What We Believe
- We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are given by inspiration of God, and that they are the only certain rule of faith and practice.
- We believe in one God, eternally existing in three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- We believe that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and that He is truly God and truly man.
- We believe in the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus Christ for our sin, the resurrection of His body, His ascension into heaven, and His visible and future return to the earth, and that salvation is received only through personal faith in Him.
- We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person, and that His ministry is to bring glory to Christ by the regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification of God’s people.
Vision
- Very short: Love, Build, Serve
- Short: To make disciples who Love God, Build one another up, and Serve the Community.
- Long: To make disciples who…Love God through practicing corporate worship, prayer, and Bible reading. Build one another up through committing to Covenant Groups (CGs) and being in discipleship relationships. Serve our church community, our local community, and our global community. We are committed to serving and being witnesses to our church community through volunteering on ministry teams. We are committed to serving and being witnesses to our local neighbors through engaging in the Center. We are committed to serving and being witnesses to our global neighbors through short-term and long-term missions.
Core Values
Engaging in corporate worship
Corporate worship is celebrating and proclaiming Jesus’ death and resurrection, together as one body, through singing, hearing the preached Word, and sharing communion. Corporate worship is not passive. When we engage in corporate worship, we are attentive and responsive to the elements of worship service through reflection and aligning our hearts to God’s heart. When we sing, we not only sing to the Lord, but also sing to one another. By actively participating in all the elements of worship service, we are exhorting one another to worship God. God's word tells us not to give up meeting together, "for when two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with them" (Matthew 18:20).
Spending time in prayer
Prayer is pouring out our hearts to God in praise, petition, confession of sin, and thanksgiving. It is aligning our hearts with God’s heart. Our ‘asking,’ is to be shaped by God’s promises—to pray is to ask God to do what He in his grace has already promised to do. Therefore, we need to know His Word and His promises. In prayer we are “continuing a conversation that God has started through his Word” (Keller 2014:48). Spending time in prayer entails both dedicated prayer time and unceasing prayer.
Spending time in the Word
Spending time in the Word entails reading and meditating on the Bible because the Bible is the Word of God. It is inspired, authoritative, and teaches us all we need for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). By hearing the Word, we grow in obedience to God. God also shows us that we are part of His redemptive story through the Word. Knowing God’s Word allows us to “hear” Him, as through it, He tells us who He is and what He has promised us.
Being in a discipleship relationship
Discipleship is modeling and growing together in lifelong pursuit of the knowledge of God, growing in his likeness, and growing in affection for Christ until he returns. Discipleship is accomplished by modelers, not just messengers. It is modeling how one can align the everyday challenges of life with Scripture and helping each other figure out what “doing God’s will” means in every aspect of our lives. Discipleship is not merely learning, but bearing fruit; disciples multiply themselves. Discipleship is in a one-on-one or very small group setting. The Bible tells us to both teach those who are younger than us, and to care for one another and bear each other’s burdens.
Sharing vulnerably
Being vulnerable means that we can share our true self with others in honesty and transparency. We can surrender ourselves, without fear of judgment, knowing that God is at work in our moments of weakness, sin, trials, or limitations. We can reveal imperfections and weaknesses, as well as joys and triumphs with others, based on our unconditional acceptance by God, and the unconditional acceptance we extend to each other. This includes sharing the "deep dark stuff" and taking off our "church masks." Sharing vulnerably acknowledges that there is freedom in the confession of sins and allows us to support one another to live a holy life that's pleasing to God. There is an expectation that what is shared will not be discussed with others outside a group without explicit permission.
Being a witness
Being a witness entails testifying and giving an account of how God is transforming our lives through the good news of the gospel. It is both proclaiming and demonstrating the gospel to non-Christians and giving a defense for the hope that is in us. We urge people to believe, but leave the results up to God. Bearing witness is part of making disciples of all nations.
Serving faithfully
Serving means using the gifts that God has given each one of us to build up the body of Christ and reach the world. When we serve faithfully, we serve with care, consistency, and diligence. We serve to glorify God and not man. Serving includes meeting the needs of those within the body of Christ and those outside it. Jesus is our model as he came to earth not to be served, but to serve others.