Our heart...
A place where people are more important than the program.
A family of forgiven Christ-followers who are growing in their understanding of God's grace and the reality that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. That we cannot work our way to heaven, but that being justified by faith in Christ means that - if I have trusted in Jesus' death - in God's eyes I've done everything right. And now God has given believers His Holy Spirit to empower us to live into this truth every day.
We aspire to experience this fullness of the Blessing of Christ not only in our own lives but also to share that with one another whenever we gather and to convey that to our neighbors and to the nations as well.
We aspire to be a church with a passion for seeing peoples everywhere embracing the Good News of Jesus Christ. To that end our heart is to be a light in our community, and to help nurture, inspire, and send out a new generation of Gospel bearers and disciple makers throughout East Texas and to the ends of the earth, generously supporting them in prayer, encouragement, and finances (as well as going to the nations ourselves as the Lord leads).
We envision a body of believers learning to enjoy the presence of Christ in every moment and every context, walking moment-by-moment in the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit, and whose growing experience is one of trust and dependence and surrender expressed in an ongoing conversation with our Maker; living a life where prayer is becoming our native language, whether it be corporately or individually.
We want to be a community of uncommon unity, not of conforming uniformity but of beautiful variety, where we live into the value of "In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things, love." A family that is learning to love one another, doing life together both within the church and beyond, participating and serving instead of just attending and spectating; a church family spurring each other on through encouragement and accountability, bearing each others’ burdens and rejoicing with each others’ blessings.
We see a church that is hungry for God’s Word and zealous about instilling that passion in others; committed to truth and sound doctrine based upon God's inerrant Word, the Bible, and diligent in training God's people to equip others to apply God's Word in everyday life; a church where biblical instruction bears much mature fruit; where people of all ages are encouraged to be “doers of the Word, not just hearers only", knowing that we are not perfect but rather are all "works-in-progress" (and thus being a church family that is a safe place where people can be accepted, can ask tough questions and get honest answers).
We see a people who, with one voice and their whole being, unashamedly proclaim the glory of their God and Savior whenever they gather together; a body of believers who see worship as a way of life; who are driven to acknowledge the holiness of God in wonder and awe, and who rejoice in the opportunity they have to connect with Him through worship.
We long to see strong and healthy marriages and healing family relationships, families who live in integrity and pass that lifestyle on through generations; an environment where parents are empowered and equipped to raise up the next generation of godly men and women in the knowledge and love of God and a growing relationship with Him for a lifetime.
We see people who are excited about sharing the Great Good News of Jesus Christ; witness empowered by His Spirit, who are bold and always ready to give a reason for the hope that is in them.
We see believers who sacrificially serve their community in the name of Jesus, and whose joy and hope in Christ is visible and contagious to all. The fullness of the blessing of Christ, in us and through us.
"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." Romans 11.36
