What is the church?
A church cannot be well grounded and honor Jesus if it doesn’t know what it does.
Our definition of a church is:
The local church is a community of regenerated believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord.
In obedience to Scripture we organize under qualified leadership, gather regularly for
preaching and worship, observe the biblical sacraments of baptism and communion,
are unified by the Spirit, are disciplined for holiness, growing as disciples and learning
how to disciples others and scattering to fulfill the Great Commission as missionaries
to the world for God’s glory and our joy.
Nine characteristics of the true local church as summarized from Acts 2:
1) The church is made up of regenerated believers in Jesus. Through the saving
grace of Jesus, the church is a community manifesting the supernatural life of the triune God.
2) The church is organized under qualified and competent leadership.
3) The church regularly gathers to hear God’s Word rightly preached and to respond in
worshipful ways. As regenerated people, our hearts lead us to praise and worship.
4) The church is where the biblical sacraments of baptism and communion are performed regularly.
5) The church is unified by God the Holy Spirit.
6) The church is holy people. We sin, but we are quick to repent and be reconciled to God and each other.
7) The church is a loving community that devotes itself to fellowship.
8) The church is an evangelistic community where the gospel of Jesus is constantly made
visible by its preaching, witnessing and love.
9) The church helps you grow as a disciple and give you teaching to make more disciples.
