Jesus commands us to make disciples everywhere we go, baptizing them into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything He commanded (Matthew 28:19–20). Baptizing people into the name of Jesus is about establishing them into their new Trinitarian Identity:
- God is our Father, and we are His family.
- Jesus is our Lord, and we are His servants.
- The Holy Spirit is our Guide and Sender, and we are His witnesses.
- God is our King, and we are His stewards.
- The Lord is our God, the Lord is one, and we are His worshipers.
WE ARE A FAMILY
We are children of God who care for each other as a family.
We are God’s chosen people—His family—set apart to live in such a way that the world would know what He is like. Through faith in Jesus, we believe we are children of God and brothers and sisters with one another. As God’s family, we see it as our obligation to care personally for the needs of one another, both physically and spiritually. We disciple, nurture, and hold each other accountable to Gospel life together. We do this through regularly gathering together for celebration, consistent involvement in a Life Group and a Fight Club, and loving others as the Father loved us.
(Genesis 12:1–3; John 1:12–13; Romans 12:10–16; 1 John 4:7–21)
WE ARE SERVANTS
We are servants of Jesus who serve Him by serving others.
Fully God–fully human, Jesus took on the posture of a servant. He gave His life, even unto death, so others could experience salvation, peace, and restoration. Jesus said, “I am among you as one who serves. . . .” All those who follow Jesus are called to serve in the same humility. For us, this means joyfully submitting to Jesus as Lord, to the leaders He has placed over us, and to one another as we also serve whomever God brings into our lives. We do whatever He leads us to do, whenever He tells us, and wherever He wants us to do it.
(Matthew 20:25–28; 25:31–46; John 13:1–17; Philippians 2:5–11; 1 Peter 2:16)
WE ARE WITNESSES
We are sent ones empowered by the Spirit to show and share Jesus to others.
God sent Jesus to take on human form on the earth and live as the true image of God in our world. He worked, ate, and interacted with people, living in such a way that those around him could see and experience what God is truly like. Jesus was filled with, and led by, the Holy Spirit to proclaim the good news of God with power and bring healing, freedom, and new life to those he served. Then, after dying on the cross for our sins, the Spirit of God raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus promised the same Spirit would give us His power to do the same things He did. All those who belong to God have the same Spirit and are missionaries sent and empowered by God’s Spirit to proclaim Jesus and show what God is like in daily life.
(John 1:14; 14:12–27; 15:26–27; 16:7–15; 20:21; Acts 1:8; Colossians 1:27–29; 2 Corinthians 5:16–21)
WE ARE STEWARDS
We are stewards of God’s economy for His glory and the redemption of creation.
The essence of stewardship is finding one’s place in God’s economy of all things. Responsibility through stewardship is to join with the Son, in the power of the Spirit, to fulfill God’s purpose in creation and redemption. Biblical stewardship is holistic and missional, touching all areas of life and employing every legitimate vocation in service to Christ. This is what it means to make the kingdom of God visible and tangible to the world. When the church embodies its future hope of redemption, it cooperates with God’s work of renewal in the world, enacting its responsibilities in such a way that social shalom is repaired and the message of salvation is preached.
(Matthew 25:1, 3-30; Luke 16:1-13; 1 Peter 4:10)
WE ARE WORSHIPERS
We are worshipers empowered by the Spirit to follow Jesus and glorify the Father!
The essence of worship is the submission of all our nature to God. Worshiping God means acknowledging and celebrating His power and perfection in gratitude. Worship includes understanding and being in awe of God's Holiness; we remember how great He is and behave reverently in His Presence. Worship is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His Beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose – and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin.