History

RLCC stands for Real Life Christian Communities. We are a fellowship of Christian communities located in various places, both digital as well as physical, united under one Vision Frame, one set of Values, and one set of distinctive biblical Beliefs.

A Vision Frame is composed of four important categories that define who we are and what we do. This includes our Mission, our Marks, our Methods, and our Motivations.

We have one common Mission - To help each one experience real life in Christ together with others in a Christian community.

We define real life in Christ as living with God for others, which is the kind of life that God intends for all of us to experience. It’s a life characterized by love for God as well as love for others, which can only come from a transformed and transforming heart. (See Matthew 22:34-40)

A Christian Community is a small or medium-sized group of disciples of Jesus Christ (from 5 to 25 people, but not too many) where the presence, power, and purpose of Christ are being fulfilled in and through each one in the context of their actual lives in the real world.

Our overall method is called “Communityship,” which is the process of creating Christian Communities through committed spiritual leaders and members by means of the word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. This process involves three ongoing activities: Discipleship, Nurturing Relationships, and Apostolic Mission. This is the DNA of RLCC!

We can know if we are succeeding if we can see an increasing number of people from various sectors of society experiencing real life in Christ together with others in various Christian Communities located in various places.

Discipleship is all about teaching people how to follow Jesus every day together with others. Nurturing Relationships is all about teaching them how to initiate, grow, maintain, and deepen life-giving relationships with one another and in their families to create environments for spiritual transformation. Apostolic Mission is all about teaching people how to use their spiritual gifts and talents to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives. (See Acts 2:42-47)

"Communityship" also involves Seven Ministry Steps. 1. Attraction - We GO and build connections with all kinds of people through various means such as events, outreaches, and even online tools. 2. Conversion - We BRING people to Jesus Christ by helping them understand the Gospel so that they can make a decision to follow Him together with others. 3. Assimilation - We JOIN followers of Christ into our communities so that they can experience the presence, power and purpose of Christ in and through each one. 4. Spiritual Transformation - We BUILD each person’s faith so that they can grow and become mature in Christ together with others. 5. Ministry Deployment - We SPOT those who are faithful in their soul keeping practices and mobilize them for various works of ministry. 6. Leadership Development - We TRAIN those who are faithful and fruitful in their ministry so that they can lead others to become like them also. 7. Mission - We SEND out faithful and fruitful leaders to start new ministries in order to fulfill their grander vision either inside or outside the church.

We look for Seven Rubrics in the lives of all of our members through the Real Life Journey. Phase 1 - Change of Affections - Our members are growing in their love for the word of God, the worship of God and prayer, and also for the people of God in RLCC. Phase 2 - Increasing Commitment - Our members are identifying themselves as actual members of RLCC, becoming part of its life and ministry over time. Phase 3 - Identity in and Intimacy with Christ - Our members are finding their true worth or value not in external things, other people, or the things of this world, but in Christ alone. Phase 4 - Life-giving Relationships - Our members are prioritizing life-giving relationships in their families, in their small groups, in RLCC as a whole, and with the lost. Phase 5 - Stewardship Habits - Our members are learning to manage (or steward) their time, talents, and treasures to honor and worship God. Phase 6 - People-Oriented Ministry - Our members are now serving God by actually ministering to people's felt and real needs according to their gifts and talents, not just performing tasks. Phase 7 - Spiritual Leadership - Our members are becoming faithful and fruitful spiritual leaders who can live, love, and lead like Jesus wherever they are.

We are motivated by one common set of motivations. First of all, we are motivated by Faith in the Gospel. The Gospel or Good News is this: Through faith in Jesus Christ alone, anyone can experience a life that is so much better than the best life this world can ever offer. Second, we are motivated by Hope in the New Creation. It starts now through the work of the Holy Spirit in and through His people and in the church, but it will one day climax in the creation of a new heaven and new earth. Last but not the least, we are motivated by Love for God and Others. This love comes from God, first of all. But because of this love, we are motivated to love God and others as well. (See 1 John 4:7-12)

In addition to our vision frame, we are united by one set of Values. Those who would like to join us and serve the Lord with us must understand and embrace these values: We use COMMUNITY as an acrostic for easy memorization. 💖 Christ and His kingdom will always be our priority. 💖 Obedience to His word will always be our goal. 💖 Maintaining sacred rhythms will always be a prerequisite for leadership. 💖 Making time for shared spiritual experiences will always be our preference. 💖 Utilizing discernment will always be our approach to decision-making. 💖 Noticing God's movements and initiatives will always be our practice. 💖 Inviting openness and transparency will always be our means of accountability. 💖 Taking God’s word as the basis of truth will always be our guide. 💖 Yielding to God's sovereignty will always be our source of comfort.

We believe in the following distinctive biblical beliefs. We use BELIEFS as an acrostic for easy memorization. 1. Bible will always be the primary word of God to all mankind. - God speaks to us primarily through the Bible, which is the word of God, holy, inspired, and without errors in the original manuscripts. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) However, He also uses various means to communicate the Bible to us today. (Hebrews 1:1-4). Still, everything must be judged based on the word of God, which is always the Bible. 2. Everyone needs to be saved. - Everyone has fallen short of the glory of God in all aspects of their being. (Romans 3:23) Therefore everyone needs to be thoroughly saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ alone. (Ephesians 2:8-10). This salvation begins now and involves all aspects of their being. (1 Peter 1:3-9) 3. Lordship of Jesus Christ must be acknowledged by everyone. - Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6). Therefore, He is both Lord and Savior of all mankind. (Acts 2:36) Everyone must believe in Him and follow Him as Lord, and not just as Savior, in order to be saved. (Acts 2:37-39) 4. Image of God remains as our purpose here on earth. - Mankind was created in the image of God, which means his purpose is to represent God here on earth. Therefore we can only glorify God if we represent Him faithfully. (Genesis 1:26-27) Because of sin, and apart from salvation, this cannot be done (Ephesians 4:20-24). Only through spiritual transformation can this be done, and it is only through faith in Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:18) 5. End of All Things is just the beginning of the New Creation. – Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. (Revelation 20:11-15) He will also come again to usher in the new creation, which is the new heaven and the new earth, where everything will be new. (Revelation 21:1-5) 6. Filling of the Holy Spirit is the first gift given to those who believe. – The Holy Spirit is a gift promised to all those who will believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. (Acts 2:38-39) Also, receiving this gift has a beginning, and it is a personal experience that can be verified by others. (Acts 19:1-2) 7. Spiritual Transformation is the process and goal of true discipleship. – God wants every Christian to be transformed into the image of His Son Jesus Christ. Therefore, to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, one must cooperate with this process, which is accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life through the word of God, and also together with other believers in a real community. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:42-47)

RLCC has a simple organizational structure. We are organized by various teams. Each team is governed by the same "Vision Frame," the same set of "Values," and the same set of distinctive biblical "Beliefs," as everyone. We are also organized in terms of processes based on our "Vision Frame," not our functions or positions. For example, our "Mission" is to help each person to experience real life in Christ together with others in and through Real Life Christian Communities. All our processes, therefore, are related to our "Mission." This is also true for the other categories of our "Vision Frame." The overall leadership team responsible for defining, guarding, and implementing our "Vision Frame," our "Values," and our "Beliefs," is called the "Spiritual Leadership Team" or SLT for short. The SLT is composed of pastors led by our Senior Pastor, Dr. Bong Baylon.

The PROMISE is an acrostic that represents seven commitments of an RLCC Member. They are as follows: 1. Prioritize and participate 2. Reach out to others 3. Obtain training 4. Maintain godliness and holiness 5. Invest in God's kingdom 6. Serve in ministry 7. Encourage others to fulfill their PROMISE