Our Core Values
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The Lordship of Jesus Christ
We affirm the
Lordship (Colossians 2:9; Acts 2:36) of Jesus Christ and His leadership as the
head of our church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23). As a church and as individuals we submit our will to His.
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Bible-Centered Preaching and Teaching
We affirm the centrality of the Bible, God's Word, in our preaching and teaching. The Bible is the
authority (II Timothy 3:16) for our faith and life as a church. We are committed to equipping people through Biblical instruction that addresses the opportunities and challenges of everyday life and calls on people to follow Jesus Christ in every sphere of their lives.
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The Priority of Prayer and Dependence on the Spirit of God
We depend on the Spirit of God for our
direction (John 16:13; Romans 8:14) as a church and for the spiritual resources to fulfill our calling. We rely on private and corporate prayer to
discern God's will (James 1:5) in the conception, planning, and implementation of all of the ministries and activities of our church.
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Outreach to the Lost
We value people, and we desire for all people to have a dynamic, growing relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We know
lost people matter to God (John 3:16), so they matter to us, too. We seek to
bring the unchurched (Mark 16:15) into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and into our community of faith.
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Inspiring Worship
We seek to demonstrate God's supreme worth in our personal lives and in our church through our private devotion and our corporate worship. We aim to provide inspiring worship experiences in a variety of worship styles which cultivate an authentic and meaningful encounter between each individual and our living God. We encourage people to
praise God joyfully (Psalm 100:1-2) and to serve Him gladly with a heart of love and gratitude in response to His grace.
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Spiritual Growth in the Life of Every Christian
We believe all followers of Jesus Christ are called to grow in their faith and to become like Him. We are committed to helping people grow to spiritual maturity through an emphasis on training in discipleship, the encouragement of
supportive relationships (Ephesians 4:16) with other Christians, and the provision of opportunities for discovering and exercising one's
spiritual gifts (Ephesians 4:11).
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Commitment to the Great Commission
We are committed to the fulfillment of the
Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) of Jesus Christ to go and make disciples of all nations. The focus of our missionary endeavor begins in our own community--our own "
Jerusalem" (Acts 1:8), and every member has a responsibility to be a witness in the way God wants to use us where we live, work, go to school, and play. We also have a heart for the whole world. We fulfill our commitment to missions through prayer, active ministry to the
physical and spiritual needs (James 2:15-17) of people in our community and throughout the world, and financial support.
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Christ-Centered Fellowship
We value
Christian fellowship (Hebrews 10:24-25). We affirm our calling to live, love, learn, and laugh together in unity as the Body of Christ. We take seriously our identity as a
family of faith (Ephesians 3:15) where we accept one another and are accepted, love and are loved, care and are cared for, encourage and are encouraged, forgive and are forgiven, and serve and are served. We have a vital place for everyone--young and old, single and married, male and female, whatever native language and cultural background.
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Ministry to Strengthen Families
We seek to provide a nurturing environment of support and guidance which strengthens families. We are committed to a partnership with the home in providing strong youth and children's ministries.
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Godly Leadership Equipping Every Member to Minister
We value leadership which is obedient to God and servant in nature. We look to pastoral leadership "to prepare God's people for works of service so that the Body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-13). We believe God has called every Christian to minister and has given gifts to every Christian to fulfill the ministry to which they are called. The church is most
healthy and functioning most
effectively (Ephesians 4:16) when every member is discovering, cultivating, and using their God-given spiritual gifts faithfully in ministry.
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Stewardship of Our Whole Lives
We acknowledge that "the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it" (Psalm 24:1) and we are
stewards who are
accountable (I Corinthians 4:2)
to God for our use of every material and spiritual blessing He has
entrusted to us (Matthew 25:21).
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Reaching Our Contemporary World
We are committed to new approaches to sharing the gospel without compromise in our contemporary world. We believe God gave His best to us in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Consequently, we believe God deserves the very best (I Corinthians 6:19-20) we have to offer in our ministries and activities - to His glory. top
These values reflect our best understanding of who we are at First Baptist Church of Springfield, Virginia. They are at the core of our life together and define us. While some of these values are clearly evident in every area of our church's life, some remain goals for us to embody even more fully. We aspire to become completely who we are as God's church through His help and the power of His Spirit.