purpose, values, and principles

of community evangelical free church


purpose:

To see a growing number of different people come alive in Christ.

Below is an explanation of the key phrases in our purpose statement:


“a growing number” - We hope to see the kingdom expand in our part of the world. Our hope is to see more children, teens and adults respond to Jesus in the years ahead. We hope to see many of them take steps of obedience for Jesus in our community and fellowship.


“different people” - Our purpose is to see both non-Christians and Christians “come alive” fully in Christ. The kinds of people we want to see this happen to are all kinds of “different” people. We are all different and God loves the uniqueness of each individual. We donʼt want to limit who comes into the kingdom and donʼt want to put a stumbling block in anyoneʼs way.


“come alive in Christ” – When we say we want to see people “come alive in Christ,” we mean that we value personal faith demonstrated by accepting Christ as Savior and subsequent steps of growing in obedience to Christ as Lord. We set as our purpose to see people “come alive in Christ” knowing that it is a wide-open goal.  We need to be careful about defining “success” in following Christ too narrowly because Christ is much more than success. He is Life. In Him is life. Our purpose is to see everybody and anybody, the different-er the better, find life in Christ, become obedient to Christ, which is to say “come alive in Christ.” This will look different for everybody: different callings, jobs, families, ministries, gifts and impacts. As we all pursue the holiness of following Christʼs love in our lives, we will all “come alive in Christ.”

vALUES AND pRINCIPLES

We have highlighted 7 VALUES that represent the uniqueness of our church’s calling and which we believe help us to be true to the mission God has given us.


1. SPIRITUALITY

2. COMMUNITY

3. SINCERITY

4. INTEGRITY

5. EQUALITY

6. SANCTITY

7. FLEXIBILITY


Each of these values is defined and supported by PRINCIPLES that throughout the history* of the church have been considered significant in guiding our life together.  The principles are listed (in no particular order) underneath each of the 7 values.


*Some of these principles are from the founding of the church; others were added as the church grew and developed.

  • 1. SPIRITUALITY

    • We value the worship of God as our highest pursuit, both individually and corporately.

    • We value the accurate and practical teaching of the Bible that encourages the stimulation of the mind and focuses on developing the total person.

    • Present a message challenging enough to stimulate growth, while maintaining sufficient simplicity that all may understand
    • Encourage questioning as a springboard to finding answers and experiencing growth.

    • Promote learning and growing together.

    • Promote counsel based on biblical principles and practiced with a non- judgmental attitude.

  • 2. cOMMUNITY

    • Create an atmosphere of acceptance of all people

    • Strive for the development of significant Christian relationships of love, care and accountability.

    • Work towards building lasting connections to our community locally and globally.

    • Avoid embarrassing others or putting them down.

    • Endorse humor and fun as an integral part of life.

    • Challenge ideas, but never attack people.


    • Emphasize the positive rather than the negative.


    • Emphasize the attainment of possibilities in thinking and action.

    • We value and approach to ministry where all believers are equipped to serve.

  • 3. sINCERITY

    • Base all its conduct on love that both gives and receives.
    • Encourage the formation of relationships that go beyond superficial knowledge, to the end that everyone in the church will know and be known by others.


    • Be enthusiastic about the Christian life, living it naturally, not with phoniness.

  • 4. iNTEGRITY

    • Provide a moral example for the community in all facets of life.

    • Give meaning to then admonition, “live in the world, but not conform to its mold.”
      

    • Stress righteousness, but not judge legalistically.

    •  Be free in Christ, but do not use this freedom as an excuse for license.

  • 5. equality

    • We seek to create expressions of worship (including music) that are significant to all.

    • We value equally, and therefore listen to, meet needs of, and consider equally all people as it conducts its affairs (for example, children, women, the elderly, single adults, the handicapped, the poor, minorities).

    • We value and approach to ministry where all believers are equipped to serve one another according to their gifts and passions.

    • We value being unique, having class, but remaining humble, never elitist.

  • 6. Sanctity

    • provide opportunity for participation and encourage involvement without mandating it.

    •  Encourage intimacy without pressuring people.

    • Deal with and honor life in all its aspects (for example, birth, sexuality, mortality).

  • 7. Flexibility

    • Make graceful changes in position and procedure possible.


    • Seek variety in its structure for worship but avoid disorder.

    • We value variety, freshness, and creativity in communicating historic Christianity.

    • Honestly attempt to achieve consensus rather than simply operate by majority rule.