Missions

Matthew 28:18–20 - ¹⁸ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ 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, ²⁰ 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.

This “Great Commission” of the Lord Jesus is for us and all Christian churches around the world. At Salem Ebenezer Reformed Church, we seek to obey Jesus in every area of life. We aren’t perfect, but we are striving by His grace to continue to bring witness to His Kingdom until He returns.

LOCAL

At the Local level, the Great Commission is fulfilled by upholding the ministry of the Word and Sacraments which Jesus established. We preach through the Bible book by book, verse by verse, letting God’s Word set the agenda for our daily and congregational life. When God blesses our church members with covenant children, we administer the sacrament of baptism. We also baptize all adult new members who have not yet received Trinitarian baptism. We celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper four times a year: on Easter, in June, September, and December. All visitors who are members in good standing of another orthodox Christian Church are welcome to join us at the Lord's Table on these occasions.

According to Jesus, we make disciples by teaching our church members to observe all that He has commanded. In addition to Sunday worship, we provide teaching at Adult Bible Study, Men’s Bible Study, and Women’s Bible Study. We provide teaching and fellowship to our teens at Young People’s. We also train our covenant youth in Sunday School, Confirmation Class, and Summer Bible School.

What is taught? All our teaching is within the framework of our understanding of the Biblical and Reformed faith, as explained in more detail here.

Our Congregation hosts the annual Church Camp for children ages 5th-12th grade. Children from several states who are members and guests of our fellow RCUS congregations come for a week of fun, fellowship, and spiritual formation.

We understand that from time to time Christians will need some one-on-one spiritual care and assistance in the challenges that we face. Pastoral Counseling is available.

We celebrate the communion of the saints with our monthly "Fellowship Time," held right after worship the last Sunday of the month. Refreshments are served, and occasionally a meal is served as well.

NATIONAL

Since we are not saved to live for Jesus by ourselves, but in community with other Christians, that also applies to groups of Christians. No single congregation is expected to exist on its own. We enjoy mutual submission, encouragement, and partnership in the gospel ministry with other Reformed Churches across the nation in our denomination, the Reformed Church in the U.S. Because of this membership, we are able to assist with prayers, offerings, and in other tangible ways in the mission of the church in other mission churches across the country.

INTERNATIONAL

The same thing can be said for our connections with foreign missions. Through our membership in the RCUS, we pray and financially support foreign missions in places like the Philippines, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.