Identity

Christ-Centered

When Seeker began meeting we called ourselves “Biblical Jesus Ministries” (BJM). We setup a page on Facebook for BJM. Later we felt we needed a broader focus name to express the vision of Seeker and so we posted a message on the FB BJM page that the ministry was now called Seeker Fellowship.

However, until today, people are still “liking” the BJM page. So we must have struck a spiritual nerve with this emphasis.

On a deeper level, Seeker admits that many “cultural Christians” support a view of Jesus that cannot be found in general in the Bible and in particular in the teachings of Jesus. We would characterize this view of Christ as the “White American Cultural Jesus” — a view of Jesus which conforms Christ to our image rather than ourselves being confirmed to His image as portrayed by the Gospel.

Cross-Cultural 

Jesus said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations,”(Mark 11:17).  And although Jesus said His primary mission was “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” (Matthew 15:24) in Luke 10, after sending out His 12 disciples who represent Jesus’ mission to the 12 tribes of Israel, Jesus sent 70 more disciples on an evangelistic mission.  The number 70 is acknowledged as the number of the Gentiles from Genesis 10 containing 70 names representing “the nations”.  With “the nations” already in view, Jesus then commissions (Matthew 28:19-20) His church to disciple the nations as the fulfillment of the Abrahamic blessing.

Seeker endeavors to model that same spirit of being a learner of culture in order to effectively communicate the Gospel of Christ in light of the changing American culture and become a learning church on mission to the nations.

Progressive

Educator Paolo Freire said, “Christianity and communism both believe (differently) that history is linear and is headed toward a culmination” — away from tribalism, away from nationalism, away from chauvinism and provincialism.  Faith in Jesus and the faith of Jesus drives us to acknowledge that a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) has taken hold of our lives in Christ.   That new creation (us) brings every thought into captivity to Christ.  And our allegiances change.  Whereas before, we “looked out for No. 1.”  Now we look to “the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:4)  It’s what we were taught in Daily Vacation Bible School, “JOY, Jesus first, Others next, Yourself last.”

With our new creation worldview, we seek what is good for, as Jesus called them, “the least of these.” (Matthew 25)  And so we are guided to use the tools of God’s kingdom (proclamation, moral force, media, technology) to advance the cases and causes of the most vulnerable and the disinherited in our cultures.