VISION
A church United in Pursuit, Prayer, Purpose, and Power
Pursuit of Jesus:
1. It’s not about us. We are here to make Jesus famous.
2. Everything we do is for Jesus and deserves our utmost effort and excellence.
3. The Bible is our active guide and foundation.
4. Prayer is our daily and constant method of talking to and hearing from Jesus.
Prayer for the needs of others:
1. Our greatest strength is found in Jesus and so we will pray first for the needs of others.
2. We will never lock eyes with someone Jesus didn’t die for.
3. We desire others to pray for us so we will set the standard to pray first
4. Miracles and breakthrough come by prayer
5. By putting others needs to prayer immediately we invite God into situations and relationships quickly.
Purpose:
1. We will serve our community and neighbors that they may see God’s love through us.
2. Everyone has influence. I have influence. You have influence.
3. No one else can fulfill my purpose. I have to do my part.
4. I have been called by God to reach my world and those I interact with for His glory
How will they know of Jesus unless they have been told and shown?
Power
1. In a world that preaches self-empowerment we believe in a divine empowerment of God’s people
2. We ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen, lead, and provide endurance in life.
3. We trust for God to provide everything we need in every circumstance of life.
4. We begin our day asking God to be the one to move through us
FIVE REASONS UNITED CHURCH EXISTS
1.
John 4:23-24 The Father seeks worshipers, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
2.
Ephesians 1:5 His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.
3.
Romans 10:13-14 Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, but who can ask Him to save them unless they believe in Him and how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him and how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them.
- Why Our Church Must Never Stop Growing
1.Because God loves people.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is patient not wanting anyone to perish but wants everyone to come to repentance.
2.Because God commands us to
Luke 14:23 Go out into the country and urge anyone you find to come in so that My house will be full.
Acts 1:8 You will be My witnesses.
3.Because growth is God’s will.
Matthew 16:18 - I will build My church.
4.
Hebrews 6:1 Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity.
5.
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that you are My disciples that you have love for one another.
• Every member is a minister.
• Every task is important.
• Every member is a “10” in some area.
OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH
• In the Gospel we will stay
Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit, there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all.
• In our Preferences we are willing to sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel.
• In all our beliefs we show unity by keeping Jesus and his love for others first.
What We Believe:
ABOUT GOD
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; called the Trinity. These three are co-equal and are one God.
Genesis 1:1,26,27, 3:22; Psalms 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2;
2 Corinthians 13:14
ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Hebrew 4:14,15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13
ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit - God’s person and presence and influence given for our daily lives. The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. That’s what God’s Spirit is all about. Jesus said, you need to be filled with power through God’s Spirit. Jesus was extremely clear about where this kind of power comes from. “But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power.” New Testament believers were constantly challenged to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4,5; Ephesians 5:18). All believers today are entitled to and should expect and seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, guidance in doing what is right, and the use of the gifts of the Spirit for the work of ministry. He is the source of our life not just for salvation of past sins, but for every day. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily. Verses that talk about the Holy Spirit and power in our lives are one of the most common themes in the Bible. Ephesians 5:18, “Don’t destroy yourself by getting drunk but let the Spirit fill your life.” Galatians 5:22-23, “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18
ABOUT THE BIBLE
The Bible is God’s Word to us…It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error. At United Church we do our very best to make sure that the Bible is our final authority.
2 Timothy 3:15-16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalms 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5
ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS
People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin”.
Genesis 1:27; Psalms 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1,2
ABOUT SALVATION
Salvation is God’s free gift to us but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved. We believe that man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God. No sin is beyond God’s ability and willingness to forgive. We are all born into sin with the need of a Savior – who is Jesus. When we admit that we are a sinner, repent of our sins and believe in our heart we are saved from our sin. Old things are passed away and all things become new.
Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1
ABOUT ETERNITY
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell…To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. About the second coming of Jesus Christ… We believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. The main thing that we must agree about the second coming of Christ is that Jesus Christ is coming back. It is our responsibility to be ready, to have our hearts ready to meet Him.
John 3:16; John 14:17; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:17-18; Revelation 20:15; 1 Corinthians 2:7-9
OUR FAITH APPLIED
What We Practice:
BIBLE AS OUR SOLE AUTHORITY
Since God’s Word is the only completely reliable and truthful authority, we accept the Bible as our manual for living. We practice daily Bible reading, Bible study, and Bible memorization. The Bible is the basis for all we believe.
2 Timothy 3:15
PRIESTHOOD OF EVERY BELIEVER
The Bible teaches that every Christian is called to “full time” Christian service, regardless of his or her vocation. We practice the truth that every believer is a
minister by encouraging every member to find a place of service and ministry. Every believer has direct access to God through prayer and Bible reading.
Revelation 1:6, 1 Peter 2:9
SANCTIFICATION AND HOLINESS
Definition: separation or setting apart. At the time we receive Christ, we are sanctified. After salvation, we continue to live a life separated from sin and dedicated to God. The Holy Spirit is the One who sanctifies us. The purpose of sanctification is to make us more like Jesus.
Hebrews 12:14
Security of the Believer (Backsliding)
We believe carelessness can lead to apathy, apathy to neglect, and neglect to a conscious decision to sin. We do believe in eternal security as far as that God will not turn His back on a believer; but believers, as humans, are capable of turning their backs on God.
Luke 8:13; Jam. 5:19, Hebrews 6:6
TELLING OTHERS ABOUT CHRIST
It is the responsibility of every Christian to share the Good News with those with whom God brings us into contact. We practice personal sharing about Christ and inviting friends to church.
1 Peter 3:15
TITHING
At United Church we practice tithing for the support of Christ’s body, the church, as God commands. We recognize that giving 10% of our income is the Biblical standard of giving.
Leviticus 26:30
FAITH FOR ANSWERED PRAYER
God can do the miraculous through simple faith in Him. We must balance aggressive faith with being obedient to His will. We must guard against letting our faith turn into a spirit of insistence by balancing it with trust. Statements like, “You don’t have enough faith,” put an emphasis on faith in faith itself rather than on faith in God.
Hebrews 11:6
HEALING
We believe provision has been made for healing according to Scripture, but trust in God’s wisdom and sovereignty as to when and if healing takes place. Jesus paid for our healing with His wounds.
Is. 53:5; Jam. 5:14-16
OUR DREAM STATEMENT: A church United as One
A church that is United in Pursuit, Prayer, Purpose, and Power will lead to…
A church wholly devoted to Jesus, wholly reliant on the Holy Spirit, and wholly focused on seeing others come to know Jesus.
A church that will stand out in our world drawing others to it simply by its existence.
A church that will see the miraculous become normal and prayer being the root of it all.
A church that offers praise to God with total surrender through songs of praise, thanksgiving, and lament.
A church whose impact cannot be pinpointed to a location or even one community but instead its influence permeates through all of its people making a difference across the region.
A church who trains up students of every age to come to know Jesus at a young age and be so well equipped that when they step out into the world, they are not shaken to their core but instead are grounded in truth.
A church who is so generous that no need can stand against the giving power of the body.
A church that revival stirs up from within due to its sole focus on seeing God made great in their lives.
This church is who we are becoming and who we believe we will become fully.