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Teaching / Preaching | We value solid biblically based preaching and teaching because we see these as critical tools for discipleship and Christian maturity. We long to cultivate an environment where the truth of the Word is communicated in sensitivity to the Spirit. We believe that this balance is desperately needed in the body of Christ. It is especially necessary at a time when misunderstandings about the nature of Christianity inhibit many from embracing faith. Spirit-empowered truth transforms lives. To that end, we want our message to be firmly grounded in scripture and we want it to be communicated in a relevant way. 

 

Lost People / Evangelism | Because lost people matter to God, they matter to us. We value ministry that reaches outside the community of faith and seeks to help others find life in Christ. We value “come and see,” “go and tell,” and “go and show” forms of evangelism. That is, we want to create space in the life of our church where it is comfortable for those who aren’t already followers of Christ to interact in a non-threatening way. We also want to make full use of our resources to share the gospel in word and deed to our ministry community. We view our community as the city of Garner and the surrounding area, and we also believe we have a responsibility to advance the cause of the gospel through missions efforts abroad. 

 

Worship | We value corporate times of worship because we believe that these experiences encourage and edify believers and expose non-believers to the life-giving power of the Spirit. We want our worship to be marked by sincerity and a genuine openness to God’s empowering presence. We are a Pentecostal and charismatic church and thus we value the gifts of the Spirit. We also recognize that worship is more than an event, it is a lifestyle, and we want our encounters with the Spirit during corporate worship to inspire and cultivate our fruitfulness in the remainder of our lives. We value worship that draws attention to the truth of God’s Word, that focuses on the gospel, and that exalts Christ. 

 

Community | We believe that one of the primary marks of a healthy church is healthy relationships. Jesus said that the world would know we are his disciples by our love for one another. We want to be a community known for our loving and supportive community. We want that community to be part of our common life together. Our hope is that the community fostered here is welcoming and open without being judgmental or critical. We want everyone to feel welcome and valued regardless of his or her race, ethnicity, gender, or lifestyle. 

 

Mobilized Laity / Team Ministry | We believe in the priesthood of all believers. A healthy church is one where every member is a minister. We believe it is the responsibility of the leadership to identify and equip the membership to tap into their God-given talents and abilities for doing the work of the ministry. We believe in a team based approach where we all serve together for the sake of the kingdom. 

 

Giving | We value good stewardship. God has blessed us with resources not available to every church. We want to use those in the right way and for the right reasons. We value generosity for kingdom purposes. 

 

Leadership and Excellence | We believe that doing things to the best of our ability is a good witness to our attitude of service to the Lord. We hope to maintain a high standard of excellence in what we do so as to appropriately represent the kingdom of God in our efforts. We hope this high standard will put us in a place to help train other churches and ministers in Word-based, Spirit-empowered ministry, Gospel-focused, Jesus-exalting ministry. 

 

Creativity and the Arts | We want to use these tools for the advancement of the gospel. God is creative. Our creativity is part of His image within us. Many people within our ministry area could be reached through a creative use of the arts.  

 

Justice | We believe that it is both our responsibility to minister to the spiritual person AND to the physical person. These were not separated in the ministry of Jesus, and we want to keep an appropriate concern on how we can make the world where we live a better place for the sake of the Gospel. We don’t believe that we need to start programs for every area of need. We value developing partnerships with those who do this kind of ministry most effectively. For these partnerships to have meaning, we want to participate in them with our time, treasure, and talent. 

 

Family | We value family relationships and want to help parents know how to raise children in a healthy home environment. We believe that it is the church’s responsibility to help parents be the primary sources of discipleship in their children’s lives. We want to provide high quality experiences for children and youth that will serve as a point of entry into their lives for the parents and church to partner in the work of raising up the next generation. 

 

What a Church Cannot Value

• Preserving tradition over reaching the lost

• Preferring who is on the inside over who is on the outside

• Personal preference over common good

• Accepting what’s good over God’s best

• Accepting the clean over those marred in sin

• Coming to be served over being willing to serve