What We Do

We exist to glorify God by making disciples of Jesus Christ from the four corners of the block to the four corners of the globe. To accomplish this mission, we pursue five objectives. We call these our "5 M's." They are: spread the message of the gospel, show mercy to our neighbors, shepherd each other to maturity in Christ, seek to multiply by planting churches and training leaders, and send missionaries to the ends of the Earth.

Spread The Message Of The Gospel

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy (Titus 3:4–5a).

Evangelize

God intends the gospel to be spread to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19–20; Acts 1:8). So in Sunday gatherings, neighborhood outreaches, and personal relationships we share about Jesus' atoning sacrifice for sin so that through faith in Him all can have righteousness, forgiveness, and eternal life with God.

Teach

“Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 1:9). We feature the teaching of God’s word in Sunday gatherings, Bible studies, small groups, and special conferences on matters of Christian living and faith.

Publish

Because we believe the gospel of Jesus Christ should go to all people everywhere, we spread the message by various forms of publishing. We mainly publish our sermons, but members also publish or spread the gospel through writing, creative gatherings, and social media. We want to always “gossip the gospel” to those who will hear.

Show Mercy To Our Neighbors

Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful (Titus 3:14).

Neighboring

As Matthew 22:39 commands, we seek to love our neighbors as ourselves—not just in word, but in the way we live. So we organize our social life, work, and play in order to embody Christ’s mercy and presence in everyday community life.

Organizing

Jeremiah 29:4–9 provides a framework to Pray, Study, and Act in the areas of Housing Security, Food Security, Family Formation, Seeking Shalom, and Truth Promotion. Our annual job fair, for example, brings together local churches and organizations to connect neighbors, including returning citizens, with meaningful employment.

Partnering

We partner with organizations already serving in our neighborhood, including CARE Anacostia, Christian Legal Aid of Washington DC, Cornerstone School, Daybreak Ministries, DC 127, and FAN‑DC. Together, we uplift families, strengthen education, and meet practical needs while pointing hearts toward the hope found in Jesus.

Shepherd Each Other To Maturity In Christ

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine (Titus 2:1).

Worship

We’re commanded to never neglect gathering with other Christians to encourage one another and stir one another up to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24–25). So we worship together every Sunday at 10AM at THEARC, and then scatter from our gathering to worship God in all of life!

Membership

Maturing in Christ begins with being a part of His body, the Church (Ephesians 4:15–16). Membership in a church is an intentional commitment of every individual member to serve and love the whole, and a reciprocal commitment of the whole church to love and serve each individual. Learn more here.

Discipleship

We believe relationships are the context for meaningfully encouraging others in their Christian walk. Some ways we grow together in following Jesus include Children's Ministry, Youth Ministry, College Ministry, Women's Ministry, and Men's Ministry.

Seek To Multiply By Planting Churches And Training Leaders

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you (Titus 1:5).

Plant

The New Testament pattern for the growth of the gospel is the planting of churches. We long for a gospel witness in every neighborhood, and are thankful to God that He has brought forth church plants from ARC, including Mercy of Christ Fellowship Church.

Train

We seek to train leaders and servants for the local church (2 Timothy 2:2). That includes our Titus 2 group to train older women to disciple younger women, and our leadership development group for prospective pastors and deacons.

Network

Churches do more together than apart, multiplying prayer, relationships, finances, and wisdom (Acts 11:27-30). One way we network is by partnering with like-minded churches through the Crete Collective, which supports establishing churches in neglected black and brown communities.

Send Missionaries To The Ends Of The Earth

Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing (Titus 3:13).

Local

We support local missions activities (Acts 1:8) through Campus Outreach DC, which exists to glorify God by building laborers on the college campus for the lost world. We pray that students graduate prepared not only to build their careers but to impact their peers, co-workers, and families for a lifetime.

Global

We believe the church is the means and the end of missions (Matthew 28:18-20). We support qualified cross-cultural workers, welcome immigrants, provide missionary care and training, and go on international mission trips. Our goal is to glorify God by making disciples of the nations and establishing or strengthening the local church, especially in least reached areas.

Partners

To support gospel endeavors among distressed and neglected black and brown communities, we partner with Crete Collective churches to plant gospel churches. We also provide encouragement to missionaries including Tim and Niai Byrd, and Alex and Brittany Woods, serving with Campus Outreach Charlotte in North Carolina.