Our Beliefs
We believe there is but one true and living God. He is revealed to us as the co-equal and co-eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe in the authoritative, inerrant, all-sufficient Scriptures. We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the inspired Word of God and our only rule of faith and practice.
We believe that God created heaven and the earth in six days and that He rules over all His creation by His sovereign power.
We believe that by Adam’s sin, the whole human race was plunged into a state of condemnation and that being dead in sin man is unable to recover himself from his fallen condition.
We believe that God according to His good pleasure and for the glory of His name has chosen a people and predestinated them to be conformed to the image of His Son.
We believe in the fullness of time that Jesus Christ came to redeem those that were given to Him by the Father and that He laid down His life for His sheep. By Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law.
We believe that all who were chosen by the Father and redeemed by the Son will be effectually called by the Holy Spirit. These are quickened or born of the Holy Spirit and made new creatures in Christ Jesus.
We believe that faith in Jesus Christ and good works are evidence of this experience of grace. However, salvation is a free gift from God that’s granted to whoever repents of his or her sins and calls on Christ. Salvation is never granted based on good deeds. (Ephesians 2:8,9), because if it were, then Christ’s death on the cross would be in vain (Galatians 2:21).
We believe that all chosen in Christ will be called, consecrated, and sanctified, and will be supported by the Spirit and kept by the power of God so that they shall persevere in grace and not one of them shall be finally lost.
We believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ and of the resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust, and that the happiness of the righteous and the suffering of the wicked will be everlasting.
ABOUT OUR CORE VALUES
(our mindset)
This statement of principles clarifies the attitudes and approaches that will be encouraged in the ministries of Baptist Missional ministry.
We aspire to be…
01 – Biblically Faithful:
We make Scripture the final authority rather than ministry tradition. We believe that the Bible is God’s inspired Word, the authoritative and trustworthy rule of faith and practice for Christians. The Bible is both timeless and timely, relevant to the common needs of all people at all times and to the specific problems of contemporary living. Therefore, we are committed to equipping Christians through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, to follow Christ in every sphere of life. The Bible must be lived out in our lives because we believe the Bible is God’s Word for what we believe and do. Learning and living the Bible is natural and normal at our ministry.
02 – God-Centered:
Our ministry exists for God. In every person and program, God is first, God is experienced and God is to be pleased. We delight to constantly have God on our minds and in our conversations. Our ministry is the people and place where God is experienced. A public gathering to worship is a primary expression. Personal godly living is an equally important expression.
03 – Grace oriented:
We emphasize God’s unconditional acceptance and full forgiveness through Jesus Christ. We attempt to motivate people through love and thankfulness rather than guilt, shame, and duty.
04 – A Commitment to Prayer:
We believe that God desires his people to pray and that he hears and answers prayer (Matt. 7:7-11; James 5:13-18 ). Therefore the ministries and activities of this ministry will be characterized by a reliance on prayer in their conception, planning, and execution.
05 – Outreach-Oriented:
Our ministry looks outward to serve non-Christians and the administred in order to reach them for Jesus Christ. This is woven into everything we do. Outreach orientation requires awareness of our culture and connecting to people as they are and where they are. When a choice is made between serving needs on the inside or reaching out to others, we are committed in advance toward ministry to outsiders. This is done to fulfill our purpose to make more disciples for Jesus Christ.
06 – Seeker Sensitive:
We know that many who are not yet committed to Christ are attracted to our ministry; therefore, we desire to create a non-threatening environment in which they are free to explore the Christian faith at their own pace.
07 – A Commitment to Lay Ministry:
We believe that the primary responsibility of the pastor(s) and teachers in the local ministry is to “prepare God’s people for works of service” (Eph. 4:12). Therefore, the ministry of Baptist Missional ministry will be placed as much as possible in the hands of nonvocational workers. This will be accomplished through training opportunities and through practices that encourage lay initiation, leadership, responsibility, and authority in the various ministries of the ministry. We assign the ultimate leadership of the ministry to elders and the daily operations of the ministry to deacons who are responsible to set up effective programs.
08 – An Appreciation for Creativity and Innovation:
In today’s rapidly changing world, forms and methods must be continuall1 evaluated, and if necessary, altered to fit new conditions. While proven techniques should not be discarded at a whim, we encourage creativity and innovation, flexibility, and adaptability. We are more concerned with effectiveness in ministry than with adherence to tradition.
09 – Relationally Centered:
We stress healthy relationships among Christians. We emphasize small groups as a primary means for Christians to develop friendships, care for each other, share their lives, and grow as potential spiritual leaders.
10 – Growth Responsive:
We appreciate the advantages of a small, intimate congregation, but also feel we should respond to the numerical growth that often results from reaching out to those who are exploring Christianity. We do not set a particular limit on the size of our congregation, but trust God to show the ministry leadership what our facilities should be and how best to utilize them.
11- Culturally Relevant:
We try to adapt our ministry to current needs and trends in American life, without compromising biblical absolutes. We attempt to communicate the good news of Jesus Christ to American society in ways it can understand. We also reach beyond our own culture as we seek to have an effective impact on other cultures with the gospel.
12 – A Commitment to Excellence:
We believe that the God of Our salvation deserves the best we have to offer. The Lord himself is a God of excellence, as shown by the beauty of creation; further, he gave the best that he had, his only Son, for us (Rom. 8:32). Paul exhorts servants, in whatever they do, to “work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Col. 3:23). Therefore, in the ministries and activities of our ministry we will seek to maintain a high standard of excellence to the glory of God. This will be achieved when every person is exercising his or her God-given spiritual gift to the best of his or her ability (1 Cor. 12).
13 – A Commitment to Growth:
Although numerical growth is not necessarily a sign of God’s blessing and is not a sufficient goal in itself, we believe that God desires for us to reach as many people as possible with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we will pursue methods and policies which will facilitate numerical growth, without compromising in any way our integrity or our commitment to biblical truths.
14 – Kingdom Building:
The Kingdom of Jesus Christ is far greater than any local ministry or denomination. It includes loyal followers of Jesus all over the world. We are serious about building the kingdom. We want to give away to other ministries many of the blessings God has given to us. This is done by starting new ministries, encouraging hurting ministries, sharing what we have learned, learning from others, sending missionaries, and much more. We rejoice when ministries and Christians outside our ministry prosper and succeed, and we are thrilled when God allows us to have a small part in the great good He is doing for them.