IMAGO DEI

1. We Are Missional. God has given the New Testament church the mission of blessing all the peoples of the world (Genesis 12:1-3).  This is why Jesus commissioned us to “go and make disciples” of Him among all the nations (Matthew 28:16-20).  Thus, our emphasis is on believers going into the world, not merely attracting people to our church gatherings.  We will equip our people to proclaim the gospel intelligently and graciously in word and deed to their lost family, friends, neighbors, and the people-groups of the world. [Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:6-8]

2. We Plant Churches. A significant expression of our missional focus is the planting of new churches.  By God’s grace, we will consistently raise up new elders to plant new local churches, which will in turn seek to plant new churches.  In addition, we will support global church-planting efforts by raising up and sending laborers into the global harvest.  [Matthew 9:35-38, 16:13-20; Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:6-8]

3. We Share Leadership. We will emphasize the Bible’s teaching of the daily headship of Jesus over both the universal church and over each local church.  Therefore, we will deemphasize the leadership of individuals and, thus, our church will be led by a plurality of elders.  Our elders will share in the shepherding and equipping of the body on behalf of Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, by seeking to lead and implement His will with one heart and one mind.  [Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5-9; I Peter 5:1-4]

4. We Disciple Believers. Included in Jesus’ Great Commission to the church is to “make disciples…teaching them obey everything” that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:19-20). Therefore, we will cultivate discipleship unto Jesus by equipping believers to engage in Bible study, worship, prayer, and other spiritual disciplines that unleash the Holy Spirit’s transformation in our lives.  [1 Timothy 4:7-8; Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:16]

5. We Renew the Mind. The mind plays a central role in our spiritual transformation and therefore, we will equip believers with knowledge of the truth in terms of biblical, theological, and apologetic knowledge.  In so doing, we will cultivate a holistic love for God that includes heart, volition, and intellect.  [Matthew 22:34-40; Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 1:9-11]

6. We Unleash Giftedness. We will emphasize Christ’s distribution of spiritual gifts among all believers and seek to equip all to discover, develop, and use their gifts.  This organic approach to leadership and ministry is very different from the modern programmatic approach.  Our gatherings will be interactive, as believers come prepared to minister to one another out of a rich diversity of spiritual gifts.  [Ephesians 4:11-16; I Corinthians 14:26; I Peter 2:4-10]

7. We Live in Community. According to the New Testament, the church is family.  We will build rich Christ-centered friendships, which cultivate a deep sense of connectedness and belonging to God’s family.  In stark contrast to the individualism of Western culture, we will give mutual support and accountability to one another.  In this context of deep and robust community, we will recapture the relational power of body discipleship.  [Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12; I Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:1-16]

8. We Equip Parents. Parents play a central role in the discipleship of their children as followers of Jesus.  We will help parents rethink education in light of a Christian worldview and equip them with the necessary tools to train up their children effectively in an increasingly secular culture.   [Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossians 3:20-21]

9. We Engage Culture. From the beginning, God has instructed His image bearers to “subdue the earth and rule over it.” That means building culture and engaging the surrounding culture. We will equip believers to navigate the prevailing ideas within American culture with a robust Christian worldview and build culture (ideas, institutions, artifacts) that points back to the truth, goodness and beauty of God.  [Genesis 1:28; Matthew 5:13-16; Acts 17]