OUR MISSION
TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF THE NATIONS FOR GOD'S GLORY BECAUSE WE BELIEVE JESUS COMPLETELY TRANSFORMS LIVES
ESSENTIAL DOCTRINE
WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Bible, composed of the Old and New Testaments, is God’s inspired and infallible Word and that it is the supreme standard and final authority for all conduct, faith, and doctrine. (Psalms 19:7-10; 119; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT GOD
We believe in one God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is eternally existent as a holy trinity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit without any division of essence or being. (Genesis 1:1,26-27; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; Acts 17:28; I Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His vicarious and atoning death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father and in His personal return in power and glory. (Isaiah 9:6; 53:1-12; Matthew 1:18-23; John 1:1-18; I Corinthians 15:1-11; Galatians 4:1-5; Colossians 1:13-22)
WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in the person and work of the Holy Spirit, and that His ministry is to reveal Christ to men, to convict of sin, to regenerate repentant sinners and, by His presence and power, to sanctify the lives of the redeemed. (John 14:16-18; 15:26-27; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; I Corinthians 12:1-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)
WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT PEOPLE
We believe that human beings are created in the image of God as His supreme work and as such have infinite worth and dignity, but, by willful transgression became sinful and justly under the condemnation and wrath of almighty God. (Genesis 1:26-30; 2:7-25; 3:1-24; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 1:19-32; 3:23; I Corinthians 1:21-31; Ephesians 2:1-10)
WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT SALVATION
We believe that the only salvation from sin’s guilt and condemnation is through repentance and faith in the righteousness and atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that this salvation is the free gift of God’s love and grace. (Acts 3:19; John 1:12; 3:16; 14:6; Romans 3:20-28; 5:1-2; 6:1-23; 8:1-18; 10:9-13; I Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:1-11; Galatians 5:22-25; Ephesians 2:8-10)
WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT ETERNAL SECURITY
We believe that because the believer is laid hold of and kept by the power of God and not by self-effort, and because salvation grants eternal life, therefore the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity and can never be lost again. (John 1:12-13; 5:24; 6:44-45; 10:27-29; 15:16; Romans 8:28-30; 11:26-36; Ephesians 1:3-14)
WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT THE CHURCH
We believe that a New Testament church is a body of baptized believers committed to the New Testament teachings of Christ, associated for evangelism, worship, fellowship, discipleship, and ministry. Its ordinances are baptism and communion. (Matthew 16:15-19; 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-47; 6:3-6; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 5:22-32; I Timothy 3:1-15)
WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER
We believe that baptism is only to be administered upon profession of faith in Christ, by immersion, thereby declaring faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Lord, and that communion is only for believers and is in remembrance of the Lord’s death until He comes. (Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 10:16-21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12)
WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT LAST THINGS
We believe that, according to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth and that, associated with His return, there will be a resurrection of the just and the unjust, the just to be with Him throughout eternity in glory, the unjust to eternal condemnation in hell. (Matthew 16:24-27; 24:27-44; John 14:1-3; I Corinthians 15:24-58; Philippians 3:20-21; I Thessalonians 1:14-18; 5:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; Hebrews 9:27-28; 2 Peter 3:3-13)
WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT THE FAMILY
We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to obey parents. (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; u0003Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalms 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128; 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6, 15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15, 17; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; u0003Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Romans 1:18-32; u00031 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; u00031 Timothy 5:8, 14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7)
WHAT WE VALUE
DISCIPLE MAKING CHURCH
- The biblical expression of discipleship sees every aspect of life as an opportunity to disciple someone (Matthew 28:19-20).
- The number one indicator of our success as a church is based on the percentage of gathered people who are actually making disciples “as they go.”
- A reliable disciple-maker focuses on connecting with others, life-on-life transformation and leveraging influence.
- Jesus connected with people, transformed them, and invited them into a life of influence for God’s glory.
AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY
- The only community that’s worth sharing is authentic community; one of the callings of the local church is to be made up of people who love people and share life together.
- Our community groups should be the greatest expression of missional impact in our city because we are putting God on display in the marketplace.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
- The church is not a group of people gathered around a leader, it is a leadership factory.
- Churches should be judged by how many leaders they are building and sending out instead of by how many people they draw to sit in their auditoriums.
- We value leadership development because it is the biblical mandate for vocational leadership in the church to EQUIP YOU to do the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12).
- The real work of the church gets done when the saints are equipped and released!
- Our goal is to build and equip businessmen and women to carry the gospel to the marketplace.
- As leaders are developed and grow up into Christ, the gathered church will change from an audience to an army (Ephesians 4:15-16; 6:10-20).
- The presence of the local church in a city is only noticed when those who gather there influence the city; leadership is influence.
EQUIPPING THE NEXT GENERATION
- From generation to generation the gospel has been transferred by faithful followers of Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:4; 2 Timothy 2:2).
- Every generation in this church is important and needed to accomplish the mission God has called us to; we will invest in the next generation.
- We are committed to create relevant environments where previous generations can pour their lives into the next generations.
- As one generation equips the next generation to grow up into Christ, the gathered church will change from an audience to an army.
CHURCH PLANTING
- The best way for us to reach people with the gospel is to plant more churches; even with all the changes in culture, this remains the best strategy for reaching unbelievers (Acts 9; Romans 15:20-21).
- The 1st-century church walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit and multiplied its impact in the world by planting new churches (Acts 9:31).
- Church planting is critical to the survival of Christianity in America; the U.S. has the 4th largest population of un-churched people in the world, after India, China, and Malaysia (Aubrey Malphurs, Planting Growing Churches).
- Our goal: To multiply biblically-centered DNA church plants which network together for combined impact and strategic use of resources.
BELIEFS THAT DRIVE OUR VALUES
WE BELIEVE IN PARTNERING WITH GOD TO ADVANCE THE GOSPEL
People who partner together in the gospel increase the likelihood of achieving their mission and advancing their influential reach (Philippians 1:5).
WE BELIEVE IN COMPETENT STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Advancing the gospel in our city and beyond is contingent upon a coordinated, strategic effort empowered by the Holy Spirit (Proverbs 13:4, 24:6; Colossians 3:23; Psalm 90:17).
WE BELIEVE IN MARKETPLACE MINISTRY
As a body of believers who share a mutual interest in advancing the gospel, we will articulate the gospel with our lives in the marketplace every moment of every day (Acts 17:17; Mark 6:56).
WE BELIEVE IN CREATIVE & VIBRANT WORSHIP
Worship is the celebration of who God is and how He is actively revealing and working in our lives; worship should elicit the response, “Here am I, send me” (Isaiah 6).
WE BELIEVE IN COURAGEOUS FAITH & INNOVATION
We believe God is calling us to greater works that we cannot accomplish in our own strength, to this end we will labor (John 14:12; Ephesians 3:20-21).
WE BELIEVE IN LIFE ON LIFE DISCIPLESHIP
When we realize that God intentionally places people around our lives for us to shepherd, we really come alive and begin to fulfill the mission of the church.
WE BELIEVE IN SERVANT LEADERSHIP
Every member of the body is responsible for fulfilling his or her role with other members of the body of Christ to strengthen the local church and to advance the gospel (1 Corinthians 12:8; Romans 12:4-5; Matthew 20:25-28).
WE BELIEVE IN RELEVANT MINISTRY ENVIRONMENTS
Our responsibility is to create environments that are conducive to the work of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives.
VISION & BELIEFS
WHEN IT COMES TO OUR BELIEFS, THERE ARE THREE THINGS WE WANT TO KEEP IN MIND:
In our essential core values we must have unity. “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” Ephesians 4:3
In non-essentials we have freedom. “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters…whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.”
But in all our beliefs we show love. “If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the very secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move mountains – but have no love, I amount to nothing at all.” 1 Corinthians 13:2