CALLING:
OUR LIFE OF FAITH STARTS WITH GOD. IT IS GOD WHO CALLS US OUT OF THE DARKENESS OF SIN TO LIVE OUR LIVES IN THE LIGHT OF HIS LOVE; GOD WHO CALLS US TO BE A HOLY PEOPLE, A PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF MEDIATING HIS GRACE AND TRUTH TO THE WORLD (1 PETER 2:9). IT IS GOD WHO CALLS US IN CHRIST TO GO OUT INTO THE WORLD AND BAPTIZE AND MAKE DISCIPLES IN HIS NAME (MATTHEW 28:19).
GRACE:
WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT WE ARE CONVICTED OF SIN AND HAVE THE ABILIITY TO TURN TO CHRIST IN FAITH (EPHESIANS 2:8). BY THE GRACE WE RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO EMPOWERS US TO SUCCESSFULLY CARRY OUT THE MISSION TO WHICH GOD CALLS US (ACTS 1:8). WE AVAIL OURSELVES OF THE FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT'S POWER IN OUR LIVES WHEN IN OBEDIENCE WE SUBMIT OUR WILL TO THE WILL OF GOD, THEREBY "KEEPING IN STEP WITH THE SPIRIT"(GALATIANS 5:25).
HOLINESS:
WE BELIEVE THAT BY THE GRACE OF GOD, WE ARE CALLED TO BE "HOLY AS GOD IS HOLY" (1 PETER 1:15 - 16). HOLINESS IS NOT OUR PERSONAL UPRIGHTNESS, BUT OUR BEING SET APART FOR AND BELONGING TO GOD WITH THE PURPOSE OF DECLARING HIS GLORY TO THE WORLD. THIS MEANS AS WE INVITE GOD'S SPIRIT TO WORK IN US, WE REFLECT GOD'S TRUTH, MERCY AND GRACE IN ALL OUR RELATIONSHIPS. HOLINESS NOT ONLY APPLIES TO US AS INDIVIDUALS, BUT HOW WE LIVE OUR LIFE TOGETHER IN THE COMMUNITY OF FAITH. "WITHOUT HOLINESS NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD (HEBREWS 12:14).
NEED BASED EVANGELISM:
IN NEED-BASED EVANGELISM WE LOOK TO JESUS' OWN MINISTRY AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE ARE TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITHTHOSE TO WHOM WE ARE CALLED TO WITNESS. MINISTERING TO THEM ACCORDING TO THEIR NEED AND BY PROCLAIMING THE GRACE AND TRUTH OF GOD IN BOTH WORD AND DEED (LUKE9:1-2,6,10-17,LUKE 19:1-9,JOHN 4:4-30,39-42).
PRAYER:
JUST AS JESUS HAD A LIFE BATHED IN PRAYER, WE TOO, ARE INVITED BY SCRIPTURE TO PRAY IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES (1 THESSALONIANS 5:17). WHILE PRAYER IS A MEANS OF LIFTING UP OUR CARES AND TROUBLES TO GOD (PHILIPPIANS 4:6), IT IS ALSO A MEANS BY WHICH WE ALIGN OUR WILL TO GOD'S WILL FOR OUR LIVES (MATTHEW 6:9-10). PRAYER GOES FAR BEYOND MERE SPEAKING; IT IS A WAY TO DEVELOP AN AWARENESS OF GOD'S CONSTANT PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES AND WORLD.
SCRIPTURE:
AS WITH THOSE IN THE REFORMED TRADITION WHO HAVE COME BEFORE US, WE BELIEVE THAT SCRIPTURE IS THE "FINAL AUTHORITY FOR ALL MATTERS OF LIFE AND FAITH." WE FURTHER BELIEVE THAT "ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD-BREATHED AND IS USEFUL FOR TEACHING, REBUKING, CORRECTING AND TRAINING IN RITHEOUSNESS, SO THAT THE MAN OF GOD MAY BE THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK."
SMALL GROUP MINISTRY:
SMALL GROUPS PROVIDE A SAFE PLACE WHERE WE CAN SHARE THE JOYS AND STRUGGLES IN OUR LIVES FREE OF GOSSIP AND RIDICULE. THEY ARE A PLACE WHERE RELATIONSHIPS WITH ONE ANOTHER AND JESUS CHRIST CAN GROW. THEY ARE A MEANS BY WHICH WE CAN EXPERIENCE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY AND THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF THE GOSPEL (ROMANS 12:1-2) IN WAYS THAT GO BEYOND WHAT WE CAN EXPERIENCE INDIVIDUALLY OR IN THE CONGREGATION AS A WHOLE.
TRANSFORMATION:
"IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST THEY ARE A NEW CREATION, THE OLD HAS GONE, THE NEW HAS COME." (2 CORITHIANS 5:17) THIS MEANS WE ARE TO COOPERATE WITH GOD'S TRANSFORMING POWER IN US BY "CONTINUALLY TAKING OFF THE OLD SELF, WHICH IS BEING CORRUPTED BY ITS DECEITFULL DESIRES; AND MADE NEW IN THE ATTTITUDE OF OUR MINDS, PUTTING ON THE NEW SELF; CREATED TO BE LIKE GOD IN TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINGESS." (EPHESIANS 4:22-24)