We Commit Our Lives To . . .
1. We are committed to Bible teaching. Relevant, Jesus centered, Biblical teaching brings the lost to Christ and equips Christians to live gifted servant lives that model and share Jesus in all spheres of life.
II Tim 3:16-17, Matt 28:19-20, 1 Cor 9:22-23, Gal 2:20, 1 John 1:1-3
2. We are committed to living in love. We ground all interpersonal relationships in the standard of love laid out as “the more excellent way” in I Corinthians 13. We seek to be people who live confessional lives, living in repentance and forgiveness in all our relationships.
John 13:34, Rom 12:9-10, James 5:16, Matt 5:23-24 & 7:1-5 & 18:15, Phil 4:8, 1 John 1:9
3. We are committed to prayer. We make prayer a starting point of every program of this ministry. We teach and encourage all youth and adults to engage in regular prayer both as individuals and in prayer teams. The ministries and activities of this church are characterized by a reliance on prayer in their conception, planning, and execution.
1 Tim 2:1-2, Eph 6:18, Isa 62:6-7, II Chronicles 7:14, James 5:16, Matt 18:19-20, Rev 5:8
4. We are committed to worship. We provide regular corporate times for the congregation to gather in the worship of God through prayer, singing, giving, and the study of God’s word. We keep the worship of God the focus rather than any particular style of worship.
Psalm 95: 1-7, Psalm 96, Psalm 100, Eph 5:19-20, Col 3:16, Heb 10:23-25
5. We are committed to work together as the Body of Christ. We are committed to Spirit empowered individuals acting together and using their spiritual gifts for the good of the Body and the world. We are committed to helping each individual identify and utilize his or her spiritual gifts.
1 Cor 12:4-11, Rom 12:4-8, Eph 4:11-16
6. We are committed to lay ministry. Whenever possible, the ministries of this church will be carried out by non-ordained servants. We will provide encouragement, training, materials, and spiritual mentoring as they pursue their endeavors. We are committed to practices that encourage lay initiative, leadership, responsibility, and authority in various ministries of the church.
Eph 2:10 & 4:11-13, Rom 12:6-8
7. We are committed to discipleship through small groups. We provide the encouragement, facilities, and training that foster small group gatherings for study, prayer, and fellowship. We encourage the free formation of small groups and ministry teams that work within our core Values, Vision, and Mission.
Acts 4:32-33, Matt 18:19-20, Eph 4:2-6, Phil 2:1-4, 1 John 1:7
8. We are committed to the value of every individual. Every person has worth before God regardless of age, race, creed, color, national origin or gender. We do not condone or ignore any expressions of prejudice. We seek to understand the cultural peculiarities of each individual in order to bring them to Christ.
Gal 3:26-28, 1 Cor 12:13, Eph 4:1-6, 1 Cor 1:10
9. We are committed to growth. We believe that life is meant to be given away and Christianity exists to share Christ with others. Therefore, we pursue an attitude that unobtrusively encourages numerical growth without compromising our integrity or our commitment to biblical truth.
Titus 2:1-8, Acts 2:46-47
10. We are committed to God-directed change. We are open to the Holy Spirit in bringing freshness and innovation to our ministry. We value the accomplishments and lessons of the past, but seek the guidance of God in changing those traditions to further our mission. We are open to continual evaluation of our activities, because we are more concerned about effective ministry than adherence to tradition.
Acts 10, I Cor 9:19-23, Matt 15:3-9, Col 2:8 & 16-22
11. We are committed to youth. We must reach the “next generation” through a focus on children and youth activities and discipleship. We provide Christian adults opportunities in biblical servanthood and sacrifice through interaction with the community’s children and youth.
Prov 22:6, Matt 19:13-15, I Tim 4:12 & 5:1-2, Titus 2:1-8, Phil 2:5-7
12. We are committed to giving. All adults have the opportunity to support the Body through their resources.We encourage everyone to live out his or her commitment through giving and service to the Body and the community.
1 Cor 15:58 &16:1-2, II Cor 8:7 & 13-15, II Cor 9:6-8, Romans 12:13, Gal 6:9-10
13. We are committed to people in need. We prayerfully meet the physical needs of the widow, orphan, infirm, poor, distressed, and homeless whenever they are presented. We meet needs whenever possible in order to model the sacrificial servanthood of Jesus.
Acts 4:34-35, 1 John 3:17-18, James 1:27, Romans 12:11-16, Prov 14:31
14. We are committed to marriage. We work with couples to help them build marriages in a biblical manner. We teach the biblical principles for strong marriages. We counsel and support those who have gone through divorce.
Eph 5:22-33, Col 3:18-19, Titus 2:1-8, I Cor 7
15. We are committed to family. We work with parents to help them love and care for their children in a biblical manner. We teach the biblical principles for raising up children. We support the efforts of single and foster parents.
Col 3:21, Eph 6:4, Titus 2:1-8
16. We are committed to missions. We support the Body of Christ worldwide through prayer and finances. We encourage individuals to share the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, by giving of their gifts and talents to meet the physical and spiritual needs of others regardless of their origin.
Matt 28:18-20, Phil 4:14-18, Eph 4:1-7, I Cor 12:1-7
