We are a people:
Teaching, Training, Reaching, and Loving...
We believe that God is at work bringing salvation to this lost world through his son Jesus. As members of his church, we are actively participating in God's work of redemption by teaching, training, reaching and loving people for Jesus Christ as we walk in unity and obedience by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We Teach … as Christ Taught
Jesus, the Word made flesh, came to teach the truth of God's word and proclaim the good news of the kingdom (Jn. 1:14; Jn. 18:37; Mt. 4:23). As followers of Christ carrying out His ministry of teaching with the help of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:26), we teach as Christ taught: We teach the truth of God's word and proclaim the good news of the kingdom (Mt. 28:19-20; Col. 3:16).
We Train … as Christ Trained
Jesus led by example, training His disciples how to walk in faith, obedience, servanthood and ministry (Mt. 14:22-33; Jn. 15:10; Jn. 13:1-17; Lk. 9:1-6). As followers of Christ carrying out His ministry of training by the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16:13-14), we train as Christ trained: We train God's people in faith, obedience, servanthood and ministry (Titus 2; Eph. 5:1-2; 2 Tim. 3:10-17; Phil. 3:17; 2 Thess. 3:7-9; 1 Tim 4:12).
We Reach … as Christ Reached
Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins and defeated death by raising to life on the third day in order that the world might be saved through him (Jn. 1:14, 3:16-17; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:3-4). As followers of Christ carrying out His ministry of redemption by the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8), we reach as Christ reach: We exist to give every man, woman and child within our sphere of influence repeated opportunities to hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ until he returns (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15; Acts 1:8).
We Love … as Christ Loves
Jesus' life and ministry were motivated by His love for the Father and His love for others (Jn. 14:30-31, 15:9-12). As followers of Christ we recognize that we can only love because he first loved us (1 John 4:9-12). We love as Christ loved by living out the greatest two commandments: "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind," and "love your neighbor as yourself" (Mt. 22:36:40). It is His love that binds us together in unity. All that we are and all that we do flows from, is motivated by and strives to demonstrate the self-sacrificing, God-glorifying love of Christ.
We are a people:
In a Community of Faith
On a Journey through this Life:
Following willingly our Lord and expressing our hope for eternity through authentic worship, which is actively living out of the truth we have come to know through Jesus Christ in such a way that our lives give evidence that we have been changed by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Within a Community of Faith:
Recognizing a call to serve God together and to fulfill His plan. Some call it duty, some call it obligation, but whatever the term, it is our purpose as we assemble to conduct ourselves in such a way that our behavior speaks of the love, unity, purity and joy we have through Him. We find opportunity for involvement with and accountability to one another as we grow together by His grace.
Touching a World in Need:
As messengers of the hope found in Jesus Christ, we desire to communicate through word and deed the plan that God has given to reconcile mankind to Himself. We see clearly those who need peace in their chaos, forgiveness for their guilt, and hope for the hopelessness in their lives to be drawn to what God has done in us and can do in them. We respond by opening our hearts, our homes and our church to give them God's truth in love.
Praising God … for Who He is and all that He has done:
The Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished a work in us. He has set us free from slavery to sin and made us free to live in an active, loving relationship with God and all those He loves. We have a common bond causing us to walk together in strength, encouragement and forgiveness. We are grateful for the opportunity to know God and to be known by Him which causes us to place thanksgiving and praise at the center of all we do every day and each time we come together. We do this through music, prayer, giving, and the reading, study and preaching of the Word of God. Our expression is one of love for the One Who created and rescued us.
Practicing Obedience … to the commands of Jesus Christ:
People who have been set free from the grasp and guilt of sin do not want to live the same way they once lived. We have been changed and are ever changing, as we die daily to our own self-interest and live daily in the hope of eternity with God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. His life in us causes us to make the most of our time here on this earth for that which will last forever. Following the commands of Jesus Christ, being a part of His church and serving one another in love manifests the fruit of the Spirit of God in us. His Spirit indwells, enables and inspires us to continue the work of Jesus Christ and it testifies to those around of the reality of His truth.
Proclaiming the Gospel … as the only hope for mankind to be reconciled to God:
The hope of mankind is found in the message of the Gospel. The message of the Gospel is found in the Lord's Word and is active in the people in His church. It is our highest priority to clearly understand and clearly proclaim the full Gospel's truth. It is a privilege for us to be a part of the work of God in the church and in this world. We believe it to be a vital component of what we do to teach the truths of the Gospel to all people groups of all ages in all places. This work is one that causes those who are trained to be continually maturing and fully equipped for the task of living this life in a God honoring way, always reminded of what we know to be true.
Ministry Roles and Responsibilities
Pastors & Elders
To establish guiding principles from scripture for who we are and what we are compelled to do as it regards the vision and direction of this Body
To clearly communicate to all parts of the Body these guiding principles in order to continue walking in the unity of the faith in this Body
To maintain a safe, healthy environment for spiritual growth through diligent study, prayer, preaching, teaching, discipline and protection of this Body
Deacons
To administrate the ministries of the Body, using the guiding principles to evaluate the relationship to, need for and desire of any current or future ministry
To facilitate the ministries of the Body by identifying leadership, establishing training and developing objectives for any current or future ministries
To implement the ministries of the Body by providing necessary resources, assisting in consideration of personnel and support/oversight of ministry effectiveness
Ministry Leaders
To mature believers to worship daily with lives that honor God, proclaim the hope of the Gospel, minister using their gifts, talents and abilities and walk in unity with fellow believers
To develop ministries using the guiding principles that promote spiritual health and growth of all parts of the Body as it relates to discipleship/fellowship of believers and evangelism of unbelievers
To compliment and cooperate with all other ministries in the Body through clear communication of objectives, goals and curriculum
Individual Believers
To maintain the Spirit of unity in the church by growing in love and by praying for, following and supporting biblical leadership
To serve others by discovering and using gifts and talents, by learning and being equipped for ministry and by maintaining a humble attitude and a servant's heart
To support the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and His church by Godly living, active participation and faithful giving of time, talent and resources.