“Reaching Up, Reaching Out.”
1. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the Leader of our church. We aim to love and serve God and His purposes above our own in all we do.
“Love the Lord Your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind”
Matthew 22:37 (see also Deuteronomy 6:5, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27)
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Matthew 6:33
“And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”
Colossians 1:18
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
“With God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:26
2. Prayer and prayer meetings are at the heart of all we do as individual believers and as a church. We believe that a prayer-filled life is God’s desire for every follower of Christ.
“My house will be called a house of prayer.”
Matthew 21:13
“Pray continually.”
I Thessalonians 5:17
“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord… Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
James 5:13-16
3. To live is to worship God. We believe that faithful, grateful worship is as vital to the soul as breath is to the body. When we worship together, we seek participation and not performance, giving ourselves to God.
“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
Romans 12:11
“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…”
Hebrews 10:25
“The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:10
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:1
4. We aim to love others as God has loved us. We aim to serve and not be served, building others up in love.
“And love your neighbor as yourself.”
(Matthew 22:39, Matt. 19:19, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:9)
“A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Philippians 2:3
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…”
I Thessalonians 5:11
5. As God has had grace for us, we aim to have it for each other. We make it our goal to speak with blessing and candor for one another, guarding against a critical spirit.
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Matthew 7:1-2
“Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.”
Psalm 141:3
“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.”
James 1:26
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and to defile many.”
Hebrews 12:14
“ The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.”
Proverbs 26:22
“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken.”
Matthew 12:35-36
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”
Romans 12:14
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”
Ephesians 4:15
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Ephesians 4:3
“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.”
Matthew 18:15
“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”
Romans 14:19
6. We believe that people are more important than programs, and uphold the importance of every person in the sight of God, without regard to ethnic heritage or social standing.
“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”
Romans 12:15-16
“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?”
James 2:15
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:28
“Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.’”
Acts 10:34-35
“While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him.”
Luke 15:20
“Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched the man.”
Mark 1:41
7. We aim to know and love Jesus Christ through a personal relationship with Him.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.”
I Peter 3:15
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
II Peter 3:18
“ I pray that out his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:16-19
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:4-5
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection…”
Philippians 3:10
8. Loving devotion to Jesus through prayerful study of and obedience to God’s Word is at the heart of being a Christian. We believe that personal and family devotions, Sunday School and small groups are important catalysts to spiritual growth, helping us grow in the wisdom and likeness of Christ.
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
II Timothy 2:15
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
II Timothy 3:16-17
“When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.”
Jeremiah 15:16
“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Psalm 119:11
“ The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, ngiving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”
Psalm 119:7-11
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it–he will be blessed in what he does.”
James 1:22-25
9. The Holy Spirit is Jesus’ presence with us. We make it our aim to be open to the equipping and empowering of God’s Spirit as we carry out the worship and work of the church.
“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him…”
John 14:23
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:26-27
“But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”
John 16:7
“Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation–but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Romans 8:12-16
“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:13
“…Be filled with the Spirit.”
Ephesians 5:18
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”
I Corinthians 12:4-7
“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts.”
I Corinthians 14:1
10. Lost people matter to God, and therefore matter to us. We place a priority upon evangelism and the work of missions to win others to Christ and serve them in His name.
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
“He said to them, ‘Go into the world and preach the good news to all creation.”
Mark 16:15
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
II Peter 3:9
“Religion that God our Father considers as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
James 1:27
“The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’’
Matthew 25:40
11. We aim to encourage believers in the joy of giving; trusting God with the gift of our material resources and supporting the church using the biblical precedent of the tithe. While avoiding being legalistic about tithing, we believe that God blesses us as we trust Him and give.
“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”
I Chronicles 29:14
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
II Corinthians 9:6-7
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.”
Malachi 3:10-12
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Luke 6:38
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4:12-13
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19
12. All that we endeavor is in response to God’s goodness to us through Jesus,
because we are saved by grace and not by works.
“ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
II Corinthians 9:8
“ If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
I Peter 4:11
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