Distinctives

Qualified Leadership

Those who lead God’s church must be marked by exemplary godliness so that the church’s message is irreproachable and so that its members are conformed to Christ’s image as they imitate the faith of their leaders. Therefore, we will appoint leaders who are marked by imitable godliness, wisdom, and humility, never bypassing these qualities in favor of a man’s skill, charisma, or gifting.

1Cor. 11:1; 1Tim. 3:1-13; Ti. 1:5-9; 2:7-8; Heb. 13:7

Expository Preaching

Expository preaching is the authoritative proclamation of God’s Word in which the preacher clearly sets forth the divinely intended meaning of the biblical text and brings the contemporary implications of its timeless truth to bear on the lives of the people.* Therefore, we will prioritize the proclamation of God’s word in every ministry of the church.

1Tim. 1:3-11; 6:3-5; 2Tim. 3:16-4:2; Ti. 2:1-10

Fruitful Faith

Everyone whom God graciously saves through faith will embrace Jesus as Lord, ever striving to make their thoughts, desires, motives, words, and deeds submit to God’s will so that they bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Therefore, we will seek to graciously stimulate and humbly evaluate one another’s faith, knowing that our obedient (albeit imperfect) good works are the evidence of saving faith and God’s grace at work in us.

Rom. 6:1-4; Eph. 2:8-10; 4:17-5:4; Phil. 2:12-13; Ti. 2:11-14; Jas. 1:26-27; 2:14-26; 1Jn. 3:4-10

Masculine Training

Continually raising up men to Christian maturity is essential to the church’s proper working and enduring faithfulness because God has ordained that men would lead the church as well as the family, which is the basic building block of any society. Therefore, we will make training the men of the church our discipleship priority, yet without neglecting the discipleship needs of the women and children among us.

Gen. 2:19-20; 3:16, 20; Mk. 3:13-19; Eph. 5:22-24; 1Tim. 2:7; 3:1-7; 2Tim. 2:2; Ti. 1:5-9

Meaningful Membership

Church membership confirms a believer’s attachment to a local assembly so that each member formally affirms the church’s teaching and formally commits to participating in the church’s ministry, living obediently with the other members, and submitting to the church’s leadership. Therefore, we will maintain clear standards for membership and prioritize our ministry to one another.

Acts 2:41-47; 17:4; Rom. 12:10; Eph. 4:25; Heb. 13:17; 1Pet. 5:1-5

Biblical Counseling

The Scriptures are sufficient to equip God’s people to live a life pleasing to Him without the help of psychological theories, scientific discoveries, or manmade ideologies. Therefore, we will consult the Scriptures alone to understand what constitutes good human behavior, proper mental life, and healthy personhood.

Ps. 19:7-9; 119:24; Pro. 2:9; 30:5-6; Rom. 15:14; Eph. 5:3-4; 1Tim. 3:14-15; 2Tim. 3:16-17

Familial Discipline

One primary way that God disciplines His children is through their loving pursuit and gentle correction of one another for their restoration or until unrepentant hardness of heart is revealed. Therefore, we will strive to gently, patiently, and lovingly admonish, encourage, help, and instruct one another so that together we might share in God’s holiness, represent Him accurately in the world, and faithfully uphold His truth.

Pro. 12:1; Matt. 18:15-20; 1Cor. 5:1-13; 1Tim. 1:20; 3:14-15; 5:1; Ti. 3:10-11; Heb. 12:4-11; Rev. 3:19

 * Matthew Waymeyer, “Conversation with Matt Waymeyer” (The Expositors Seminary Blog, March 12, 2016).