God has called Real Life Church Hollister
Since day one, God has called Real Life to reach families and help them see His purpose for their lives and become genuine disciples. The only way we will ever accomplish this huge goal is to activate our lives, facility, resources, and hearts so that we become God’s connection for those who desperately need to know Him and His purpose for their lives. God is calling us to increase our level of sacrifice. It is time to sacrifice more of our time, talents, and treasures; this is spiritual maturity! Are you ready? Ready to become the person that makes a difference in the lives of others? Since September 2021, Real Life Hollister has been a place of hope for people. A group of people that, even though we live in a dark world, direct others toward the love of Christ. At Real Life, we Keep it Real, and we Keep it Jesus! We are people with incredible purpose, and we live on a mission.
Would you like to be a part of that?
Our Mission
The mission of Real Life is to Make, Mature, Multiply, and Equip disciples…starting with ourselves.
Our mission statement describes the reason we exist and is used to help guide our decisions about our priorities, actions, and responsibilities. It is what we do as a church.
Our Vision
The vision of Real Life is to creatively implement the Great Commission while building a growing community of churches that plant culturally relevant churches that are committed to the dynamic worship of God while extending His transforming grace to reach the unchurched community.
Five key phrases outline our vision. They represent the core of our vision and are essential for evaluating, redefining, and sharpening our focus.
The five phrases are:
Creatively Implement the Great Commission-
Jesus summarized His purpose for being on earth in Luke 19:10. He said, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.” In His final instructions, He made the purpose of the church clear. “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). Therefore, our vision includes pursuing the lost in the most culturally relevant format. This includes implementing Christ’s commission in both an innovative and creative manner for the unchurched in our community.
Jesus summarized His purpose for being on earth in Luke 19:10. He said, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.” In His final instructions, He made the purpose of the church clear. “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). Therefore, our vision includes pursuing the lost in the most culturally relevant format. This includes implementing Christ’s commission in both an innovative and creative manner for the unchurched in our community.
Build a Growing Community of Churches-
Unchurched people are nine times more likely to come to a new church than an older, established church. We feel that the best way to impact our area with Christ’s transforming message is to plant culturally relevant churches in and around our community, like Real Life. For us, this means starting a new church every five years or sooner, if possible, in strategic locations.
Unchurched people are nine times more likely to come to a new church than an older, established church. We feel that the best way to impact our area with Christ’s transforming message is to plant culturally relevant churches in and around our community, like Real Life. For us, this means starting a new church every five years or sooner, if possible, in strategic locations.
Committed to Dynamic Worship-
Because our vision is to extend the transforming grace of Jesus Christ, we believe that the most fundamental relationship people can have is an active, living relationship with God through Jesus Christ his Son (John 10:10, Romans 6:23). Our worship services reflect this by promoting creative, inspiring, and authentic worship which demonstrates that God is living and active in this generation; therefore, the most contemporary medium is used to express our worship.
Because our vision is to extend the transforming grace of Jesus Christ, we believe that the most fundamental relationship people can have is an active, living relationship with God through Jesus Christ his Son (John 10:10, Romans 6:23). Our worship services reflect this by promoting creative, inspiring, and authentic worship which demonstrates that God is living and active in this generation; therefore, the most contemporary medium is used to express our worship.
Extending His Transforming Grace –
By God’s grace, the city of Hollister/Branson area will be a changed community in 10-15 years due to the influence of the Spirit of God through the lives of our people who are devoted to extending the transforming grace of God. Our vision is that the members of Real Life Church will take Christ into homes, marketplaces, political arenas, and educational settings. Our Sunday morning service reflects our vision by being a safe place for Real Life Church members to bring their friends, relatives, and co-workers. In other words, Real Life will be a safe place to hear the message of creation, the fall & our redemption through God’s grace.
By God’s grace, the city of Hollister/Branson area will be a changed community in 10-15 years due to the influence of the Spirit of God through the lives of our people who are devoted to extending the transforming grace of God. Our vision is that the members of Real Life Church will take Christ into homes, marketplaces, political arenas, and educational settings. Our Sunday morning service reflects our vision by being a safe place for Real Life Church members to bring their friends, relatives, and co-workers. In other words, Real Life will be a safe place to hear the message of creation, the fall & our redemption through God’s grace.
Reach the Unchurched-
Finally, our vision includes the intentional and strategic pursuit of reaching those who have stopped attending or have never attended a church—that is, those who have not experienced God’s transforming grace.
Placing a vision in print is somewhat like attempting to hold water in your hand. It is nearly impossible! A vision is something that is caught by someone rather than taught. It has been described as a mental picture of the future which finds its realization in the hands of the one who owns the vision. We desire that the Real Life vision becomes your vision, something you “own” and take great pride in seeing fulfilled. In essence, our vision is not something that you can see but something you must be. We see a church that is Biblical.
Finally, our vision includes the intentional and strategic pursuit of reaching those who have stopped attending or have never attended a church—that is, those who have not experienced God’s transforming grace.
Placing a vision in print is somewhat like attempting to hold water in your hand. It is nearly impossible! A vision is something that is caught by someone rather than taught. It has been described as a mental picture of the future which finds its realization in the hands of the one who owns the vision. We desire that the Real Life vision becomes your vision, something you “own” and take great pride in seeing fulfilled. In essence, our vision is not something that you can see but something you must be. We see a church that is Biblical.
Our Core Values
We also have a set of seven core values that have shaped our culture from the very beginning of our journey together. Every major decision we make as a church is filtered through our mission, vision, and these seven core values…
1. Biblically Faithful: We make Scripture the final authority rather than church tradition. We seek to be innovative and flexible as long as we do not violate Scripture.
2. Commitment to Prayer: We believe that God desires his people to pray and that he hears and answers prayer. Therefore, the church’s ministries and activities will be characterized by a reliance on prayer in their conception, planning, and execution.
3. Culturally Relevant: We try to adapt our ministry to current needs and trends in American life without compromising Biblical absolutes. We attempt to communicate the good news of Jesus Christ to society in ways they can understand.
4. Relationally Centered: We stress healthy relationships among Christians. We emphasize small groups as a primary means for Christians to care for each other, develop friendships, and share their lives.
5. People Developing: We seek to help people grow spiritually. We provide biblical instruction and encourage believers to discover and exercise their spiritual gifts. It’s messy; embrace it!
6. Family Affirming: We seek to provide an atmosphere that strengthens marriages and families. We are committed to strong youth and children’s ministries.
7. Simple Structured: We assign the ultimate leadership of the church to God, the Chief Shepherd. Next to our Lead Pastor, God’s under-shepherd, and the church’s daily operations to the paid staff who are responsible for executing our ministries.
Our Affiliation
We enjoy partnering with like-minded gospel-preaching churches across denominational lines. We cooperate in mission partnerships with the Southern Baptist Convention, the Missouri Baptist Convention, and the Tri-County Baptist Association. Each of these partnerships is voluntary and does not result in a governance hierarchy. Instead, Real Life Church is considered an autonomous church.
If this is all confusing gibberish to you and you’d like to learn more, reach out to us. We’d love to chat.