Christ Church's Philosophy of Ministry

Statement of Specific Purpose

Christ Church seeks to be a family of faith, devoted to a sovereign and gracious God. We seek express our devotion through careful and humble worship, through consistent commitment to our Christian brothers and sisters in the family of faith, through concerted efforts to be witnesses and servants in our community, and through the building up of the body in family fellowship. To this end we "run the race before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."

Doctrine

Christ Church believes in the Scriptures as the ultimate source and guide for our personal knowledge of and faith in God and for our life as His people in the world in which we live. The written Word of God is acknowledged as the supreme and only infallible rule of faith and life. Within that context, Christ Church is Reformed in theology. The system of doctrine taught in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Large and Shorter Cathechism forms the basic doctrinal standards of the church.

Christ Church recognizes that mere knowledge of the tenets of the Reformed faith is not enough; rather, our goal is to apply our faith to our everyday lives by incorporating a Reformed world and life view and by living a life of submission to Christ and commitment to His covenant community.

Government

Christ Church is committed to the Presbyterian form of government. Authority is vested in its elected Session, consisting of the Pastor (teaching elder) and ruling elders. The Session is responsible for bringing together the vision and strategy of the church (receiving input from all members) and, together with the elected deacons, is accountable for the oversight and implementation of the church's vision and ministry. Consistent with the Presbyterian form of government and the governing regulations of the Presbyterian Church in America, all members of Christ Church are encouraged to use all their gifts in shaping and carrying out the vision of the church.

Heritage

Christ Church began as a group of people from various evangelical bodies who shared a common desire to participate in the traditions of the Reformed family of churches. This desire led to the decision to affiliate with the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod (RPCES). The subsequent incorporation of the RPCES into the Presbyterian Church in America resulted in the present denominational affiliation of Christ Church.

Within the context of the Reformed perspective, we seek to worship God in a manner commensurate with His sovereignty and majesty, to truly love one another as members of His family, to grow in our knowledge of God and His Word, and to be witnesses to the saving and transforming power of Christ's death and resurrection.

Infrastructure

Christ Church is committed to an organizational structure based on the "team" concept reflective of the priority ministry areas of congregational life. Those areas which have primacy in the team structure are: worship, congregational care, education, outreach, and stewardship. Primary responsibility for overseeing the work of these ministry teams is given to the elders in conjunction with the ministry staff, deacons, and members. Teams have the responsibility, through the elder-leader of the team, to bring reports, proposals, or recommendations to the Session. With proper notice, any member may attend a regular Session meeting.

Growth and Outreach

Christ Church is committed to Christ's command to spread His good news to the world. Ministries of the church are developed to equip the members of Christ Church with a vision for church growth and for enfolding into our body those who fellowship among us. We are eager to develop friendships for the purpose of presenting the claims of Christ, sharing with others our Christian commitment and challenging them to do the same. We are committed to the support of local and cross-cultural missionaries with the intent of world wide evangelism.

Adopted, May 1991
Revised, August 1995