Truth Over Human Opinion

Sanctify them [set them apart for holiness] by the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Each of us has a wealth of experience, ideas, and expectations, especially when it comes to the dynamics of a church family and to our faith. However, God is our authority, and the truth of the Bible is our “operations manual.” The emphasis is never on what we think about a situation or choice, but on what God thinks.

God's Leadership Over Human Politics

And God placed all things under his [Jesus’] feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Ephesians 1:22-23)

Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior...the church submits to Christ. (Ephesians 5:23-24)

And he is the head of the body, the church...so that in everything he might have supremacy. (Colossians 1:17-18)

As a church family, we strive to submit to God’s authority, and to make decisions in a setting of prayerful consensus.

Vision Over Status Quo

Where there is no vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 19:18)

Without a clear understanding of where we are headed, the probability of our having a successful journey is severely limited. We are a “work in progress;” God continues to move through us and all about us, and change is a way of life. Though many people fear the unknown that change introduces, we are confident that what is unknown to us is always known to God, and that change is a necessary ingredient of growth.

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law...To those not having the law I became like one not having the law...To the weak I became weak...I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

Traditions are comfortable and familiar, and often hold a certain emotional warmth and security for us. However, we evaluate our ministry not by its comfort and familiarity, but by its effectiveness. Our goal is to be a church that pleases God, not ourselves. When God is pleased, then we are pleased. When traditions help to accomplish God's purpose for us, we embrace them. But flexibility for the sake of effectiveness is an important value in all that we do.

The devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)

A church is not a series of programs, or a building, or a business, or anything like that. A church is a gathering of people, each with individual needs, experiences, and abilities. They are the focus of what we do and how we do it.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4)

In our consumer-driven society, it is easy to approach any church family and ask, “What can they do for me?” However, this is not God’s plan. Instead, he wants us to ask, “What can I do for God with them?” Self-sacrifice, kindness, compassion, and helpfulness are all important aspects of belonging to a church family, and they leave little room for selfishness.