A Desired Future

A Desired Future

November 1, 2021 | Jake Each


Jesus sent his disciples on the most epic adventure ever. Like Gandalf calling Bilbo Baggins out of the safety of the Shire to face trolls, goblins, and dragons for the sake of middle earth, Jesus calls his disciples to follow him, to wrestle not against flesh and blood but against cosmic powers and spiritual forces over this present darkness.

When Christ gave his first followers the Great Commission, he attached an exciting vision with it, to make disciples of all nations. Do you see it? This little movement was going to expand to the ends of the earth — to all nations! Sounds pretty epic! These eleven followers needed to start thinking bigger. And sure enough, the power of the gospel has crossed countries and cultures, survived governments and persecution, and continues to spread throughout the earth. It happened through disciples who embraced adventure, sacrificed, faced death and persecution. It wasn’t a secondary aspect of their life but drove how they lived and why they died. They embraced the adventure of Christianity.

All real adventures demand sacrifice. Perhaps the greatest problem for us is that we fail to embrace the adventure that Christ calls us to. We lose touch with our calling as Christians when our churches turn into our shires—safe places holding us back from the adventure Jesus calls us to. We live with complacency. We desire comfort more than knowing God and making him known to others.

Our desire as a church is to be people who embrace the adventure of real Christianity. We want to dream big like those first disciples who were encouraged to think globally.

We are dreaming big. It is our vision as a church in the next five years to start another campus in our community and plant a collegiate church through our partnership in The Salt Network, and send out a global church planting team overseas. We are dreaming of a future where ministry at Veritas is multiplied outside of our walls and to the ends of the earth.

We believe that Christ will build his church and the gates of hell can’t stop it. That mission calls for followers willing to embrace the adventure, to sacrifice, to leave comfort and safety for the cause of Christ. That vision requires fully committed followers of Christ.

We’re pursuing this vision by deepening our commitment and efforts in discipleship. By the grace of God we want to see a wave of mature disciples raised up at Veritas Church and sent out to live as everyday missionaries. We’re pursuing more than just attenders and comfortable, domesticated Christianity. We want mature disciples who know the Word of God. We need everyday missionaries — not just nice people —but people who live their life for the glory of God, spreading the gospel to others.

We believe disciples like that will increase the potency of authentic Christianity in our community and the sending capacity of our church. Our ministry beyond us needs to be an overflow of what God is doing in us.

We are asking you to passionately pursue your own spiritual maturity. Make Sunday mornings a priority. Come ready to learn from God's Word, be worshippers, serve alongside others and contribute to what God is doing in and through Veritas Church. participate in worship and serve alongside others. Be committed to your connection group. Don’t just show up, but really live out the one another commands in the New Testament. Pray for one another, challenge and encourage one another, hold each other accountable, and spur one another on to love and good deeds.

Feed on the resources we put out. There are books in the resource center, articles and podcasts in the app. Participate in the Bible reading plan. Take a class. Go through Veritas School of Theology. Serve with one of our strategic partners. Go through the Ambassadors class to grow in sharing the gospel with others.

Our mission is not about starting another campus, a collegiate church plant, or a global church plant. Our mission as Veritas Church is to raise up mature disciples, send out everyday missionaries, and glorify God. Another campus, another collegiate church plant, another global church plant ...these are all just results of a growing number of fully committed followers of Christ who fully embrace the adventure that Christianity is. So we are asking you, would you join us on this adventure? Or how Jesus put it, “Come follow me. Lose your life to find it.”


Jake Each

Lead Pastor