Make Disciples
We believe that we are called as God’s Church to fulfil the great commission given by Jesus to make disciples.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20)
How is this vision to be fulfilled?
We believe the biblical pattern for doing this is to preach the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and to establish vibrant, healthy Churches in each locality from each place to around the globe.
Planting Out
We believe that Valleys Family Church is to be an Apostolic Centre- a Church which has the genetics to plant other Churches. It grows individuals with the DNA to go and plant other Churches and return for equipping. A Biblical example of this would be the Church in Antioch in the book of Acts.
8 Areas of Focus
In order to establish healthy Churches, we have highlighted 8 important areas to focus on as we build. Here are our 8 areas of focus:
1. Discipleship
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20)
We have a dream of a whole community of disciples of Jesus, continually growing into His likeness. We dream of seeing multitudes of new believers being baptised in water and the Holy Spirit, becoming part of the Church and being taught how to follow Jesus effectively. We dream of a highly skilled community effective in bringing each person onto the next level of maturity. We dream of a people who cherish the Bible as the Word of God and clearly expound it to others, whilst at the same time being powerfully anointed and free in the Holy Spirit. We have a dream of God’s people living in integrity of character and lifestyle, perfecting holiness and the fear of the Lord.
2. Worship
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24)
We have a dream of a community hungry for intimacy with God, expressing their love for Him in open, expressive, creative, lavish, sacrificial ways. We dream of a community where worship is expressed by the sacrifice of lives laid down and a lifestyle of worship rather than an attitude of ‘a few songs on a Sunday’. We dream of a people accustomed to bringing contributions of worship when they gather and used to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as they share their love for the Lord. We dream of seeing new songs being written and new forms of expression, through the arts, of our love to God. We dream of people experiencing God’s presence as we worship, and getting healed, delivered and set free.
3. Fellowship
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42)
We have a dream of a family where people of all social backgrounds and ages feel loved, accepted and valued. A dream of a people, called the Church of the living God, building strong, trusting, genuine relationships. A dream of a people united internally and externally with others in the body of Christ. A dream of a people who speak words of edification to one another and challenge any attitudes which in any way undermine the unity of the Church. We dream of a Church which secures a safe environment for all and shows warmth and hospitality to outsiders.
4. Evangelism
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
We have a dream of the Church in Brynmawr effectively communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in Brynmawr, and then reaching out to the surrounding valley towns, Wales and the nations. We dream of seeing the gospel demonstrated through signs and wonders done in the power of the Holy Spirit so that the gospel is not merely words, but demonstrations of the Spirit’s power. We have a dream of seeing all in the church released and empowered in evangelism, communicating clearly God’s love by all possible means. We dream of seeing the transformation of lives and community through the salvation of the lost.
5. Prayer
“When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14)
We dream of a whole community of people who intercede and stand in the gap for the lost in their community. A people who know the power of prayer and see incredible answers to prayer, resulting in God being glorified. We dream of a people who have a passion and ongoing commitment to pray. A people willing to invest time in God’s presence for His glory to be manifest through continuous revival in the Church. A people who through prayer see the power of God manifested setting people free from demonic strongholds and destroying all the works of the evil one.
6. Presence
“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22)
We have a dream of a community saturated with God. A community for whom the presence of God is everything. We have a dream of a people prepared, a house where the Spirit of God is pleased to dwell. We dream of every believer in this community regularly filled with God’s Holy Spirit and cultivating a lifestyle of hunger for God’s presence. We dream of such manifestations of God’s presence when we meet, that as God’s Church we become revived. We dream of seeing outbreaks of God’s glory outside of meetings and in our community. We dream of a body of believers who are so Spirit-led and Spirit-saturated that the glory of God is made manifest to all and indifference vanishes.
7. Ministry
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13)
We have a dream of every Christian in Valleys Family Church recognising, using, and growing in their natural and spiritual gifts for the glory of God and for the building up of His body. A people who cultivate an attitude of humility and service for the benefit of others. A people who see the needs of individuals met through diverse ministries within the Church. We dream of the roles of Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Teacher, and Evangelist as well as diverse spiritual gifts being received and developed here in Brynmawr and in Wales as a whole.
8. Mercy
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
We have a dream of a people who minister God’s love, help and healing to the lost, poor, sick, forgotten, unloved, bound, abused, and lonely. We dream of a people who speak God’s prophetic voice in our community, seeing God’s justice established. We dream of a people who feed the hungry and comfort the grieving. A people whose faith is demonstrated by action. A people known as generous, and giving. We dream of a people who have Jesus’ compassion for those who are captives and set them free to serve the Lord.