Church Distinctives

The meeting begins at 10 a.m. with Psalms, hymns and Scripture reading followed by a time of prayer and expositional teaching through the Scriptures. We then eat lunch together as a church and spend time in fellowship and prayer. We spend this time intentionally seeking to encourage and help one another with our spiritual needs. After lunch we have a second meeting that is designed to be more open and allow for the men of the church to read scripture, pray corporately, and give testimony exalting the Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel and His continued work in our lives. We finish this time that is focused on Jesus Christ, the Gospel, and His Sacrifice for our sins by observing the Lord’s supper together.

Our meeting is not age-segregated, but all men, women, and children enjoy worshipping God all together. This is on purpose, as we do not see Scriptural precedent for separating families based upon age or any other factor during the corporate worship time. Our desire is to be sensitive to the age-appropriate needs and limitations of young children, parents have the freedom to allow children to move around or go outside as needed throughout the day.

We believe that God has called and equipped parents to be the primary disciple makers of their children, the primary care takers of their children, that God has commissioned fathers to lead their homes and wives by washing them in the water of the word.

Fellowship and openness are very important to the spiritual health of a church body. Our desire in spending a long period of time together on Sunday is to truly know one another in order to be able to pray for and encourage each other to love and good works. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

We believe that well-ordered churches should be led by a plurality of elders. We believe that only those men who have been tested and meet all of the qualifications outlined in scripture, are proper subjects to be considered for eldership. We believe the church should recognize men for leadership who actively serve and work in the church, exhibiting the qualities and qualification of an overseer.

We do not agree with the modern charismatic movement, pentacostalism, or other forms of extra-biblical ideology regarding the exercise of spiritual gifts. We believe that by grace through faith in Jesus Christ that you are complete in Him. We believe that God gifts His church for the work of ministry and that each member does its part as gifted by God.

 For clarity we believe that the Scriptural gift of “tongues” or “languages” are known languages that would be immediately interpreted if exercised properly, also tongues is a sign to unbelievers. This gift not being currently normative nor sought after in a church meeting today. (1 Corinthians 14:22-24)

  We seek to follow the gender distinctions as outlined in Scripture together as a gathering of believers. This is based on the creation order, God having made male and female distinct with different functions and roles. One of those distinctions is found in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. If you attend a worship service at this church, you will see most of the women wearing head coverings or veils as outlined in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. We believe this passage of Scripture to be clear in its meaning and was interpretated by the church as applicable for many centuries until recent years when it has been dis-regarded.

 What if someone does not practice head covering? We love you in the Lord nevertheless, and do not see this as an issue to divide over. We do, however, see head covering practice as the position of the church and the leadership is in agreement on this doctrine.

 You will also notice that the men do not wear hats or coverings over their heads as also outlined in the same passage. This passage of Scripture teaches these outward symbols represent a much deeper meaning which is to the praise of God’s order in creation and His Church. Even the Angels watch! (1 Cor. 11:10) The second half of the same chapter (1 Cor. 11:17-34) is similar in that it outlines the Lord’s Supper which is yet another outward symbol that represents a much deeper spiritual reality of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The men and women of the church are expected to dress modestly. 1 Timothy 2:9. Men generally wear jeans or slacks and loose-fitting shirts. The ladies in our church mostly wear skirts or dresses, however, modest coverings of the figure and body are acceptable whatever particular covering is used.