Kingdom Culture
at Antioch Waco
Kingdom
Culture Vision
Our desire as a church is to define more clearly God’s call for our body to emulate heaven by being a racially and ethnically diverse people that live out Kingdom Culture as a unified body. These clarity statements are not offered to appear socially conscious, nor are they offered to appease the initiatives of any group of people. They are offered to help people understand the direction of our church related to biblical Kingdom Culture. The statements also serve as accountability to our leadership to be intentional about the fulfillment of these statements. Biblical Kingdom Culture encompasses many aspects of how Christians should embrace societal concerns, but for clarity and forward movement, this statement primarily refers to racial issues.
A “Kingdom Culture church” is a Spirit-led, biblically based family of God embracing every nation, tribe, people and language, committed to worshiping Jesus and living out Kingdom values in community.
We are clearly stating that we are for Jesus Christ, His Church and His mission to the world. We are committed to engaging culture from a biblical worldview; therefore, our mission is not to align to any specific person, social trend, political party or organization but to challenge everyone in all spheres of society to live as disciples of Jesus and to apply biblical conviction in their leadership and influence. Prioritizing Jesus does not mean practicing “colorblindness” but simply means that we will honor Jesus first and then honor the uniqueness of every tribe, tongue and people among us.
Also, because of our biblical convictions, we are clearly stating that we oppose any form of human oppression toward, but not limited to, the poor, women, the unborn, the elderly, the immigrant, people of every culture and race and persons with mental, emotional, social or physical disabilities.
Kingdom
Culture Values
Ways Antioch Lives Out Kingdom Culture
Church members prioritize Christian identity over any racial, cultural or political identity. 1 Peter 2:9-10
Value is placed on every person of any race, gender and age. Value is shown in many ways, often through encouragement, honor, care, meeting one another’s needs, rejoicing and mourning with one another and advocating for one another when subject to injustice. Romans 12:9-16; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Church leaders seek God and respond to the Holy Spirit’s leadership in establishing Kingdom Culture through church leadership, church teaching and church ministries and services. Acts 13:1-3
Church leaders equip every church member to understand and apply God’s Word when distinguishing between Kingdom Culture and societal narratives. Acts 15:1-35
Church leaders prayerfully discern when to speak publicly about societal issues and controversies. When they do speak publicly, it is done to teach biblical perspective and declare truth. Ephesians 4:11-16
Church members participate in cross-cultural relationships with the hope of learning to love one another and to dwell together in unity. John 13:34; John 17:20-24; Ephesians 2:14-16
Kingdom Culture Plans (Educate, Relate, Advocate)
Kingdom Culture Community
Antioch is committed to being a Kingdom Culture church which means we want to love and serve people from every ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural background. To love and serve such a variety of people we need to build relationships and community through cultural dialogue and fellowship.
Each year, the church hosts the Kingdom Culture Community which meets once a month as a place for people to share life experiences and their faith while having a meal together.
Taste of the World
Antioch biannually hosts a church wide event called Taste of the World designed to celebrate the diverse backgrounds and cultural distinctives represented in the church. Taste of the World begins with worship and prayer time featuring multi-ethnic musical expression and prayer for the world in a variety of languages. The worship time is followed by cultural celebration represented by an exhibit of booths featuring food and other historical artifacts from various countries and cultures of the world. This family friendly event can be enjoyed by all ages.
For more information or to participate in a Kingdom Culture event, contact KingdomCulture@antiochwaco.com.
Other Faith in Practice Papers
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Our desire as a church is to define more clearly God’s call for our body to emulate heaven by being a racially and ethnically diverse people that live out Kingdom Culture as a unified body. These clarity statements are not offered to appear socially conscious, nor are they offered to appease the initiatives of any group of people. They are offered to help people understand the direction of our church related to biblical Kingdom Culture. The statements also serve as accountability to our leadership to be intentional about the fulfillment of these statements. Biblical Kingdom Culture encompasses many aspects of how Christians should embrace societal concerns, but for clarity and forward movement, this statement primarily refers to racial issues.
READ FULL PAPER HERE -
Revelation 7 presents a glorious picture of eternity declaring that every people group on the planet will worship God together, forever. All of mankind standing in a unified state may be so glorious that only the majesty of God Himself would outshine it. For now, humanity longs for the beauty of unity as people struggle with one another in almost every human endeavor. In recent years, race has been one of the greatest places where individuals struggle with one another. The racial tensions, particularly in western culture, have become so great that the cause of unity may seem hopeless to some. However, the reality is that the current strife that exists in our culture represents an invitation from the Lord to shine the light of Jesus more brightly than ever into the darkness of cultural divisions. While unity between the races is certainly a most difficult goal, it is not impossible according to the Word of God.
READ FULL PAPER HERE -
Sexuality provides a significant religious flashpoint in the modern Western world. Social views regarding sexual morals have changed dramatically within the last 60 years. Sex outside of marriage is now considered normal, divorce rates have increased significantly and pornography and other sexually charged media are widespread. Homosexuality is widely seen as a social rights issue in modern society. These trends have placed culture on a collision course with the traditional teachings of the Church.
READ FULL PAPER HERE -
The purpose of this article is to address the Antioch Movement’s stance on the role of women in ministry. Our heart is to release both men and women across Antioch into the fullness of their uniqueness, gifting and calling. The Scripture is our authority for faith and practice; therefore, we should always allow the Bible to interpret our lives rather than allowing our culture to interpret the Scriptures, and ultimately, our application. Biblical clarity gives our movement both strength and longevity.
READ FULL PAPER HERE -
We believe the Bible speaks clearly regarding the value of life in the womb. We also acknowledge the complexity and sensitivity of the issues surrounding abortion, a subject that disproportionately affects women. We know that this topic is one laden with emotional weight, and we in no way seek to contribute to the pain or guilt someone might feel who has had, performed or contributed to an abortion. We also recognize there are valid concerns that many proponents of abortion are trying to address (e.g., systemic poverty, the pressures of being a single parent, etc.) and we seek to engage those issues with compassion. The goal of this paper is to outline a biblical approach that navigates the issue of abortion specifically. It is limited in its scope and is not intended to comprehensively address all of the attending and underlying issues. Though the content is brief and to the point, we hope to communicate the church’s stance with empathy. Jesus came full of grace and truth (John 1:14), and the church must walk in the same manner.
READ FULL PAPER HERE