Our Values & Culture
Our values stem from our convictions and experiences. They determine who we are, how we act, and what we will become. These values will be modeled by the leadership, the team, and will eventually permeate our church culture.
• Full-devotion to Christ is normal for every believer (Col. 3:17).
• Scripture is the final authority and finds daily application in our lives (2 Tim. 3:16).
• Every member is a minister (Rom. 12, 1 Cor. 12:4-7, Eph. 4:11-12).
• The church is to engage culture, but not be driven by it (1 Cor. 9:19-23).
• Small groups provide for biblical community (Acts 2:42-47).
• The name of Jesus must be constantly on our lips with each other and those we are in contact with (1 Pet 3:15).
• The marriage/family unit is highly honored (i.e. time, teaching) (Heb. 13:4).
• Shepherding is practiced by all and develops a healthy church (Matt 18:15-20, Heb. 10:23- 24).
• Discipleship is essential for raising up a future generation of faithful believers (Matthew 28:20, 2 Tim 2:2).
• Excellence honors God and should be a defining mark of believers (1 Cor. 10:31, Col. 3:17).
Preaching/Teaching Values
• We will preach textually and will thoroughly exposit the text. We want our church to be known for it’s unique commitment to the Scriptures.
• We will always answer the question “Now How?” It is important that people leave knowing what we are calling them to do or be. We will be creative in our “invitation.”
• We will be practical. We will work very hard to shatter the idea that “the Bible has no practical application in my life.”
• We will use stories. Stories capture people’s attention and hearts. Jesus often spoke by way of parable and it was extremely effective, so we must use this tool.
• We will use visual aids. Visual aids were often used by Christ and prove very effective (widow’s mite, fishers of men, the drachma tax, etc.).
• We will not assume. We will not assume that people know a Bible story or what we spoke about last week. When this is done, we make guests feel like outsiders.
