Relevant Word
Christian Cultural Center
Relevant Word Ministries
1040 South Institute Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Click here to contact us
Core Values
The Centrality of the Scriptures
the Old and New Testaments, as the authoritative Word of God and the
only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct. (2 Tim 3:16) We
believe it is essential to the life of the Church that it becomes a
company of people who want, above all else, their lives to be shaped by
the powerful and living Word of God. The alternative is clear: not to be
shaped by the Word of God is to be shaped by the world. (Rom 12:2)
The Necessity of the New Birth
for entrance into God's kingdom, and the importance of continuing growth
in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ for sound spiritual health.
Jesus said, "Unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God"
(John 3:3). He also said, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my
disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you
free" (John 8:31-32).
The notion that any church is fully stocked with angels is certainly a
stretch. The fact is, there is no perfect church, only the imperfect
made perfect by a Holy and perfect God. Relevant Word Ministries was
founded upon the simple idea that, as Luke put it in the first chapter
of Acts, Jesus "went about" doing good. The church exists for a purpose.
The church exists for mission: to put hands and feet to the love of
Jesus Christ and to tell the world about him.
The Church
as a fellowship of believers, characterized by mutual participation in
and sharing of the new life in Christ. Membership is by confession of
personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It is open to all
believers. Considerations of class or race, education or pedigree,
wealth or prestige do not enter. Uniformity in creedal details is not
expected. What is required is that one be, "born anew to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," (1 Peter 1:3).
"The doors of the church are wide enough to admit all who believe and
narrow enough to exclude those who do not," said our forebears. We
affirm no less today.
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Who with the Father and the Son calls the church into being, empowers
its witness, guides its mission, and supplies the gifts needed by the
Church and its members to exalt Christ. (1 Cor.12:1-11)
The Reality of Freedom in Christ
who delivers us from the power of sin and moves us by His grace into a
whole new experience of obedience and life. This freedom creates an
ecclesiastical climate, which allows for differences of opinion in
matters of interpretation, doctrine, and practice within the context of
biblical guidelines and historical Christianity. Such freedom is to be
distinguished from the individualism that disregards the centrality of
the Word of God and the mutual responsibilities and disciplines of the
spiritual community (1 Cor. 6:11-20)
A Fish Story
Like your mama said: fish is good for you. She may have called it "brain
food" and extolled its nutritional virtues. In biblical times, the fish
was a major symbol in many cultures, usually representing change and
transformation. The story of Jesus Christ is called "The Good News," or
"The Gospel." That story has a lot of fish imagery and fish symbolism in
it. In Christianity, the fish is a symbol of abundance and faith as
observed in the Biblical story of fishes and loaves. There are also
several Biblical references as Christ and his disciples being “fishers
of men. The ministry of Christ on earth transformed the entire planet
and, whether you are a believer or not, the fact is all human history is
defined by before His coming (B.C.) and after His ascension (A.D.),
which makes this Good News very good indeed.
Jesus could have chosen anyone to be in His inner circle: scholars,
academics, scientists, philosophers. But two of his most trusted
intimates, including the man He chose as the first pastor, were blue
collar workers. Fishermen got up early and worked hard all day. The hemp
in their rope nets scarred their hands and their muscles ached from
hauling those nets over the side of boats. These were not, typically,
men of advanced education or gifted with great spiritual knowledge.
There are numerous references in the Gospels to fish, which represented
the coming new age or dispensation. Jesus represented something
completely new on the horizon, and His death and resurrection signaled a
shift in God's posture toward us from a God of Law to a God of Love, who
has sacrificed everything most precious to Him in order to give us a
chance to know Him.
In Luke chapter 22, Jesus instructs His disciples to look for a man
carrying a pitcher of water, which was unusual in those days. That was
considered woman's work, and it would be very odd to see a man doing it.
But that very oddity was a sign of things to come: an indication that
business as usual was about to end, and an entire new age, the Novus
Ordo Seclorum or "New Order Of The Age," was about to begin.
During the persecution of the early church, a Christian meeting someone
new would draw a single arc in the sand. If the other person was a
Christian, he or she would complete the drawing of a fish with a second
arc. If the second person was not a Christian, the ambiguity of the
half-symbol would not reveal the first person as a Christian.
The tail of the fish is where all the action's at. The tail is what
propels the fish. The tail is the rudder that steers the fish where it
needs to go. The tail fins are sensitive and alert the fish to danger.
The tail fin is like a banner or a waving flag, telling other species
just what kind of fish we are.
Iota Chi Theta Upsilon Sigma
We've adopted the tail of Ichthys (ick-THEE-us) because this new age
Jesus ushered in, the new covenant between God and us, is coming to a
close. Time is short, and this season of grace extended to us will soon
be over. Beloved: now is the time to get to know God. Christians: now is
the time to be working as hard as you can for God. His kingdom is soon
to come.
The letters ΙΧΘΥΣ stand for the ancient Greek word Ichthys, which means
"fish." It is typically spelled ΙΧΘΥΣ, Iota (i), the first letter of
Iēsous, Greek for Jesus, Chi (kh), the first letter of Khristos, Greek
for "Christ" or "anointed," Theta (th), the first letter of Theou, that
means "God's", genitive case of Θεóς, Theos, "God," Upsilon (u) is the
first letter of huios, Greek for Son, and Sigma (s), the first letter of
sōtēr, Greek for Savior.
A Culture Of Christ
On a more personal level Pastor Lee has an interesting balance between
fighting against injustice and striving for peace. "I'm like a David
looking for Goliaths," he says with a laugh. The struggle and the
peacemaking go hand in hand for Lee. Each day his morning prayers devote
him to doing less harm and gaining the strength and courage to help
those less fortunate than himself. But he maintains that in following
after Christ's example it obliges him to be as forceful as he needs to
be. "The cross was violent," he says with emphasis. He also cites Jesus'
clearing of the temple in the second chapter of the book of John as the
sort of seriousness and zeal with which Lee meets his cause. Even so, the
goal is always peace, which can not be achieved until the problem of sin
is adequately dealt with. Only then can reconciliation and
transformation begin.