1. Accurate Biblical Education
Our church is non-denominational and is independent of any forced or pre-determined doctrine. We strive to only follow the most accurate of doctrinal beliefs, while leaving the traditions to a minimum. It is neither our personal experiences nor our church upbringing that shapes our doctrinal beliefs – but only the inerrant Word of God. In Romans 10:17, we read about the direct connection between knowing the Bible and growing in our faith; “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Since this is true, we put a strong emphasis on teaching the stories and writings of the Bible. We explain the Bible in its cultural Hebrew/Greek context in order to better understand what God intended for us to learn from it. As we learn more, our faith grows proportionally. Since Biblical education is such an important part of a committed life to Christ, it only stands to reason that one of the Holy Spirit’s greatest gifts to us is to impart the perfect Word of God into our human understanding (John 14:26). In turn, we will be better equipped to represent Christ to the lost in a supernatural and effective way (Acts 1:8).
2. Outreach and Serving Others
At Truth, we try to create a contagious and fulfilling love for serving people in need. This value is very important to us because most of what Jesus did was not in a church setting. It was in homes, in the streets, and in many hostile places. We understand that before we can lead, we must serve. Christ sets this example for us to follow in Mark 10:45 – “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.“. We serve our community through many different ministries. Some of these ways include our food pantry (which feeds mostly elderly and disabled people), our resale store, house church meetings, our community service work program, helping people in need, and visiting/praying for the sick. Although we don’t always see the impact on the lives we touch, we know seeds are being planted and roots are being spread out through our area. Serving our area through outreach shows unbelievers a glimpse of what Jesus looks like.
3. Accountability
Accountability seems to be a dying virtue in many churches today and may account for such a decline in American church morality. Although we get no pleasure in bringing correction to the people we care about, we find that it is a necessary part of our Christian growth as evident in the 1st century church. We also find that accountability is commanded by God in several places in scripture. Galatians 6:1 tells us – “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.” If we love people and we see them making choices which will bring about a destructive end, then we MUST hold them accountable for their actions in a loving way. Supporting sinful behavior does not define God’s love in 1st Corinthians 13:6 – “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” Christians should never allow a person’s trip to hell to be comfortable. Ministry leaders at Truth are held to an even higher standard of accountability because they represent God from a greater platform.
4. Discipleship
Discipleship is a core value of ours because we understand that the church was created to multiply. Jesus spent over 3 years discipling 12 men so that they could continue to create disciples after He was gone. Our goal is to do the same thing here at Truth. It’s not enough to just present the plan of Salvation and see someone make a decision to follow Christ. We need to help the spiritual transformation of a new believer as they go from worldly minded to Godly minded. Romans 12:1-2 tells us, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” At Truth, we try to create a culture of creating disciples for Christ within the church. This is done by attending church services, home church gatherings, Israel trips, mentoring, Biblical education, living as a positive example, different small group studies, and through encouraging a life of prayer.
5. Unity
We value unity at Truth because it is our witness to the lost (John 17:20-23). If unbelievers or new Christians attend church and see our members engaging in gossip, slander, racism, badmouthing and negativity towards others, then they will either never return or they will assume it is acceptable church behavior. Instead, we strive for a loving family environment where we rejoice with one another in the good times, and we grieve with one another during the hard times. We believe in creating unity between age groups as well by engaging in each other’s lives. It is our goal at Truth to make everyone we meet feel the love of Christ by our church members even when we disagree. By doing this, we show our community what the family of God looks like. Anything divisive or slanderous is unwelcome.
6. Godly Families
At Truth, we value God’s design of family. It begins with a loving, committed marriage of a man and a woman. We strongly believe that a married person’s first love should be God, but their first ministry is to their spouse. This is backed up by the fact that their spouse is the only person in which God makes them one. Husbands and wives are encouraged to minister together as a team. We do our best to encourage our members to never let there be an option for divorce, but rather put God first knowing that He can restore all things. In addition to marriage, we strongly value a Godly family as it pertains to raising children. Children are to be loved and provided for, both physically and spiritually. Again, ministry leaders at Truth are expected to display these family values as an example to the rest of the church. This is based off of Paul’s instructions to Timothy in chapter 3, verse 5. “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?”
7. Prayer
We value and recognize our daily need to be in communication with God through prayer. We pray to the sovereign Lord for reasons such as worship, conversation, guidance, confession, spiritual and physician needs, and for God to intervene in our life or the lives of others. In faith we believe God hears our prayers and will respond according to His perfect plan.