8 Defining Principles

Below are 8 defining principles that we are committed to as a church family in order to fulfill God’s call and purpose in our lives both individually and corporately.

EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP
The calling of the Pastoral office is leading Christians to a place where they can attain the spiritual potential God has for them.  We do this by equipping, supporting, motivating, and mentoring individuals, enabling them to become all that God wants them to be.

GIFT-ORIENTED MINISTRY
We reflect the conviction that God sovereignty determines which Christians should best assume which ministries.  The role of the Pastoral office and appointed leadership is to help them identify their gifts and to integrate them into appropriate ministries.  When Christians serve in their area of giftedness, they generally function less in their own strength and more in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Thus ordinary people can accomplish the extraordinary!

PASSIONATE PRAYER
A church that prays is one that knows God.  Relationship with Him is our ultimate goal, and prayer is the main key of that fulfillment.  We will continue to develop a lifestyle of prayer that will bring commitment and a practice of faith with joy and enthusiasm.

FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURES
Pastoral ministry has this embedded in their heart: to develop structures, which promote an ongoing multiplication of individual ministries.  Leaders are not simply to lead, but also to develop other leaders.  We will always evaluate ourselves to improve the self-organization of the church.

INSPIRING WORSHIP SERVICES
We love to worship and express our love for our Lord.  We will continue to equip those with gifts in singing, orchestra, and the fine arts, releasing Holy Spirit inspired worship services.  Whenever the Holy Spirit is truly at work (and His presence in person merely presumed), He will have a concrete effect upon the way a worship service is conducted including the entire atmosphere of a gathering.  People attending truly “inspired” services typically indicate that, “going to church is fun.”

COMMUNITY GROUPS
The health of the church depends upon interaction of the believers in a setting that brings an awareness of family.  They can touch every aspect of life from a discussion in the Bible, Marriage, Raising Children, New Converts, etc.  The goal is to keep an ongoing Spirit led fellowship among the church family with an emphasis on reaching out to our neighbors with a heart of evangelism.

EVANGELISM
It is the task of each Christian to use his or her gifts to serve non-Christians with whom one has a personal relationship, to see that they hear the gospel, and to encourage contact with the local church.  Each day we average 8.5 contacts with non-Christians a day.  Wit this in mind, we must and will equip ourselves, being a witness to already existing relationships as contacts for evangelism.

LOVING RELATIONSHIPS
Genuine, practical love has a divinely generated magnetic power far more affective than evangelistic programs, which depend almost entirely on verbal communication.  People do not want to hear us talk about love; they want to experience how Christian love really works.  The biblical definition of love is a fruit, action, or deed.  Fellowship must take place outside the four walls of the church.  Our goal is to exemplify 1 John 4:7, 8.