Our Beliefs: We are Dedicated
WE WANT TO AUTHENTICALLY LOVE THE UNCHURCHED
BECAUSE…
WE BELIEVE that God’s plan remains consistent throughout the ages to reveal Himself in the earth. Jesus left His Church with the Great Commission to make disciples in every nation. It is imperative that the Church reach out with God’s healing message (the Gospel) to our world both locally and globally. (Ps. 67, 96:3; Is. 11:9b; Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15; Acts 1:8) WE BELIEVE that Jesus established a principle of ministry to the non-believer, which is characterized by understanding, compassion, healing, respect and love. The Church is responsible to follow this same principle. Followers of Jesus are to view all humans as important because of their eternal value to God. People are important because they last forever. (I Cor. 9:19-23; Col. 4:5-6; I Tim. 3:7; Titus 3:1-5)
THEREFORE…
WE PARTICIPATE in reaching our community and world through church-wide activities and individual relationships. We follow the pattern found in Acts 1:8, where Jesus commissioned the disciples to be His Spirit-filled witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and to the ends of the earth. This picture of concentric circles illustrates caring for those “within reach.” We reach out to those immediately within our influence - our friends, families, neighbors - then we reach out to our region, nation, and beyond. We are committed to community transformation beginning in our city. We pray for God to open doors for the good news of salvation to be expressed and experienced in a realistic, relational, and responsible manner. We make it a priority to go beyond the walls of the church by sending prayer, worship, evangelism, and humanitarian teams throughout the earth. We endeavor to give of our prayers, energy, and finances to local and world missions. Because our hearts are aligned with God’s purposes, we intentionally follow the biblical pattern of seeking ways to bless the Jewish people, His chosen ones, as well as people everywhere the Lord gives us influence. Because we believe that ministry is not limited to the four walls of the church building, we seek practical ways to express the love of God to people. Because people’s needs are as unique and varied as people themselves, we try to find relevant ways to help. Sometimes that means a simple prayer, a word of encouragement, or sharing the good news; sometimes it means financial or other material support; sometimes it means providing wisdom, etc. No matter what the need, we are committed to finding ways to serve the people God has placed “within reach,” and we honor Him and one another by being intentional in this area. (Gen. 12:1-3; Isa. 11:9; Rom. 1:16; 9:3-5; 10:1; 11:25-29; Acts 13:47-49; Eph. 6:19-20; Col. 4:2-4; Rev. 22:1-2) “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Matthew 24:35
