When we started the C3 journey, we knew unifying the Christian community was the unique opportunity God had placed before us. Last year we refined the C3 vision to better articulate this destination, “C3 exists to mobilize the Christian community for city transformation”. Through this journey we have grown to understand the power and importance of the Christian community and the vital role each group plays in this process. We all desire to see the many divides with the Christian community healed and Jesus’ prayer in John 17 that the world would know Him through our unity realized, but who is the Christian community?

What is a Kingdom Community?

There is a unique opportunity to impact culture for Christ by connecting the Christian community. We see many good things happening throughout the state with dedicated business owners and leaders, alliances, churches, and individuals walking out their faith in the sphere of influence for which they are called. This has reinforced the C3 vision and heightened the awareness that the Christian community must work closer together by strategically engaging the ABC’s (Alliances, Businesses, Churches) and individuals in the Christian Community. We must first understand and respect the roles of each group we are working with.

The Vital Role Each Play

The alliances are defined as a not-for-profit organization where a Christian is in a position of leadership and has the authority and desire to apply Biblical principles to serve their employees, customers, donors, vendors, and community.
The role of Alliances is critical in the Christian community and provides valuable services in a variety of areas from serving the homeless, incarcerated, veterans, children, feeding the hungry, discipleship, and many other ministries within the community. These services are the hands and feet of Christ that work together to serve our communities. We support Alliances through volunteering to assist, donations, serving on boards, and assisting in strengthening the organization.

The businesses are defined as a for-profit organization where a Christian is in a position of leadership and has the authority and desire to apply Biblical principles to serve their employees, customers, vendors, and community. The role of businesses in the Christian community is to provide valuable services, employ people, and use influence to promote Kingdom activities. Businesses can be supported by doing business with them, and they support others by using their influence to promote alliances, churches, individuals, and others in the community.

The churches are defined as a not-for-profit organization or fellowship to promote evangelism and discipleship of Jesus Christ. The role of the church is vital in the Christian community and is to equip and encourage followers of Christ to apply their faith in each sphere of influence they are called to. Churches can be supported by the tithes and offerings of their attenders and support the community through the promotion of business, alliances, individuals, and other churches.

Individuals are followers of Christ who may be employed by a secular or Christian organization, work in government, education, healthcare, work as a stay-at-home parent, or any other sphere of influence where God has placed them. Individuals are the largest group in the Christian community and play a vital role as they serve in many capacities and bring the light of Christ into many places throughout society.

Engaging the Community for City Transformation

We believe that each of the four areas of alliances, businesses, churches, and individuals are all important roles in the Kingdom of God. Moreover, we believe that a mobilized Christian community who shares the same values, vision of unity, and foundation of prayer can impact the world in ways we have never seen before. Acting in unity and caring for all would reduce poverty, crime, prison population, orphans, impact social and moral issues, strengthen families, and reduce the tax burden on our state. City transformation is possible when the Christian community is empowered by the Holy Spirit and work together according to His will!

To get more information and join the South Carolina Christian Chamber of Commerce (SC-C3) movement, go to www.sc-c3.org and become a member today!

Jamie Jordan is the State Director for the South Carolina Christian Chamber of Commerce (SC-C3). His passion is to see unity and excellence exhibited within the Christian community. Jamie can be reached at jjordan@stravicom.com.

We pray your 2019 is off to a great start and you are pursuing God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will for your life! The C3 theme for the month of February is “Kingdom Influence.”  As followers of Jesus, we are taught to pray, “Your Kingdom come and your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Many times Jesus is quoted as saying, “the Kingdom is like”, but what is this Kingdom and how do we apply this to our lives?

Kingdom Defined

Webster dictionary defines kingdom as, “the realm in which God’s will is fulfilled.” The Kingdom of God is when we allow God to be ruler of our lives and for Christians, that should be when we accept Jesus as Lord. As Christians, we know that this is a process and not an event.  When we submit our will to the Holy Spirit, we are allowing the Holy Spirit to sanctify us into the wonderful masterpiece we were created to be.  This picture is clearly defined by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

When we begin to understand this process and allow the Holy Spirit to do the deep work of sanctification in our lives, we begin to establish ourselves as instruments of righteousness that can be used to establish His Kingdom on this earth.  We see the perfect example of Jesus in the garden before going to the cross when He was praying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  His flesh did not want to go through the suffering, but He submitted His will to the Father and endured the cross for our salvation.

Kingdom Rule

The example Jesus provided reflects the power of Kingdom rule in His life as He submitted His will to the Father. We are temples of the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit.  The Apostle Paul stated in I Corinthians 6:19-20, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”

The Apostle John paints us a wonderful picture of Kingdom rule in John 15 as we abide in Jesus, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunesso that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” When we abide in Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to flow through us to produce fruit, there is a freedom that we walk in and a confidence that comes from His presence.

Kingdom Territory

When we understand that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and His power can be manifest wherever we are, then Kingdom territory is where we are. Our homes, businesses, alliances (non-profits), churches, communities, etc. become Kingdom territory and we have a responsibility to represent the King well. If we as Christians grasped this concept and applied it to our everyday lives, the world would be a better place and we could shift the culture. I believe this is why Jesus prayed in John 17:23, “I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Kingdom Culture

Kingdom culture is realized when the King (Jesus) is placed in His rightful place of kingship and we become instruments of the Holy Spirit to produce fruit and influence those placed in our lives. The power is not from us, but the Holy Spirit within us. The Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 4:20, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.”

Imagine what could happen in our families, alliances, businesses, churches, and communities if we applied these Biblical truths to our lives and allowed the Holy Spirit to transform our cities.  This is the vision of C3, “To mobilize the Christian community for city transformation.” Please join us today in this exciting move of God!

To get more information and join the South Carolina Christian Chamber of Commerce (SC-C3) movement, go to www.sc-c3.org and become a member today!

Jamie Jordan is the State Director for the South Carolina Christian Chamber of Commerce (SC-C3). His passion is to see unity and excellence exhibited within the Christian community. Jamie can be reached at jjordan@stravicom.com.