Core Values
1. SOLE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE
We stand firmly within the reformed tradition, which affirms that the Bible is the sole and sufficient rule for all faith and practice. Our ways of worshipping God, doing discipleship, and doing evangelism are not to be determined by popular human wisdom or traditions of men. But, with humility, we submit to God’s authority and search for His guidance within the holy Scriptures alone.
2. GOD-CENTERED WORSHIP
We believe that the primary purpose for the creation of mankind is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Seeing that God is creator and sovereign Lord of all things, it is therefore the duty of all people to glorify Him by worship. Divine worship is not for man’s entertainment, nor is its primary purpose for man’s benefit. Worship is primarily and ultimately for God’s glory and pleasure. The benefits we derive from it are secondary.
3. GOSPEL-CENTERED MINISTRY
We believe that all human problems, whether they be personal, social or political, ultimately result from human sin and alienation from God. We also believe that the only remedy for sin is what God has done in the gospel. The gospel is the good news of pardon for sin, salvation by grace and reconciliation with God through the substitionary death of Jesus Christ alone. If every human problem can be traced back to the consequences resulting from human sin, then, the solution for every human problem is the saving blessings revealed to us in the gospel of Christ. Therefore, in every aspect of the life of our church, and in every ministry, our intention is to always point men and women to the gospel for total healing.
4. KINGDOM MULTIPLICATION
We believe that one of the major responsibilities given to the church by Christ is to make disciples of all nations. (Matt. 28:19) We also believe that the greatest desire in the hearts of God’s people should be for God’s kingdom to come, and for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matt. 6:10) For these reasons, we consider it part of our essential responsibility as a church, to contribute to the advancing of God’s kingdom by making disciples.We will seek to do this by aggressively attempting to evangelize our community, by supporting foreign missions and by sending out and supporting church planters.
5. GROWTH IN GODLINESS
We believe that essentially, the Christian life is about loving, obeying and worshipping God with reverence and godly fear (Deut. 10:12; Mt. 22:37; Heb. 12:28). We reject any expression of the faith which implies that the Christian life primarily consists in personal health, wealth and worldly comfort. We believe that the Christian life is a God-ward life (Rom. 6:11), and that true discipleship consists in our dying more and more to sin (Mt. 16:24), and our living more and more unto God (Rom. 12:1).
6. FELLOWSHIP OF THE SAINTS
We believe that every individual Christian has been baptized into the one body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-13). As members together of one body, the Lord commands us to dwell together in mutual love, fellowship and communion (Jn. 13:34-35; Acts 2:42; Phil. 2:1-2). The Christian church is truly one big family in Christ, and every local congregation should be an expression of that reality. As a church we will seek to realize genuine community through a mutual sharing of our lives together. We will weep together and rejoice together as a family (Rom. 12:15). We will always seek to meet one another’s physical and spiritual needs. (Acts 4:32)
7. CITY FOCUS
In order for us as a church to love our neighbors and make disciples of all nations, we must not be an inward focused church, wrapped up in our own programs. But, we will seek to be an outward focused church, loving and serving the surrounding community. We intend to love our city and community by understanding its needs, and in love and humility, meeting those needs in a way which points to the gospel and glorifies God.