Bible studies, and opportunities for service. Our prayer is that everyone will discover their spiritual gifts and use them to edify and build up the body of believers (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). Moreover, Jesus commands us to "go and make disciples of all nations... and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). Ultimately, we are committed to being disciple-makers, committed to expanding and building the kingdom of God.

To fellowship among believers. God commands us to love him and to love others as we love ourselves (Matthew 22: 37-39). God desires for us to come together and devote time to His teaching, fellowship and prayer (Acts 2:42). As we gather together in fellowship, we are to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24), encouraging each other toward the Spirit-filled life of obedience to God's word. We can do this in many ways, including sharing our joys and struggles as Christians, speaking words of encouragement and correction, and expressing our love for our Father by serving and giving to one another. It is important for us to function as one united body as we represent Christ, showing the world the love of God in our love for one another.