Why "ReFOCUS"?
In the Summer of 2025, our staff and elders hosted a series of listening sessions/groups with all of the members of our church. Our intention was to “listen to what God is doing and what people are experiencing at Antioch Community Church Brighton. While we have a strong sense of who we are and where God is leading us, we acknowledge that He also speaks through His people”.
From these groups, our pastor, staff and elders prayerfully took time to synthesize and analyze the responses.
This led us to hear God's mandate for our church for the next two to three years:
Plant Roots - Go Deep - "Edges in"
Plant Roots and Build Houses where you are
Plant Roots and Build Houses where you areAntioch Brighton is a transitional Church and City, and we found that many people felt the weight of living in a transitional community.
While we can’t change that, we can bless and release people as they are called and can give vision and support to those who are choosing to settle in Brighton.
We believe there is a call for God' s people to plant roots where they are and so if you feel called to Boston we are believing for doors to be opened for you to plant roots where you are through jobs, housing, belonging etc.
More so, as a Church, we are more established than ever, with many people raising their kids together and more homes being owned than ever before in our community.
ReFOCUS Scripture: Jeremiah 29:4-7 (NIV)
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Go Deep–By making disciples and reading the Bible
People desire Depth and Growth.
We found that our church wants more depth and to be challenged more deeply; from studying the Bible and walking in obedience with Jesus, to deeper friendships and community.
We have a desire for greater discipleship that is challenging, vulnerable and authentic and a call to go deeper in the word of God by being committed in each season to greater discipleship and studying the word of God.
In this we are walking with the belief that there is no-depth lite.
Depth both in discipleship and studying the word has a cost, but is one that we believe reflects the obedience we called to as followers of Christ
ReFOCUS Scripture: Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NIV)
But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
Build community "from the Edges/Outside In"
We discovered that some people in our church feel disconnected and/or lonely, and struggle to initiate. Whether this is a result of age or stage of life one is in, feeling left out, the transitional nature of our community, or cliques, we found that many were dealing with this sense of disconnection.
Our Response: Make it a priority to building community "from the edges in", that isn’t rooted in isolation with our closest people, but a community that seeks to leave the 99 and seek the 1.
We want to be a church that has community and community to give away and invite people into. We want to be people who initiate with both people who are new and those who have been in our church awhile.
ReFOCUS Scripture: Matthew 18:12 (NIV)
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?”
Find Out More About Us
Do you have any questions?
Feel free to contact us at [EMAIL].