Social Engagement Ministry_Christian Community Meetup Group

SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH
Facilitated by Valerie Galante, PhD

Welcome!

Social Engagement Ministry’s [SEM] vision and mission is to engage with our church members, the larger Las Vegas community as well as community partners, to uplift, affirm and encourage each other as we follow the exemplary model of behavior taught us by Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

SEM plans church and community events and seeks to invite un-churched people to discover and/or grow in their faith.

SEM facilitates a group on the FIRST SUNDAY of each month where we discuss faith topics and share a meal in fellowship. This group manifested based upon the belief that people who earnestly follow Jesus are actively seeking opportunities to engage in meaningful conversation and companionship with other followers. We also believe that many people in our Las Vegas community are experiencing social isolation and seeking more spiritual connection and nourishment, whether they realize it or not.

We envision this group as a way to help fulfill the social and spiritual desires of our church members, as well as members of the larger Las Vegas community who may be called to become members of our church family through this group.

We encourage our members to be actively engaged in sharing their observations, questions, suggestions and recommendations regarding how we may encourage each other to live our lives in accordance with the two Commandments given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ –

1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

2. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

In giving us these two Commandments, Jesus summarized the first four of the Ten Commandments that deal with one's relationship with God into His first command, and the remaining six Commandments that address one's relationship with other humans into His second command, thereby making these two commands fundamental to being a follower of Jesus. That is why in Matthew 22:40, Jesus concluded his response to the Pharisees query about what is the greatest commandment by saying “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

We have only one rule for this group – to follow these Two Commandments, and by so doing we will be respectful, gracious and compassionate with each other and not engage in any ‘sins of speech’ including, but not limited to: gossip, idle chatter, lies, exaggeration, harsh attack and uncharitable remarks.