OUR MISSION
OUR MISSION is “to make disciples” by urging all people to BELIEVE in Jesus, BELONG to His family, and BECOME like Him.
Believe … Belong … Become. If you come to one of our Northside campuses you will see those three words over and over. But those three words aren’t simply part of a catchy phrase or “tagline.” They represent why we exist – what God has called us to do – our mission as a church!
You see, we believe those three words represent the three most important needs of life. Everyone needs something or someone to believe in; everyone needs a place and a people to belong to; and everyone needs to discover why they are here and become all they were created to become. So…
Who do you believe in?
Who do you believe in? We are becoming more and more pluralistic. We often hear phrases like…
It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere.
That may be true for you but it’s not true for me.
There’s no such thing as absolute truth.
Is there such a thing as absolute truth; a scale by which all of our beliefs, actions, and views will be judged right or wrong? The Bible says there is and that truth is found in a person, Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
Either Jesus is the biggest liar who ever lived or He is the source of truth and the only way to the Father. Have you believed in Jesus?
Where do you belong?
Where do you belong? It doesn’t matter how young or old, introverted or extroverted, rich or poor, learned or uneducated, we all long to
connect with others. The reason is, God created us to live in relationships.
Unfortunately, something has gone wrong. We are experiencing a relationship crisis. We know a lot of people but aren’t close to any of them. That’s one of the reasons God established the church. When we have a relationship with Jesus, we become a part of God’s very own family!
Paul said it this way, “…You are members of God’s very own family…and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.” That means you have brothers and sisters to walk through life with you, in both the good and bad times, the easy and the difficult. Are you a part of a church family?
What do you want to become?
What do you want to become? We all have hopes and dreams; things we want to do and accomplish in life. But the question we must answer once we believe in Jesus and become a part of His family is, does He have a plan for my life?
The Bible says it this way, “For everything, absolutely everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him.” The God of all creation made you for a reason and here it is. “For from the very beginning God decided that those who come to Him…should become like His Son.” God wants you to be like Jesus! Are you becoming more like Jesus?
So, are you looking for something more? Do you feel something is missing? Then believe in Jesus and let Him change your life, belong to His family and discover the family you were created to have, and become like Him as you discover you meaning and purpose in life!
WHAT WE VALUE
- Biblical Teaching – We believe that God has chosen to use the preaching / teaching of His Word to change lives and accomplish His purpose.
- Community – We believe God created us to live in community with other believers. This occurs best in small group environments.
- Prayer – We believe that prayer connects us with the presence and the power of almighty God. It is through prayer that the lives of people, the church, communities, and nations can be changed bringing salvation, healing, comfort, and God’s blessing.
- Radical Generosity – We believe the giving of our financial resources is both a wonderful privilege and a tremendous responsibility thereforewe should strive to grow in the grace of giving. When we are obedient in our giving, we will be able to carry out the mission of the church and the ministry to the church.
- Worship – We believe that mankind was created to worship God; therefore, worship is our highest priority and the core motivation behind allwe do.
- Service – We believe every Christian is spiritually gifted and responsible for serving in the Body of Christ. Though there are a variety of gifts,every gift is equally important.
- Evangelism – We believe every Christian is called to be a witness in the world. We should consistently, prayerfully, and intentionally share ourfaith through both our words and our deeds.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
We believe there is only one true God.
We believe there is one and only one living and true God. He is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. God is all powerful, all knowing, and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His creation. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal God reveals himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. This is called the Trinity.
Genesis 1:1, 26-27, 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Timothy 1:17
We believe the Bible is God’s Perfect Word.
We believe the Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living.
Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 119:105, 160; Proverbs 30:5; 2 Timothy 1:13, 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21
We believe Jesus is the eternal Son of God.
We believe Jesus is the eternal Son of God, co-equal with the Father. When Jesus took on human form, He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and offered Himself as the one and only perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on the cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven and will return again to earth to reign as King.
Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14; 10:30; 14:7-11; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 1:3-4; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 4:14-15; Titus 2:13
We believe the Holy Spirit fills every believer at salvation.
We believe the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He guided human authors to give us a perfect Bible. He is present in the world today to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power, understanding, and guidance. When we are saved, the Holy Spirit gives every believer at least one spiritual gift. As Christians, we seek to live under his control.
Acts 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18
We believe mankind is separated from God by Sin and our only hope is God’s free gift of salvation.
We believe man is made in the image of God, the supreme object of God’s creation. In the beginning, man was innocent of sin and was endowed by God with freedom of choice. By his free choice Adam, the first man, sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. This sin separates us from God, causes many problems in life, and results in eternal death. Our only hope is Gods free gift of salvation provided through Jesus death on the cross. When we repent of our sin, place our faith in Jesus, and surrender to Jesus as Lord we are saved. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Since salvation is a gift, we are secure. We cannot lose our salvation. We can however lose our joy and effectiveness through sin which will bring the loving discipline of our heavenly father.
Genesis 1:26-27, 2:17, 3:1-7; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1,2; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 1:12, 14:6; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1
We believe everyone will spend eternity somewhere.
God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring this world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to earth, the dead will be raised, and Christ will judge all men. Those who have accepted Christ will spend eternity in heaven. Those who have rejected Him will spend eternity in hell. Heaven and hell are real places.
John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11, 17:31; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 26:31-46; Revelation 21:1
We believe every Christian is expected to be a part of a local church.
We believe the church is a local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant for the purpose of inviting people to believe in Jesus, belong to His family, and become like Him. We believe Jesus is the head of the church but for the purpose of order and direction, He has called Pastors to lead His church.
Matthew 16:15-19, 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42, 47, 5:11-14, 6:3-6, 14:23, 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:22-23; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14, 3:1-15, 4:14; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:1-4
We believe the family is the foundational institution in society.
We believe God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. A family is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption/placement. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God, as is her husband, and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent example and loving discipline. Children are to honor and obey their parents.
Genesis 1:26-28, 2:15-25; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalms 127:3; 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8, 12:4, 13:24, 22:6, 31:10-31; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32, 18:2-5, 19:3-9; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33, 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7
We believe Christians are to live by God’s standards.
We believe all Christians are called to be “salt and light” in the world. Therefore, in the spirit of Christ, we should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life. Every Christian should seek to bring society as a whole under the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love.
Exodus 20:3-17; Deuteronomy 10:12-13; Psalm 101:3; Proverbs 6:16-19; Jeremiah 1:5; Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:13-48, 22:36-40, 25:35, 10:21; Romans 1:18-32, 12-14; 1 Corinthians 5:9-10, 6:1-11, 10:23-11:1; 2 Corinthians 6:17; Colossians 3:12-17; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; James 1:27, 2:8
WHAT WE ENVISION
We envision a church of 10,000 committed, reproducing believers birthing new campuses and churches, leading thousands of people to faith in Jesus, and influencing the spiritual, social and moral climate across the Midlands, North America, and the world.
We envision a church coming together to worship in a variety of environments where the power of God is seen, the presence of God is felt, and the truth of God is presented.
We envision a church sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with every home within a thirty mile radius of our campus, reaching people at every age and stage of life; from every race, nationality, and socio-economic background and baptizing them into the family of faith.
We envision a church sending hundreds of career missionaries and thousands of volunteer missionaries all over the world, and empowering every member to be a missionary in their community.
We envision a church giving 30% of our receipts to reach our community, our country, and our world.
We envision a church gathering in relational small groups where people are learning and applying God’s Word, building community, caring for one another, and serving God.
We envision a church empowering every member to find their place of ministry by helping them discover, develop, and use their God given gifts and talents.
We envision a church partnering with families to impact future generations for Christ by creating fun, engaging environments where God’s Word is taught, relationships are built, and spiritual foundations are established.
We envision a church changing the world, where those searching for answers will find truth, those hurting will find love, and those longing for direction will find purpose.
THE STORY
2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
If you have questions about Jesus Christ and how you can know Him personally, please take a moment to view the story of how it all began and how it will never end: