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REACH, Inc., 312 Hyde Park Avenue, Eutaw, Alabama 35462 (205) 372-0113 PHONE (205) 372-0115 FAX |
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REACH, Inc. grew out of the observation of spiritual principles that were outlined 2,000 years ago in the book of Acts:
Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. —Acts 2:38
All the believers were together and had everything in common. —Acts 2:44
The book of Acts outlined how the early Christian church lived and provides a blueprint for church congregations to follow in their search to live as disciples. The members of REACH sought to imitate this lifestyle.
To join the church, each member first had to give up their enslavement to sin, which is the cornerstone of poverty. No person who is addicted to tobacco, alcohol, drugs, gambling, fornication, or any other form of addiction is free to work in their own interest, because they are compelled to work to maintain their habit.
Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ is symbolic of the casting away of the culture of death in exchange for the culture of life, embodied in the ministry of Christ who said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). It is through this baptism that that the teachings of Christ are accepted and the ways of the wicked are rejected.
One of the instructions for Christian living is described in John 13:34: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” The most physical evidence of this love for one another is found in the practice of holding all things in common.
By maintaining a central treasury, the early Christian church eliminated the phenomenon of the “haves” and “have-nots.” Those who had more than they needed gave to those who had less than they needed. All the believers worked collectively to serve their common constitutional interests.
It was living the common life that ultimately gave rise to the spread of the Christian faith, because it freed up the physical and spiritual resources of the community of believers to actively engage in the ministry of reconciliation. The light generated by Jesus the Christ and the early Christian church is still burning brightly as a beacon for the whole human family.
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