Authority of Scripture
We value the Bible as the inerrant, infallible Word of God and the absolute authority for our lives. This means:
Our preaching and teaching are Bible focused and must meet the biblical standard of truth. Since the entire Bible is a testimony to Jesus Christ, He is the head of the Church.
Because Scripture is our authority, our core values flow from the Bible.
We will emphasize the Great Commandment in daily life, showing the world what it means to love God with your whole life.
When we meet corporately, we will seek to have passionate, truth-filled worship times where we meet God together and glorify Him in response to His greatness and His Word.
We desire our worship to be a culturally relevant and biblically faithful proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We value the numerous directives throughout God’s Word to “declare His glory among the nations, His wondrous works among all peoples.” This means:
We will strive to educate everyone on the significance of going to, giving to, and praying for “the nations,” seeking to mobilize every believer as an active participant in sharing their faith in Jesus Christ and proclaiming Him globally as THE good news to every people group.
We believe that God has placed our church in the Roanoke area to serve and reach our community for Christ. This means:
We will emphasize intentional evangelism through relationships and divine encounters. – “Go and tell.” – Mark 5:19
We will plan and execute events, services, and service projects to love our community and share the gospel with them. – “Come and see.” – John 1:46
We value prayer as the highest privilege in the life of the believer and the church. This means:
We will exhort each individual disciple to maintain regular time alone with God in prayer, fueling and growing a life of continual prayer.
We will come together in prayer.
All decisions will be prayerful decisions.
Maturity of Believers
We will encourage members toward spiritual maturity, mobilizing one another toward utilizing our spiritual gifts and talents to glorify the Lord. This means:
Every member is a minister. Pastors, elders, deacons, and all other church leaders will lead and teach to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.
We will emphasize small-group and one-on-one discipleship as vital components beyond worship attendance.
We value each member of our fellowship – children, youth, and adults – and encourage them to live out their God-given responsibilities.
Community
We value community as the New Testament picture of church life. This means:
Believers are connecting with each other not just weekly, but daily.
We value the diversity of all people because they are loved by God and created in His image. This means:
We receive people as they are, regardless of family, social status, race, or cultural background.
We speak honestly and lovingly about sin, believing that joy flows from obedience.
We value the importance of marriage, the family unit, and the sanctity of human life. This means:
Marriage, as instituted by God, is a life-long covenant between a husband and wife and is the foundation of the family.
The home is the primary place where children are taught to know and serve the Lord. The parents are the primary role models for children and we support them in fulfilling that role.