CORE VALUES

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We view our core values as guideposts for community life. They provide clear paths of social expressions of the Kingdom of God.  As with our statement of faith they are not intended to express the whole of our understanding or value of the Kingdom of God.  These values are not exclusively limited to but do dramatically impact, corporate prayer; which is our primary expression of ministry.

- Enjoying intimacy with God: Our value of consistent (24/7) prevailing prayer is rooted in the fascination and enjoyment of God.  We enjoy others and ourselves when we can enjoy God.  (Ps 27:4)

- Combining prayer with worship:  Our community wants to agree with who God is (worship) and with what God wants to do (intercession).  Our lifestyle of prayer seeks to embrace the humility to agree with God in every facet of our life despite immaturity of faith.  

·      We embrace antiphonal singing as a methodology of including both aspects of worship and prayer. 

·      We embrace antiphonal signing as a methodology to use team ministry in both endeavors of prayer and worship. 

·      Antiphonal singing is not a more spiritual way to pray or worship.  It is simply a methodology that provides a convenient frame to combine worship and prayer in the context of team ministry.  We embrace all modalities of Biblically rooted prayer offered to Jesus. 

- Encountering God: We embrace habits in our spiritual walk that tenderize our hearts to experience more of God in our daily walk. We cannot make God move or force him to act upon our life.  Yet we can endeavor with a purposed heart to develop habits of excellence that make room in our hearts for more of God. 

·      Internalizing the Word of God through Biblically based prayer

·      Fasting regularly as a habit of life

·      Staying connected with the city-wide body of Christ in holy living

- Team ministry and enjoying the body of Christ:  We diligently pursue friendship and unity with the body of Christ as described in the Bible, under the authority of Jesus Christ. Our personal fullness is incomplete and inaccessible without the surrounding body of Christ participating in our life and ministry. 

We embrace team ministry as one of the primary ways in which we can grow up and together in the Spirit of God.  This includes every denomination, every congregation, and every believer who names the name of Jesus in truth irrespective of gender, age, ethnicity, or background (Psalm 133, John 17). 

The value of team ministry means that: 

·      It is necessary to provide leadership in our meetings that set a context for liturgy, comfort, and inclusion.

·      There is structure in prayer meetings that coordinates and included, in a voluntary way, everyone in our prayer meetings. 

·      Structure provides boldness and opportunity for spontaneity.   We value the individuals’ contribution in spontaneity by providing a structure from which they can launch from. 

God-Centered Ministry:  God is the primary target of our intercession.  Our worship is reserved for God alone.  This means that: 

·      We direct our prayer to God. 

·      We use biblical language and biblical prayer that can be repeated and agreed with by others who want to agree with our prayer target.  In using Biblical prayers we avoid preaching in a time of corporate prayer.  Also, we limit the use of dreams and visions as the basis of prayer. 

·      We see our primary means of spiritual warfare as agreeing with God.  This is far more comprehensive than a few moments in a prayer meeting, though that time of agreement is powerful.

·      These prayers of agreement include healing prayer, intercession for justice and mercy in every sphere of society, repentance, servanthood, and other forms of agreement that God has repeatedly mentioned and demonstrated in the Bible. 

·      Avoiding behavior on the stage or in the meeting that detracts from the overall flow of the meeting.  This detracts from the spirit of agreement that is necessary for effective prayer.  It calls away attention from Jesus.  

·      Our platform of ministry is not the place to exert our personality or methodology of ministry at the expense of the overall engagement of the body with the Spirit of God.  Personal restraint is one of the paramount expressions of freedom. 

- Expectation of Revival and Breakthrough: Prayer is dynamically tied to the expectation of a harvest of souls and evangelism.  

   We celebrate the work of evangelism “out of season”, while hoping and praying for a day of great power and breakthrough in which a multitude come into the body of Christ.  One soul saved causes heaven, and our own hearts, to rejoice.

   We have hope for a time of great power on the local church in which there is a harvest of souls that will be tantamount to a third great awakening in America.  

Our prayer is not for prayers sake but for the sake of the gospel going to all the nations .  It is an activity of faith rooted in the hope that the promise of revival and “speedy justice” will be fulfilled in partnership with day and night prayer.  (Luke 18:8) 

Statement of Faith

The following statements represent historic beliefs the church has embraced about God in general, Jesus specifically, the nature of Man, and man’s future. These statements are not intended to express a comprehensive overview of our faith.  They are heritages of faith that unify us with the larger body of Christ.   

Salvation by Grace:

We believe in salvation by grace. This is a free gift from God, given to all who believe in His Son Jesus, the Christ, and accept Him as the Lord of their life.

(Matthew 16:21-26) (John 3:16-19) (John 14:6) (Acts 4:12) (Romans 10:9-13) (Ephesians 2:4-9) (I John 5:9-12)

The Holy Bible is the Inspired Word of God:

We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. The Word of God is eternal and unbroken.

(Numbers 23:16-19) (John 1:1-14) (II Timothy 3:15-17)

God exists in Three Persons - The Trinity:

We believe in one God, eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

(Deuteronomy 6:4-5) (Matthew 28:19-20) (Mark 12:28--31) (I John 5:7)

Deity of Christ:

We believe in the deity of our Lord, Christ Jesus. Jesus is God incarnate, and was manifest in human flesh. He was like us in all ways except for one, being free from sin.

(Isaiah 9:6-7) (John 1:1-14) (John 5:22-23) (John 8:54-58) (John 10:30)

Virgin Birth of Christ:

We believe that our Lord was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary.

(Isaiah 7:14) (Matthew 1:18-23)

Christ Died for Our Sins: 

We believe in the vicarious atoning death of Jesus, who died on the cross so that we might live - offering Himself up as the perfect sacrifice for sinful man.

(Romans 5:6-10) (I Thessalonians 5:9-10)

Fruits and Gifts of the Holy Spirit: 

We believe in the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit, for the edification of the body of believers, and enabling the believer to live a life pleasing to God.

(Matthew 7:13-23) (Acts 2:38-39) (Romans 12:4-8) (I Corinthians 12:1-12) (I Corinthians 13:1-3) (Galatians 5:22-26)

Bodily Resurrection and Ascension of Christ:

We believe that Christ is the risen savior. Jesus rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

(Acts 1:8-11) (Romans 8:31-35)

Water Baptism: 

We believe that all believers should receive water baptism, as a demonstration of our faith, and in obedience to the commandment of our Lord. This act represents a commitment by the believer, and should be accompanied by a renewal and sanctification via the Holy Spirit. Water baptism is an outward symbol of spiritual identification with His death, burial, and resurrection.

(Matthew 28:18-20) (Mark 1:4-11)

Bodily Resurrection of the Saints to Eternal Life: 

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saints to eternal life.

(Isaiah 26:19) (Daniel 12:1-3) (Matthew 22:30-32) (Mark 12:25-27) (Luke 20:34-38) (John 5:25-29) (Romans 8:22-23) (I Corinthians 15:35-45) (I Corinthians 15:51-55) (I Corinthians 15:20-28) (Philippians 3:20-21) (I John 3:1-3) (Revelation 20:4-6)

Second Coming of Jesus Christ: 

We believe in the second coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

(Matthew 24:1-44) (John 14:1-3) (Acts 1:9-11) (I Corinthians 15:20-24) (I Thessalonians 4:15-17) (I Thessalonians 5:1-3) (II Thessalonians 2:1-4) (Titus 2:11-13)