OUR STORY
Beginning as a young adults ministry in 2011 with a handful of students, Vessel has grown, changed, and affected hundreds of lives in the Blue Ridge, Blairsville, Murphy, and Ellijay areas. In 2014, Doug Serra took over the ministry, which is now a non-profit organization that partners with local churches. The ministry meets at these churches and other local areas for weekly Bible studies, service projects, and social events.
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If you are interested in supporting our ministry, we could always use these three things:
1. Prayer. It proceeds every process.
2. Students. If you know of a student in need of community and discipleship, we would love to connect with them.
3. Donations. As we expand our ministry and reach through everything from service projects to local bible studies, we also rely on the generous hearts of those God has called to support us through His resources.
WHY WE EXIST
Vessel Ministry exists to shepherd young adults into an intentional relationship with God and others by gathering together in worship, discipleship, community service, and local church functions. Through biblical teaching, we join in ushering young adults' minds and hearts into spiritual maturity (Ephesians 4 12-14 ESV).
Our goal is to create an environment of encouragement, Christian fellowship, and spiritual refreshment. Coming alongside local churches, we desire to equip each other as faithful servants, ready to pour into our churches, families, and friends.
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The Vessel community supports the church as a whole. We are a supplemental, Christ-based resource for the students and young adults in the North Georgia and Western North Carolina areas. By equipping each other, we can empower the local church to better meet the needs of the body of Christ, edify the congregation, serve the surrounding community, and fulfill the great commission. Ultimately our purpose is to advance the gospel through proclamation and godly living by the power of the Holy Spirit (Corinthians 2:14-17 ESV).
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WHAT WE BELIEVE
We acknowledge that our theology is imperfect and always growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. In our discipleship, we do our best to encourage and lead young adults in their faith, meeting them where they are. We have no desire to indoctrinate or force our beliefs upon anyone, and we pray that what God wants to affirm will be affirmed.
BY GRACE ALONE
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us live together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:4-9 ESV)
IN CHRIST ALONE
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”(John 14:6 ESV)
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THROUGH FAITH ALONE
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24 ESV)
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FOr THE GLORY OF GOD ALONE
“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:17-20 ESV)
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HERMENEUTICAL PRINCIPLES
By studying the scriptures through a historical-grammatical approach, Vessel strives to understand the author’s worldview and intended meaning. We let the text speak for itself, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we repent, submit, and delight in God’s word for mankind. We do not impose dispensations, new definitions, or subjective experience upon the interpretation of scripture, but we do acknowledge that rationality, experience, and history are beneficial to the Christian life.