Why “Beyond?”
The reason our church is called "Beyond" starts years before I was employed here. My conception of what it means to love others was completely rewritten when our family lived as a "Cares Team" in an apartment complex for 2 and a half years. We received a discount on rent in exchange for planning 2-3 social events a month, welcoming every new resident, and generally making the apartment community somewhere people really wanted to live through our love and care for others. I had always strived to be kind and friendly to others, but in this role, I was stretched to intentionally make positive interactions with my neighbors and to create tangible acts of service toward others. The results of this effort to love well were extraordinary. We created real and deep friendships, helping people navigate difficult situations of relocation, divorce, and losing jobs, while sharing birthdays, meals, and memories with each other. Life grew from the seeds of love that we planted.
It's not a secret that Jesus taught his disciples to love one another. He also taught them to love their neighbors. And he even challenged them to love their enemies. The lives of followers of Jesus should be marked by his resolute and sometimes even unexpected love for everyone. But if you try this way of living, you will find it is actually really difficult. It takes an entire reordering of our lives where we put others first and seek their benefit instead of our own. Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippian church that this should be our attitude toward others. And even Jesus' "Great Commission" to his disciples requires an others-first outlook. This radical reorienting of our lives outwardly is the end result of spiritual maturity and growth in the faith. This is something we will never completely master, but this transformation should be the goal of all Christ-followers.
The lives of followers of Jesus should be marked by his resolute and sometimes even unexpected love for everyone.
Too often, I think Christians stop short of this lofty ideal. Many churches and Christians settle for something less (and usually more comfortable) than this massive internal renovation. Some Christians are simply hoping that Jesus will give them a better life. Others aim to grow in their knowledge and understanding of the Bible. Some think the goal is to not make mistakes or bad decisions. Others want a spiritual experience with God that transcends their everyday life. These are all ways that we change for the better when we follow Jesus, but I don't think we have properly set the expectation of the finish line for faith. Calling our church "Beyond" calls people into this unnatural transformation where the center of our decisions and purpose goes beyond ourselves to others.
The first step in our faith is going beyond yourself to seek God. Our faith would be worthless if God does not care or interact with us. This is a common denominator in almost all religions - to seek something beyond yourself. We know the one, true God to be a personal God who listens, cares, loves, and responds to us. The first step in our transformation is to know him. This is why we gather to worship every single week. We want to seek him together, to praise him, to listen to him, to learn from him, and to invite him into our lives to transform us. We know God to be the perfect embodiment of love not just because of what he says or how we feel, but because of how we are changed when we worship him and follow him. Our name indicates that we are not the ones in charge or control of our transformation. The model, the process, and the power come from beyond us - from God himself.
We hope Beyond Church will be a place that calls people out from their self-centered, constructed lives to know God and be transformed by him to love others with the love he has for everyone.
Many people today (even outside the church) have a positive view of Jesus because of his famous acts of love, healing, and care for others around him. This resonates deeply with us because it seems humans find it difficult to live this way. We continually experience the other end of humanity's selfishness and are likely disgusted when we see the uglier elements of pride and ego in our own lives. We properly applaud acts of kindness or service because we each wish to be free from our own selfishness and live in a culture where everyone expresses genuine love. This is exactly what Jesus offers and the culture he is brining through his kingdom. And this kind of love is what people want. In just over two years in our Cares team role at the apartment, over 40 people came to church with us from our invitation. People are attracted to the love of Jesus and want to be where it is found. We hope Beyond Church will be a place that calls people out from their self-centered, constructed lives to know God and be transformed by him to love others with the love he has for everyone.