Iglesia Cristiana de las Americas Santa Clarita was born there three years ago. It was planted in collaboration with Rev. Jose Felix Acosta, a minister member of the Presbytery of San Fernando for the last four years.
The purpose of Iglesia Cristiana de Las Americas is to fulfill the great commission as Jesus gave it to us in Matthew 28:18-20. The church has no nobler purpose than introducing others to Christ. We do this in part by ensuring we faithfully represent God and become who God has called us to be. Whether we witness people in our neighborhoods or send others to foreign lands, the church is called to manifest the Holy Spirit in us by embodying Jesus’ character and telling others about him.
We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.
Ephesians 4:14-16
In addition to our Ministry Philosophy grounded in Ephesians 4, we intend the life of Iglesia Cristiana de Las Americas to be guided by what we find in the New Testament about our calling as people of God.
Our desire is to have a lively church where each member grows into a vital, spiritual community characterized by love for Christ and others (John 15:9). We primarily meet in homes and small gatherings throughout the week for prayer, fellowship, and to study the Bible (Acts 2:46-47).
The purpose of our church is also to be the believer’s spiritual family. Through the church, God takes people with different personalities and gifts, unifies them as a single body, and equips them to care for each other and reach the world. We are not meant to live the Christian life alone; surrounded by the biblical teaching and loving community of the church, together we find our purpose in life.
Another purpose of our church is to join people of different backgrounds and talents and provide them training and opportunities for God’s work. It accomplishes this both internally, within the body, and externally, in the world. (Acts 2:42) explains the internal function of the church: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Jesus entrusted the church with the task of teaching the body sound doctrine.
The natural result of sound teaching and a unified body is that the church members will take care of each other. The most powerful way to care for others is to pray for them (Acts 2:42). Just as the early church prayed for each other (Acts 12:5; Philippians 1:3-4), so we should bring each other’s needs before God (Philippians 4:6-7).
Within the church, we are also called to show honor (Romans 12:10), compassion (Ephesians 4:32), encouragement (1 Thessalonians 5:11), and love (1 John 3:11). And we are to meet each other’s practical needs. James 1:27 says:
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
One of the primary purposes of the church is to provide for the needs of its members (Acts 20:34-35; Romans 15:26).
