There is nothing so discouraging to a team than not working together. Unity is not uniformity. Unity is about shared mission and vision. Agreement over who we are and what we do must drive our decisions. So let’s begin, who are we?
Transformed by the grace of Jesus’ death and resurrection on our behalf, we are delighting in the supremacy of God in all things as we reach up to Him in worship, reach in to one another to disciple the whole person, and reach out to the world with Christ.
This paragraph begins on its most important note. We are people who trust in Jesus Christ and what he has done for the forgiveness of our sins and the promise of life in heaven when we die. Jesus’ death and resurrection are so precious to us that this work of Christ fuels our worship, how we live in community together as believers, and how we reach out to the people who live around us. Because of the grace of Jesus, we live the by the words of the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1:18, “So that in everything Christ might be preeminent.”
Yet, simply knowing who you are is not sufficient; the church must also have a strategy for cultivating that identity and passing it on to others. Our strategy is born out of our desire for God’s people to experience joy and maturity in Christ. To this end we are bringing the Bible to life so all generations may set their hope in God.
Our strategy is rather simple. A healthy church member is involved on Sunday mornings and at least one other time where they are being discipled (e.g. Wednesday night, a Bible Study, Men’s group, or Women’s group). In addition, healthy Christians are involved in at least one regular opportunity for serving (e.g. serving or ministering at Bread of Life, teaching Sunday School, volunteering at Crossville Christian School, giving your time at Plateau Pregnancy Services, or participating in Fridays at the Crossroads, etc.). We do not want a church that merely meets for Sunday worship. We need to be growing to be outward-focused believers that serve others in a variety of ways while growing in knowledge and maturity. As Paul says in Colossians 1:28, “Him we proclaim…that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”
One might say our work is geared more toward being a faithful church than merely a growing church. While we desire the church to grow, we aren’t doing gimmicks simply to fill seats. We have a biblical strategy for growing God’s people, and we are working toward a more effective strategy for getting the gospel out into the community.
12 Biblical Essentials of First Presbyterian Church (Our Core Values)
- The Bible is God’s inerrant, infallible, complete and sufficient word, and it is foundational to all we believe and do.
- As a Reformed Confessional Church we adhere to the Westminster Standards
- Biblical Leadership following the Presbyterian model of Elder leadership
Reaching Up to God
- Priority of Corporate Sunday Worship
- Prayer of all kinds for all kinds of people
- Sacraments Faithfully Administered
Reaching In to One Another
- Congregational Care
- Edifying and Equipping
- Church Membership and Discipline
- Faithful Stewardship of God’s Resources
Reaching Out To the World
- Faithful to the Great Commission
- Service to our community