Biblical Basis of Ministry at Christ Church

Basic Premises

1. Since the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever (Shorter Catechism; Ephesians 1:11-14), it must also be true that this is the ultimate purpose of any ministry at Christ Church.
2. Jesus Christ is the head of the church (Colossians 1:18), and therefore we look to Him for our sustenance and authority.
3. The members of our church are said to be the Body of Christ (Ephesians 1:12-16), having an actual spiritual organic unity with the goal of bringing every member to maturity in Christ.
4. The risen Christ appoints leaders within our church (pastors, teachers, evangelists, elders, deacons) with gifts to equip and prepare God's people for ministry (Ephesians 4:7-11; 1 Timothy 3).
5. All of the members of our church share the responsibility to carry out the work of the ministry of our church (Ephesians 4:12).

The ministry of Christ Church has three dimensions:

• Reaching up (Worship)
• Reaching in (Education, Fellowship)
• Reaching out (Outreach)

Reaching Up (Worship)

1. The purpose of our worship is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Our corporate worship on Sunday mornings has an intentional vertical direction, calling us to focus our attention on God's character and deeds (Hebrews 13:15; Psalm 95).
2. Our worship is participatory, recognizing every member as a priest and the nature of the covenant community of faith. Men, women, and children are encouraged to actively participate (1 Peter 2:9).
3. We seek to call attention to the meaning of what we are doing in worship, including some innovation and creativity, focusing on a central theme, and giving thought to the flow of the worship experience, so that our hearts as well as our lips will be engaged in worship (Matthew 6:7, 15:8-9).
4. Believing that our worship also involves a celebration of God's creation, we encourage the use of the arts -- music, drama, dance, banners, poetry -- as part of the worship experience (Psalm 8; Exodus 35:30-36:7).
5. While the form of our worship may often vary, we are committed to the Biblical precedence for inclusion of certain elements on a regular basis -- praise, thanksgiving, confession of sin, affirmation of faith, proclamation of God's Word, and consecration of ourselves (Psalm 95; Nehemiah 8).
6. While the central purpose of our worship is to offer God the glory due to His name, it is inevitable that true worship also brings about the healing of our souls (Psalms 42, 137).
7. We consider it essential that each member of Christ Church also be involved in regular private worship to supplement and support our times of corporate worship (Psalms 5, 92, 130).

Reaching In (Education, Fellowship)

1. An important aspect of the ministry at Christ Church is the giving of ourselves to the care and nurture of our members (Ephesians 4:12-16).
2. In our educational program as well as our nursery, we seek to be faithful to the charge to bring up our children of the covenant in the nurture and instruction of the Lord by providing a thoughtful Christian education which will serve to complement the work of parents at home (Ephesians 6:4; Psalm 78:4).
3. In our adult educational program we provide a strong Biblical foundation to equip us (2 Timothy 3:16-17), along with a commitment to intellectual honesty and critical thinking to help us respond to the needs and challenges of our society (Matthew 5:13-16; Philippians 2:15-16).
4. Through our C-Groups, youth groups, clubs, and other vehicles, we seek to provide an opportunity for mutual support and love for one another, to care for one another's needs and give encouragement in our individual and corporate Christian walk (Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 2:42-47).
5. We strive for a quality of fellowship with one another that is honest and transparent with regard to the reality of the Christian struggle and the difficulties of our spiritual journey so that we can truly encourage and pray for one another (Ephesians 4:25; James 5:16).
6. We celebrate diversity in the body of believers and respect Christian liberty in issues of conscience. We encourage the fellowship of people of different ages, different socio-economic class, and stations in life, believing that we have much to gain through the diversity of one another's gifts and experiences (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12).

Reaching Out (Outreach)

1. The mission of Christ Church extends to our neighborhoods, our larger community, our places of work, and to all the world (Acts 1:8).
2. We are all called to bear witness in word and deed to Jesus Christ as God's Son, Savior and Lord, and to invite others to come to faith in Christ and be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-21).
3. We attempt to carry out a ministry of mercy to the basic physical needs for food, shelter, and clothing, of those within and outside of our church body (1 John 3:17; Matthew 25:31-46; Acts 6:1-7).
4. We understand our role as stewards of the resources that God has entrusted to use and seek to be faithful in using our money, talents, time and possessions to serve God's church and mission in the world (1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 4:2).
5. We seek to carry out a ministry in the "marketplace" where we work and do business. We seek to bear witness to Christ, strive for honest and fair ethical standards, integrity in relationships, and righteous behavior (Ephesians 5:5-9; Amos 5:7-15, 8:4-8).
6. Believing that we are placed in the world to be the "salt of the earth," we look for opportunities to be agents of change in our society, seeking to bring God's truth and righteousness to bear on our culture (Matthew 5:13, 6:33).
7. Since God's mission extends to the ends of the earth, and since we are part of the worldwide church of Jesus Christ, we enter into partnership with missionaries and the third world church, giving our resources and prayers to the end that God's glory might be known among all nations (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19-20; Isaiah 66:19-20).

Revised August, 1995