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The "Passions" of Meadowbrook Church
In the Name of Jesus
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The "Passions" of Meadowbrook Church
February 18, 2010
The Purpose of Meadowbrook Church is to honor God by living and worshipping as Christians engaged in the mission of bringing people into relationship with Jesus Christ— telling what he has done for them, teaching them to become his disciples, and helping them experience the transforming of their lives in the loving community of the Church. To fulfill our purpose as a church we think it is important to “be passionate” about the following:
The Presence of God – Christianity is not simply a system of beliefs or a code of ethics. It is a vital relationship with the Living God who is with us and, through the Holy Spirit, is in us. Therefore, our worship is a celebration of God with us and our ministry is a realization of God working through us. Because everything we do is to be oriented towards the presence of God, we hold to the absolute necessity of prayer for all we do as a church.
The Word of God – We believe that the Bible is the record of God’s speaking to the human race personally, infallibly, and definitively. Further, we believe that the purpose of the Bible is to reveal Jesus Christ so that everyone can know what God has done for them to make a relationship with himself possible. Therefore, reading, understanding, and applying the teaching of the Bible is the main activity of our church. We want everyone associated with our church to have a firm grasp on the content of the Bible and a working knowledge of how to understand the Bible.
The Mission of the Church – (summarized in our purpose statement as “telling, teaching, transforming”) is the principle that helps us decide what we do as a congregation. Therefore, we will undertake only those ministries and activities that help us fulfill our mission.
The Priority of Persons – We believe that God is personal—that is, he has always existed as a relationship of three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Further, we believe that human beings, since they are created in God’s image, are also persons and therefore must live out their humanity in the context of relationships with God and other persons. Therefore, our entire ministry is personal—recognizing the intrinsic value of individuals and helping them enter into and develop their relationships with God and each other. This is why we develop ministry for all ages and why we encourage people to participate in the life of the church through various sized groups (Celebration, Community, and Cell).
The Recognition of Process – All human life exists in the process of development. Each stage of growth is important and has its unique opportunities and challenges. We believe that spiritual life also entails a process of growth from spiritual infancy to maturity of character and fruitfulness of service. Therefore, we organize our ministries around evangelism (bringing lost people to Christ) and discipleship (helping Christians grow in relationship to Christ and service to others).
The Encouragement to Participation – The Bible compares Christ’s Church to a human body; there are many members of the Church and each member has a unique role in the life of the whole Body. This means that, for a church to function as it should, all those who are part of the church need to participate in the life of the church. Therefore, we teach people about spiritual gifts and continually encourage them to participate in worship, fellowship, and service to each other and the world.
How do our “passions” compare with those of the Church in Acts 2:42-47?
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