Guiding Principles
- PURPOSE: We are committed to lead people to salvation in Jesus Christ and encourage spiritual growth in all believers through sound biblical teaching. Matthew 28:19-20 Colossians 1:28-29
- PRODUCT: A disciple is a believer who is becoming more like Christ, Matthew 5:3-12 as he/she walks with God, lives the Word, contributes to the work, and impacts the world.
- PEOPLE: Leaders of the church are to provide spiritual care and direction for God's people. They must be committed to prayer and the Word, and they must lead by example and encouragement. Leaders are to be chosen based upon character, gifts of leadership, and a commitment to our church's disciple-making philosophy. 1 Peter 5:1-4, Hebrews 13:17, 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-9
- PASTOR: The pastor's role is to cast vision, give direction, train leaders, teach the Word, be committed to prayer, and be a godly example. By concentrating on these commitments with his team, they equip believers to share in the work of the ministry. (Acts 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 4:12-16; 2 Timothy 2:2; 4:2; Ephesians 4:11-13)
- PERSPECTIVE: Every believer is spiritually gifted and has a vital role in the church. As growing disciples, each one should be given practical help and encouragement to develop creative ministries empowered by the Holy Spirit. While every believer does not share equal authority in terms of leadership, servant gifts and leadership gifts are equally important in the Body of Christ. (Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Corinthians 12:12-26)
- PROGRAMS: Disciple-making is the heart of the church. All ministries should intentionally contribute to the disciple-making process, winning people to Christ and bringing them to maturity in Him. The product (changed lives) is more important than the program. (Matthew 28:19-20; Colossians 1:28-29)
- PERTINENCE: Since we value disciple-making above simply maintaining our programs, we will evaluate our programs regularly and discontinue or modify any which are not effectively moving people on to maturity in Christ. Without compromising our message, we are committed to change our methods to reach more people in more relevant ways. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
- PERCEPTION: Our Sunday worship will be Christ-centred, contemporary, and celebrational in spirit. The service should foster unity, as believers of all ages gather together for motivation and biblical instruction. This time should always be seeker sensitive, though its primary purpose is to nurture believers.
- PLAN: Small groups are the primary means of making disciples. All believers are encouraged to be involved, as it is only in this context that intimacy is developed and accountability is possible, helping people develop the basic disciplines of the Christian life
- PARTNERSHIP: In our children's ministries, our purpose is to be a loving church family which supports parents in the discipling of their children, by providing ministries where the plan of salvation is clearly presented and children are taught God's Word and encouraged to apply these principles to their own lives.
- PRIORITY: Youth ministry is a high priority in our church, as teenagers are not only the most spiritually responsive segment of our society, but are generally most successful in winning their peers to Christ. Therefore, this strategic ministry must maintain a healthy balance between outreach, growth, and ministry opportunities for students.
- PRINCIPLES: All the ministries of our church must be outreach-focused, rather than inward-focused We do not exist for our own benefit, but for the benefit of those who need to hear the gospel (“We enter to worship, and We exit to serve”). We desire to reach as many as possible with the good news of Jesus Christ. This process involves fervent prayer, sincere relationships, and bold communication. (Romans 10:1; Luke 5:27-31; 2 Corinthians 5:11-20)
- PANORAMIC: Our disciple-making vision begins at our local assembly but expands to surrounding areas and even all nations. God's heart is for the world, and we desire to have a world-wide impact. By being a strong "home base" church, our goal is to pray for missions, substantially support our missionaries, and pray that God will send out workers from our body into His harvest field. (Matthew 9:35-38; Acts 1:8)
- POWER: Jesus said, "I will build My church" and "Apart from Me you can do nothing." We are dependent upon His power and direction, for the task before us cannot be accomplished by man's will or resources. His Word is our final authority and His Spirit is our divine Counsellor (Matthew 16:18; John 15:5; Psalm 127:1; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 14:26)