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God

We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.

 

The Bible

We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.

 

The Human Condition

We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.

 

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus-Israel’s promised Messiah-was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.

 

The Work of Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.

 

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.

 

The Church

We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.

 

Christian Living

We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.

 

Christ’s Return

We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.

 

Response and Eternal Destiny

We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.

 

Along with these doctrinal truths, Montrose Bible Church holds the following Core Values.

 

WE SEEK TO BE...

 

BIBLE-BASED: Learning and obeying Scripture will be at the core of all we do.

• The Bible is our ultimate authority, more important than personal preferences or cultural pressures.

• Preaching will be expository, explaining the meaning of Scripture and applying it to our lives today.

• We will continually be challenged to walk in obedience to the commands of Christ in the Word.

• Our leaders will make plans for the church based on God’s prompting through Scripture.

 

CONTEXTUAL: We are open to changing methods while maintaining an unchanging message and ministry.

• We will continually look for ways to reach the lost in our community through interest-group evangelism and new opportunities.

• We will not allow traditions or “our way of doing things” to become more important than cooperating with the Spirit of God.

 

WORSHIPPERS: We will engage in heartfelt worship, in spirit and truth, joyful and full of praise.

• Christ will always be central in our corporate expressions of worship.

• We will develop a “worship-mentality” in our children in preparation for an earthly and eternal life spent in worship.

• We will be mindful of the need for private worship throughout the week; this worship will be reflected in our lives and should be evident to those around us.

 

MISSIONS-MINDED: We are integrally committed to missions in all we do.

• We continuously look for ways to reach the community of Montrose and the surrounding area with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

• We are mindful that missions is not simply overseas trips or becoming “full-time” missionaries, but that everything we do ought to be missions-oriented.

• We will continue to identify and help families that are in ministry roles in need of support; we will continue to evaluate and support local camps & other ministries to which we have close accountability.

 

DISCIPLERS: We will invest in individuals to promote spiritual maturity.

• We will continue to focus on small group ministry as the primary place for discipleship to occur.

• We will have a systematic assimilation process for visitors to move from lookers to laborers and leaders.

• We understand the parents’ vital role in discipling their own children, and recognize the primary responsibility of fathers for the child’s spiritual development; we will provide assistance, counsel, and support for parents in this process.

 

BALANCED: We will endeavor to keep a balance in all that we do.

• We recognize that both large and small group ministries, both evangelism and spiritual growth, both organism and organization (flexibility and structure), are important and must be maintained.

• Our Sunday morning worship services are geared toward equipping the saints to do “outreach” throughout the week to those with whom they come in contact.

• We will emphasize the need for large corporate assembly, medium-sized group interaction, small group involvement and personal discipline as critical to spiritual growth.

 

EQUIPPERS: Our leaders will teach and shape all of us to do the work of the ministry.

• We will provide opportunities for those in our faith family to take part in Kingdom work for their own edification and the building up of the church.

• We will continually invest in one another to maximize the glory of God.

• We will hold our resources loosely, using them for the advancement of the gospel wherever God leads us.

 

FAMILY-ORIENTED: We will promote healthy families.

• We will uphold the biblical view of marriage, that it is only to be between one man and one woman.

• We will provide opportunities for families to be involved in the church together as opposed to being a strain on the family relationships.

• We will look to intercede and offer counsel, if necessary, to those struggling in their familial relationships.

• We will care, first and foremost, for those in our own faith family before looking to meet the needs of the community at large.

 

AUTHENTIC: We will strive for depth first, over width (quality over quantity).

• We will seek to be genuine and transparent with one another.

• We will engage in authentic corporate worship, using understandable language and methodology in our services and teaching.

• Leaders will communicate with members in a way that engages them in decision making and allows them to voice concerns in appropriate formats.

 

A TRUE COMMUNITY: We will be committed to each other as members of the Body of Christ.

• Through the LifeGroup ministry, we develop friendships and care for one another in our faith family.

• Through the Servant’s Board, we join together in caring for the body, and work together as a faith community in the Lord’s service.

• We will constantly strive to preserve unity in the local body, without compromising the truth.

• We will foster a welcoming environment for all, and be sure to avoid special interest groups and closed relationships.

• We will be inviting for new attendees and work to assimilate them appropriately into body life and service.