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OUR PURPOSE - To glorify Christ Jesus in all that we do.
John 13:31
Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
Rom. 15:5-8
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs.
We see in scripture that when Christ Jesus is glorified, His Father is in turn glorified. This is our highest purpose as a Christian church. Through Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, Jesus brings salvation which is available to all mankind. By the spreading of this good news, Christ’s church is established here on earth for the purpose of bringing glory to Himself and to the Father.
OUR MISSION - Love God, Love People.
Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Mark 12:28-31
"Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one” answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."
Our mission is dictated by Christ’s declaration of the Greatest Commandment which calls us to:
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Love God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind.
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Love our neighbor as our self.
We believe that love is clearly defined as – “Wanting the ‘The Best’ for someone else to the sacrifice of self.” Since a relationship with God is truly “The Best” for all of mankind, we obediently seek to carry out the Great Commission by:
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Proclaiming the Gospel to all
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Baptizing all who believe
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Teaching believers to observe Christ’s commands. We strive to make fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ as an act of obedient love.
OUR VISION - We envision a community challenged and changed by the love of Christ Jesus.
This vision is the core of what we are working towards as a community of believers. It’s our hope and dream as a church -- who and what we desire to be. If we are acting according to our purpose and mission within the guidance and encouragement of our values, this vision will be our reality.
10 CORE VALUES
Belief
We accept and believe the Confession of Faith as stated by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ.
We believe in the only true God, creator and sustainer of all things, in Jesus Christ as Savior and Mediator of the
whole human race, and in the Holy Spirit who comforts the faithful and guides them into all truth, and is equal in
being with the Father and the Son. We believe in a holy Christian church, that the Bible, Old and New Testaments,
is the infallible Word of God. We believe that what is contained in the Bible - Adam's fall into sin and the
redemption offered in Jesus Christ - must be preached throughout the world. We believe that the ordinances - baptism
and the Lord's Supper - are to be practiced by all Christians
Prayer
We acknowledge our total dependence upon the Lord through our private and corporate prayer from
conception to execution of all ministries and activities of this church. We believe God desires that men and
women maintain an ongoing communication relationship with Him through prayer. We believe that prayer is essential
to the health and direction of the Church, and that through prayer a Church maintains its unity of purpose.
(Matt. 7:7-11, 21:13; Eph. 1:18, 3:14-19; Col. 4:2-4)
Service
God has called us to serve by discovering and practicing our spiritual gifts. It is when we lovingly
give of ourselves that we bring glory to Christ and show our love for Him. Jesus came as a suffering servant to all,
so we seek to follow His radical example of humble, selfless service to others.
(1 Cor.12 - 14, Rom. 12, Eph 4, Psalm 133:1)
Worship
We see worship as an interactive event and lifestyle relationship that brings glory to God and
edification to the worshiper. It involves all of our lives and anything we think, say or do that gives glory
to Christ. In worship, we show reverence and gratitude to God (Nehemiah 8:6), but it’s more that an external
action or an act of reverence. It is an attitude of the heart. It is knowing your humble, grateful place in
light of His majesty and holiness. (Psalm 29:2) Worship often finds its expression in music. We believe that
music is a powerful tool and gift from God which is useful in our expressions of worship to our Creator – both
corporately and privately.
Scripture
The Bible is God’s word and direction to all people. It was written by human authors who were
under the direct supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Bible, because it is God-inspired, is without
error and is completely relevant to our daily lives. We place a high value on spending time studying and
teaching the principles of the Bible.
(2 Timothy 1:13, 2:15, 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5)
Holiness
We believe that the Holy Spirit is at work in the lives of all believers, bringing them first
into a state of wholeness and further into a state of holiness. We also believe that the Holy Spirit is at
work in the world convincing and convicting men and women of their need for salvation. While nothing will
ever rise to the standard of God’s perfection, we strive to live holy lives and walk in obedience which
pleases Him. The deeper the believer’s walk with the Lord, the greater the realization of how far from
holiness we truly are. God does call us to a life of inward holiness. However, this holiness is not
something to be attained through acts of contrition or repentance, but something to be experienced by faith.
We understand that in our imperfection, we are the unworthy recipients of God’s amazing grace.
(Romans 2:2; Corinthians 7:1; I Peter 1:15-16)
Unity
We believe that the church should operate as a unified community of servants each using their unique
spiritual gifts for the glory of God. Unity is difficult because it requires us to let go of our selfishness
and pride and come together in humility and love. In any community, conflict is inevitable. True biblical
unity is not marked by the absence of conflict but by the presence of a reconciling spirit. We strive to
scripturally resolve the issues that arise in a way that glorifies God. When a body is functioning together
in a healthy way, it is a testament to the Creator.
(Rom. 12; Phil. 2; 1 Cor.12 Col. 3:15; Eph. 4:1-3, 11-13)
Christ
Christ is the Son of God. He is God in human form, born of the Virgin Mary, wholly God, and wholly man. Jesus
lived a sinless life, offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross.
He overcame death and arose three days later. He ascended into heaven’s glory and will return again to earth
to reign as Lord of all.
(Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4; Romans 1:3, 4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14, 15; Titus 2:1)
Salvation
Salvation is a gift of God offered to all people. Man can never make up for their sin by self-improvement or
good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin’s penalty.
Salvation occurs when people place their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as sufficient payment for
their sin.
(Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8, 9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1)
People
Jesus died for people, not brick, mortar, or programs. People reflect the image of God in a way that buildings
and programs cannot. It is made clear in scripture that lost people matter to God; therefore, each lost soul,
regardless of race, or social class, deeply matters to us.
(Eph. 1:4, 18-19; 5:25-30; Luke 5:30-32, Luke 15, Matthew 18:14)
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