Vitality is defined simply as the capacity to live and develop. It is what distinguishes between what is alive and what is dead, what is fecundate, and what is stagnant. Since God has ordained that the church should be life-giving, ‘vital’ or ‘vitality’ is the best description of why we do what we do. Every activity of the church must have as its primary purpose the capacity to impart, enhance, and sustain the life of everyone who would be a follower of Jesus Christ.
Vitality is also recognized as ‘an indispensable quality, component, or aspect. The ministries of Mt. Zion Apostolic Church are all indispensable components of what constitutes a church and are conducted with this purpose in mind. The following descriptions of our ministries give voice to the various activities of this congregation in living for God and extending His life-sustaining grace to all of mankind.
The Bible teaches us that servanthood is the defining characteristic of the church. Jesus said that “He that would be great among you must be the servant of all.” In the following descriptions of our Vital ministries, other supportive ministries are also delineated. Each of these ‘vital’ and ‘supportive’ ministries are opportunities for anyone who wishes to get involved and serve to do so. IT IS IN SERVING THAT WE GROW!
The Vitality of Prayer
“…men ought always to pray…” (Luke 18:1); “… pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Prayer is the lifeline and the life-blood of the church. The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:1–3, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;”
A praying church has the power to change the lives of its members and the surrounding community. One way you can be a part of that transformation is to get involved in the prayer ministry of the church. Quoting the prophet Isaiah, Jesus said, “My house (the church) shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. (Isaiah 56:7; Mark 11:17)
Fasting, abstaining from food is also an indispensable part of the church’s devotional life. Fasting enables the saint of God to hear God’s voice more clearly (Deuteronomy 28:1–2) and to pray more effectively (Matthew 17:21). The following are ways to participate in the vital ministry of prayer at Mt. Zion.
The Vitality of Worship
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23–24)
Worship is any act that shows devotion or love to God, ranging from praying at home to attending a church service. Everything we do should reflect our reverence for God. We most effectively worship God by living in moral excellence in accordance with the Holy Bible. As Christians, we recognize only one God who has revealed Himself to mankind in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the object of our worship, and it is through faith in his name that our lives are transformed to reflect His holiness.
Worship may be either formal or informal, private and corporate, deliberate, or spontaneous. Since God is passionate in His love for us, we ought to give Him our best in praise and worship. In the Bible, worship is expressed in many ways. Each of these ways should reflect Passionate Worship. Some of these expressions are:
All of these expressions will be found in the normal course of The Mt. Zion Experience.
The Vitality of Discipleship
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19–20)
The Christian Education Ministry of Mt. Zion is designed to promote and enhance the spiritual formation and faith development in the lives of God’s people, Intentional Faith Development being one of our five core values. Mt. Zion began as a Sunday School class, so the teaching of God’s word is at the heart and foundation of our church.
Sunday morning preaching and Wednesday evening Bible Class is the foundational times where our pastoral staff imparts Bible knowledge to members and guests alike. Wednesday evening presents an opportunity for a questions and answer forum on a wide range of biblical applications.
Sunday School is a vital and important component of our teaching program because it helps give believers a solid foundation of practical Christian beliefs and historical knowledge. We offer classes for all ages, from 0–adult. We use arts and crafts, songs, and fun-filled lessons to draw our youth and group discussions, and illustrated lessons for our teen and adult classes.
Specialized seminars and workshops are offered to address topics that require a more comprehensive effort. Some of our more recent workshops have included the Dave Ramsey “Financial Peace University,” and an eight-week instruction on personal health featuring the book Why Christians Get Sick by George Malkmus.
Vacation Bible School is a week-long summer experience for youth based around a themed curriculum. The week concludes with our annual summer picnic.
The Vitality of the Great Commission
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19–20)
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:15–16)
The Great Commission is the church’s mandate to reach all of humanity with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is through the evangelistic efforts of the church that people are encouraged to abandon the life of sin and become Christ-followers. In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells His followers, “… ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Mt. Zion takes this commission very seriously, believing that God wants everyone to be saved. We engage in:
The Vitality of Generosity
“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:25);
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:38)
Extravagant Generosity is one of our five core values. As a congregation, we share the material blessings God has given to us with those we find to be in need. We do not wish to sound a trumpet about the things we have done in this regard, as Christ teaches us against doing this (see Matthew 6:1–4), and yet we rejoice in every opportunity to experience the grace of giving. Furthermore, we endeavor to be good and faithful stewards of the resources that God places at our disposal.
Mt. Zion contributes to several charitable causes, and the Mather-Wells Community Service Corporation is our arm of benevolence to the Springfield community.
The Vitality of Welcome
“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
Mt. Zion’s ministry of hospitality is an effort to welcome all newcomers through friendly and pleasant interactions. This could be something as simple as greeting a guest with a smile or handshake. Anything that you do to make someone else feel at home can be considered hospitality. But this act of service goes deeper when you examine the New Testament. The Greek word the writers used to describe hospitality translates as the “love of strangers.” Loving those we do not know is a commandment we repeatedly see in the old testament. One specific passage where this commandment can be found is in Leviticus 19:33–34, “When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt.”
At Mt. Zion, one of our Core values is Radical Hospitality. Because of this, we strive to show God’s love to members and guests alike by working to make each one feel loved and welcome. Hospitality ministries include:
The Vitality of Posterity
“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” (Psalms 127:3); “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
The Mt. Zion Youth department is on a quest to ignite a fire for God in the young people of our congregation. The goal is to inspire them to identify and then go boldly in the direction that Christ is taking them so that they may impact the world as they grow in Christ.
We recognize that our youth are living and growing up in an ever-changing and challenging world, so our efforts are to equip them with the knowledge and ways of God to meet those challenges in a successful way.
By providing wholesome, positive, and enjoyable experiences, they will always look back at their Mt. Zion experience as a major contributing factor in their success in life.
The Second Sunday of each month is the time for our youth to exercise their leadership abilities to conduct our worship services. This gives them the valuable life experience of being able to speak before an audience.
Wednesday evening is a time when students can come together to study and discuss general life issues using the Bible as a guideline.
It is vital for our youth to be connected to adult members of the congregation who are willing to listen, mentor, and love them. It is also our ongoing endeavor to have adult members connected with the young people to help disciple the next generation of Christ-followers.
Some specific activities for our youth have included Bible competition exercises, serving meals at the Breadline, annual trips to amusement parks, bowling nights, financial literacy courses, car wash fundraisers, fellowship with food outings, and fishing trips.
The Mt. Zion Apostolic Church of Springfield, Illinois can be found at 2637 S. 10th Street, Springfield, Illinois 62703. Give us a call today at 217-523-1325 to help us with our mission or if you need help. To get help from our Transportation Ministry, call 217-725-0204. In addition, mail all donations and correspondence to the above address. Also, we hope you will click here to contribute through our online giving portal. Commit to using your gifts, talents, and abilities in one or more of the ministries of Mt. Zion today!
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