In the first two parts to our current sermon series, THAT Kind of Church, I have attempted to lay a foundation.
In week one I proclaimed the truth that our congregation is built upon the sure and certain foundation of Jesus Christ, the Lord of Life! He is “the head of the Body” (Colossians 1:18) and the “chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20). Everything we have ever accomplished or will ever attempt to accomplish as a congregation, will be founded upon the Rock of our salvation, and to the glory of that unmatched name, which is above every name.
In the second week, I attempted to demonstrate the rich history of our Baptist heritage by illuminating the four basic freedoms that constitute our Baptist identity.
- Soul Freedom: The historic Baptist affirmation of the inalienable right and responsibility of every person to deal with God without the imposition of creed, the interference of clergy, or the intervention of civil government.
- Bible Freedom: The historic Baptist affirmation that the Bible, under the Lordship of Christ, must be central in the life of the individual and church and that Christians, with the best and most scholarly tools of inquiry, are both free and obligated to study and obey the Scriptures.
- Church Freedom: The historic Baptist affirmation that local churches are free, under the Lordship of Christ, to determine their membership and leadership, to order their worship and work, to ordain whom they perceive as gifted for ministry, male or female, and to participate in the larger Body of Christ, of whose unity and mission Baptists are proudly a part.
- Religious Freedom: The historic Baptist affirmation of freedom OF religion, freedom FOR religion, and freedom FROM religion, insisting that Caesar is not Christ and Christ is not Caesar.
(For further exploration of these historic Baptist freedoms, I strongly recommend The Baptist Identity: Four Fragile Freedoms, by Walter B. Shurden.)
Having focused the first two weeks of our series on our foundational and theological underpinnings, we will now turn our energies to explore the seven core values of Johns Creek Baptist Church.
Get. Them. Here.
I will preach truth. You will be YOU. Christ will be present. And that will be enough.
Who knows? The ones you love just may be longing for THAT kind of church!
Have I told you lately how much I love being your pastor?
Well, I do.
Shaun
Dr. Shaun King
Senior Pastor
Johns Creek Baptist Church
JCBC Core Values
Johns Creek Baptist Church seeks to be a free and faithful voice of the Gospel, witnessing with integrity to Jesus Christ and the mission of the Church. The church believes in and dedicates itself to preserving and practicing historic Baptist principles, Freedoms, and traditions. We value excellence in worship, theological depth and diversity, authentic Christian community, deliberate church growth, congregational courage, responsible Christian stewardship, and a missional consciousness where every member is mobilized to serve.
We value Excellence in the Worship of God.
Believing God is the one and only object of true worship; and further believing that God is deserving of the very best we can offer, we value excellence in all expressions of worship. We especially value worship that is spiritually inspiring and intellectually stimulating–placing our highest value on excellence in preaching and music. (Isaiah 6; John 4; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17, 23; Ephesians 5:19-20)
We value Theological Depth and Diversity.
Believing in historic Baptist principles, freedoms, and traditions, we recognize the soul-competency of every individual and affirm the priesthood of all believers. As such, we value theological depth and diversity in all areas of our shared life, believing that spiritual and intellectual openness better enables us as a congregation to marvel at the ineffable mysteries of God. (Philippians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 1,3; Acts 10-11; 2 Corinthians 4:7-9; Hebrews 5; Psalm 133:1)
We value Authentic Christian Community
Believing we are all imperfect people with unfinished stories; and further believing that our Lord welcomed all such people with a radical hospitality, and loved all persons without limitation; we value authentic Christian community where any and all of God’s Beloved may belong. (Matthew 11:28; Acts 2:42-47, 8:26-40; Romans 12:4-5; Matthew 18:20; Galatians 3:28-29;
We value the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Growth of His Church
Believing deeply that the message of Jesus Christ is the hope of the world; and further believing that the Church Universal is the visible presence of the Risen Christ in our age, we value the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the deliberate growth of His church so that this sure and certain hope may endure from generation to generation–unto the end of the age. (Matthew 24:14, 28:16-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 2:47, 5:14, 6:7, 11:21, 16:5; Ephesians 3:20-21)
We value Congregational Courage.
Believing God is always calling the Church to new and next steps of faith; and further believing (by remembering our own history) that God’s calling always comes with some risk, we value the congregational courage required to always remain faithful to God’s call—wherever it may lead. (Joshua 1:6, 9-11; Ephesians 6:10; Psalm 56:3-4; Isaiah 41:10; Proverbs 3:5-6; Mark 5:36; Psalm 31:24)
We value Responsible Christian Stewardship
Believing God’s grace to be a generous gift of unmerited favor; and further believing that maturing in faith demands using what God has given to us, for God’s own glory, we value responsible Christian stewardship of all God’s gifts. (Psalm 24:1; James 1:17; Matthew 25:21; Proverbs 3:9; Matthew 25:29; 1 Peter 4:10; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
We value a Missional Consciousness where every Member is Mobilized to serve.
Believing every member is an integral part of the Body of Christ; and further believing every follower of Christ plays a vital role in the witness and mission of the worldwide church, we value a missional consciousness within our church, where every member is truly empowered and fully equipped to mobilize his or her faith in practical ways for the cause of Christ. Further, we boldly affirm the reality that God calls both women and men into all areas of vocational ministry—with no limitations based on age, sex, race, or station in life. (Micah 6:8; Acts 2:17; Ephesians 4; 1 Corinthians 12; 2 Corinthians 4)