Do you know the CPC Bridges?

Instead of waiting for people to step into church service, Jesus puts the onus on his followers to intentionally build bridges to the world.

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Believe & Belong

Are you God’s child and part of His family?

Jesus invites us to believe – to put our trust in Him, for this life and the next.

Jesus invites us to belong – to a community of His people, who journey together in deepening our relationship with Him and one another.

Devotion & Delight

I believe in Jesus

When we believe in Jesus, we enter into a growing relationship with the living God, the creator of all things. We put our faith in the gospel: that Jesus has saved us by dying on the cross for our sins, and He will raise us to everlasting life when He returns. This truth humbles us, for we have saved by His grace and mercy alone, not our own righteousness.

  • Am I assured of what will happen to me after I die?

    Do I rest on the gospel of grace alone, instead of doing enough good to merit salvation?

Devotion & Delight

I belong to God as His beloved child

All who truly believe in Jesus are made children of God. We rejoice in this: that God relates to us as our perfect heavenly Father, who cares for us, knows our every need, and wants the best for us. We have confidence that God loves us even through our failings and weaknesses, and we desire to experience His love in greater measure.

  • Do I seek to deepen my relationship with God who created me, and loves me with an everlasting love?

    Do I learn how to pray to, and ask God for help and guidance, just as a child seeks help from their parent?

Nurturing Relationships

I belong to God’s family

When someone believes in Jesus, not only is their relationship with God restored, they are also included into God’s family – together with their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. While God’s family may be far from perfect, we seek to nurture and deepen our relationships with one another.

  • Do I seek to deepen my relationship with fellow Christians, as we are one spiritual family, both right now and also for the rest of eternity

    Do I view fellow Christians (regardless of their background) as those who are loved by God, and saved by God’s grace?

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Become

Do I know what it means to become more like Jesus?

Jesus calls us to follow Him: in our relationship with and obedience to Him (Devotion & Delight in God), our relationship with those He placed in our lives (Nurturing Relationships), and in our purpose and service to the world (Advancing God’s Mission).

Devotion & Delight

I commit to becoming a disciple in Jesus

As disciples of Jesus, we are committed to a lifelong journey of growing in Christlikenes. This is God’s ultimate goal for us, and our highest calling and privilege. We obey God in response to His grace to us, and because our identity is now in Christ. We seek to live by Jesus’s teachings and example, and to die to our old sinful self. This demonstrates that we have a living and not a dead faith, and that we truly belong to Him.

  • Baptism/confirmation is a physical expression of this spiritual reality

  • Do I understand that “I am a new creation in Christ”, and do I seek to understand and live out my new identity in Christ more fully?

    • Just as a newlywed seeks to fully live out their identity as a married person, or a new parent seeks to fully live out their identity as a parent, Christians are called to live out their identity as those who belong to Christ; their old self is buried in Christ, and their new self is raised with Christ

    Do I understand what growing in Christlikeness looks like, and is it an important goal in my life?

    Do I understand that the central problem for humanity (and myself) is sin, and do I seek to overcome my sinful ways with God’s help?

    • Clarity on this matter is needed because many think their main problem is the lack of wealth, or status, or the faults of other people, not their own sinfulfnesss

Devotion & Delight

I spend time with Jesus through Word and Prayer

Our calling to follow Jesus is first and foremost to be with Jesus, who is the shepherd of our soul. Without being with Jesus, our lives will be fruitless, but by it, we are transformed to become more like Him. Jesus Himself demonstrated this principle of being with God throughout His earthly life. As such, our personal, private walk with God is non-negotiable. We abide with God through rhythms of scripture reading, prayer, thanksgiving, confession, and rest. These are not actions to merit God’s favour, but ways receiving God’s life into us.

  • Do I regularly spend time with God through prayer, scripture reading and other means of grace?

    Have I committed to a Rule of Life?

    Do I seek God when I am alone, or only when others are looking, or with me?

    Us: “The outward aGnd ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption, are his ordinances, especially the word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation” (WSC 88)

Nurturing Relationships

I become part of the body of Christ

Though individually different, we are all part of one body of Christ, with the aim of moving towards complete unity. The various parts of Christ’s body are connected by authentic relationships, which is expressed in our concrete commitment: to do/share life together, to worship together, to encourage and be accountable to one another for spiritual growth, and to serve one another according to our unique God-given gifts.

  • Do I have Christian friends that I regularly spend time and share about life with?

    Do I have leaders/mentors who walk with me in my spiritual journey?

    Do I regularly attend worship service?

    Am I serving the body of Christ, whether in church formally, and/or within your LG?

Nurturing Relationships

I help others belong to God’s community

While it is easy to remain with people we are familiar/comfortable with, God calls us to weclome others, just as Christ has welcomed us. We are eager to show hospitality to newcomers, we connect to people who are different from us, and include and honour people who may be left out.

  • Do I make efforts to connect with people in church who are different from me (such as people from another generation)?

    Do I welcome newcomers to church, knowing that I have a role to play helping others belong?

Advancing God’s Mission

I become aware of the world’s need for Jesus

We know the eternal and infinite value of being redeemed by Jesus. We start to view people, not according to their wealth, status, or other worldly categories, but by their spiritual condition. Our eyes are opened to the lostness of the world, which we view with the compassion of Jesus, not building walls between us and them. We understand the urgent need for the gospel to be shared, so that people will come to saving knowledge of the truth.

  • Condition: Two categories, those who are lost without Jesus, and those who have been found in Him

    Do I see that “having my name written in heaven” is the greatest blessing there is?

    Am I grieved that so many people (including those I know) are lost without Christ?

    When I see the brokenness in the world, do I pull away in judgment—or do I long for the gospel to reach them, so they too can know Jesus?

Advancing God’s Mission

I become equipped for God’s mission to the world

We hear the same call that Jesus made to the disciples: Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. We see mission not simply as a task to perform, but as a royal commission which encapsulates God’s heart for the world. We begin by praying and seeking God, and we take steps to equip ourselves and discover the role we can play in advancing God’s mission.

  • Am I regularly praying for those who do not know Jesus to come to faith?

    Though I feel that outreach/witnessing is intimidating, do I avoid excuses, and instead equip myself to be effective?

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Build

Do I build my life on the fullness of God?

Do I build up the body of Christ, and build for His kingdom?

Jesus calls us to build our lives on the solid rock rather than shifting sand - by fully applying His word to our lives.

Jesus gives us a place in His body - to build others up; and a role in His kingdom – to extend it in our spheres of influence.

Devotion & Delight

I build my whole life on God’s truth, love, and grace

To build our lives on God’s truth means whole-life discipleship – seeking that every aspect of our life may be founded upon God’s truth in His word. We recognize that the power of God’s word to equip us fully, and to enable us to live godly lives.

To build our lives on God’s love means obeying the Great commandment: To love God fully, and to love others as ourselves. As such, we renounce our love for the desires of the world, which will fade away*.

To build our lives on God’s grace means to live in light of His finished work of the cross, not boasting about or finding our worth in what we do for God, but what He has done for us. We grow in awareness of our sinfulness, and grow in amazement of God’s grace to us.

  • Do I actively align my life to this question: what does it look like for Jesus to be Lord (fully-in-charge) of the various aspects of my life (family, work, leisure, finances, service in church, etc)?

    As I reflect on my life over the past few years, has my love for the things of the world grown less, and my love for God and people increased?

    Instead of pretending (minimizing my sin) or performing (trying to impress God with my good works), am I growing in amazement of God’s grace to me?

    Additional notes:

    *Fade away: The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

Devotion & Delight

I am built up in spiritual perseverance and strength to overcome sin

We recognize that true disciples of Jesus will face trials and temptations in life. We hold fast to God, knowing that these challenges will not undermine us, but refine us towards Christlike maturity.

As such, we commit to praise God in our challenges, having faith that challenges can broaden our perseverance, deepen our intimacy with God, and heighten our hope in His saving power. We know how to be strong in the Lord, stand against, and overcome sin and Satan.

  • Do I ask God for only His blessing, goodness and comfort, or do I also seek Him for spiritual growth, even though it may be painful?

    Do I seek God’s wisdom as I go through life’s challenge, asking: ‘What is God teaching me, and how is He calling me to grow’?

    Do I have people in my life that I can share openly about my personal struggles with?

    Do I experience gradual victory over the sinful patterns in my life?

    Can I say (as in 1 John 2:14) that “I am strong, and the word of God abides in me, and I have overcome the evil one?”

    • Do note this overcoming is not all at once, but a process of sanctification

Nurturing Relationships

I build up people in my life in self-giving love

God’s word says those “who do not love do not know God, for God is love”. Our love for others is founded on God’s love for us. It is by walking this way of love that we become more like Jesus, and personally experience Him, and show ourselves to be His followers.

We renounce everything that impedes us on this way of love –unforgiveness, bitterness and envy, self-interest and pride, and hatred. This means we are not easily offended, do not keep records of wrongs, and we forgive others just as Christ has forgiven us. Loving other is practical and concrete, by laying down what we cherish for the benefit of those God has placed in our lives.

  • Am I actively fighting against sins and tendencies that diminish my love, such as envy, pride and unforgiveness?

    Am I focused on what I am gaining from others (my friends and loved ones, my LG and church), or am I focus on what I can give to others for their good?

    Do I continue to love others, even when its hard?

    Am I easily offended by the actions/words of others, and bear grudges readily, or do I seek to be a peacemaker who sows in peace?

Nurturing Relationships

I build up the body of Christ along with others

The church, as the body of Christ, and the temple of God, is what reveals Christ and His wisdom to the watching and waiting world. God has placed us as parts in His body with work to do, and we are committed to build His body through intentional encouragement, truthful love, faithful service, and patient correction. We collaborate with others, not over, or underplaying our role in the body. We eagerly seek the Spirit of God’s empowerment and gifts, so that we can better serve the common good.

  • Am I active in “speaking the truth in love” to others, and encouraging the good I see in them, so that they will be built up?

    Am I actively and consistently serving the body of Christ, and intentional about further discovering the part I can play it building it?

Advancing God’s Mission

I build bridges with the world and bring people into Christ’s body

Jesus does not intend for us to be confined with the church – He sends us out into the world to be His witnesses. That means that by the lives we lead and the words we speak - we will either point to, or away from Jesus. We are people-orientated and spirit-led in our interactions with others, always ready to give an account for our hope in Christ. Our bridges extend not just to our immediate communities, but also across cultural/national lines, for God’s goal is for the gospel to reach the ends of the earth.

  • Do I know how to share the gospel and my testimony, with both grace and respect?

    Am I intentional about nurturing relationships with those who do not know Jesus, so that be I can be a good testimony to Christ?

    Have I been involved in cross-cultural missions, either through mission trips abroad, or initiatives in Singapore?

Advancing God’s Mission

I am built up in God’s calling and purpose for my life

God created each and everyone of us with a unique purpose and plan. With the help of God’s Spirit, we embark on a process of discovering and discerning His purpose for us, whilst acknowledging it may shift through the seasons of our lives. We affirm that God is eager to guide us, and we prioritize seeking His will and aligning our lives to His wisdom. Rather than conforming to pattern of the world, we constantly seek the renewal of our minds, to view life through a divine perspective.

  • Am I journeying with others to clarify my calling in life for the season I am in?

    Do I make life choices because “everyone else is doing it”, or because I have sought God’s will by His Spirit and through His word?

    Do I have a deep conviction that God has placed me on Earth for a purpose, and do I seek to clarify what that might look like?

Bless

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Do I know the blessing of being in Christ, and is my life an overflow of this blessing to others?

Jesus has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Him – and by following Him fully, we share in the blessing of His abundant life.

Jesus promises us the blessings of spiritual reproduction* - “bearing fruit that will last”, as we make disciples of all nations. Jesus promises us the blessings of kingdom representation* - serving as God’s royal ambassadors and priests in our spheres of influence.

  • Spiritual Reproduction*:

    (“Go and make disciples of all nations”) is the new covenant application of the original creation command and blessing (“be fruitful and multiply”)

    Kingdom Representation*:

    Living as God’s kingdom representatives (1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6, amongst others) with real spiritual authority (Matthew 16:19) is the new covenant application of the original creation blessing (“Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over ..)

Devotion & Delight

I know the blessing of being in Christ, and bearing spiritual fruit

We have come to know God – experientially, intimately and practically, and we know that this is the greatest blessing. We count everything else as loss in the light of knowing Jesus – both the fellowship of His suffering, and the power of His resurrection life. We display a deep contentment in Christ, and live fully under Jesus’s upside-down kingdom reign, as expressed in the Beatitudes. We live by the Spirit, exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit in our lives - When others look at us, they see someone who lives like Jesus.

  • Can we tell others (just as Apostle Paul did): “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ”? (1 Corinthians 11:1)

    Do I display the fruit of the Spirit in my life in increasing measure?

    Do I prioritize living for Jesus above everything else, even though it may be costly and counter-cultural?

Nurturing Relationships

I bless others by helping them become more like Jesus

As spiritual parents, we seek to “present everyone fully mature in Christ” – looking to not just their present needs and wants, but their future destiny of who they can be in Christ. We affirm and practice spiritual multiplication and reproduction - though this process can be ardous and discouraging, our confidence is in God’s power to bring His good work to completion.

  • Do I see my role in church just about doing things/fulfilling functions, or do I see it as a way to equip/empower people, perhaps even to surpass me?

    Am I intentional about discipling those under my care, and encouraging them towards Christlikeness?

    Do I know how to guide and journey with people through the DNA roadmap, from ‘Belong & Believe’ to Bless?

Nurturing Relationships

I am a blessing to others through accountable servant leadership

We recognize that for those of us in positions of teaching, discipling and shepherding – there are greater expectations and responsibility, both to God and men. Therefore, with the help of God, and by coming under a system of accountability, we seek to live lives of integrity and congruence, with no separation between what we say/teach and do. Our gifting, experience, or position do not make proud, rather, our goal remains to serve others with humble and willing service.

  • Do I have a community of fellow leaders that I am accountable to, for living a life of integrity?

    When others look to us, do they see a model of humble service that is willing to do unglamorous and difficult tasks?

    Am I the first to give credit to others when things go well, and also first to accept responsibility when things go badly?

Advancing God’s Mission

I bring God’s blessing to those around me, and to the nations

We know that as we seek first God’s kingdom, God cares for our needs. As such, we eagerly lay down our lives for others in sacrificial service - we give not just of ourselves, but have become channels of God’s blessings.

Because of our deep abiding relationship with God, we pray faith-filled prayers aligned to God’s will, which make an impact on lives and the world.

We bless our enemies, are ambassadors for Christ’s reconciling love, and are God’s light and salt wherever we are placed. We experience God’s blessing of bearing spiritual fruit, by making disciples of others, and we seek to play a role in extending this blessing to “all the families of the earth”.

  • Do I pray persistently and boldly for others, knowing that the “prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective”?

    Can I say that I am a channel of God’s blessing, not serving in my own strength, but in God’s power?

    Do I play a role in transforming the environment I am placed in (I.e. my workplace or school), so that kingdom values take root?

    Do I actively play a role in blessing the nations, and the nations at our door step, so that the “gospel of the kingdom will be preached to the ends of the earth”?