March 4, 2009
About Emmanual Worship Center
What kind of church is Emmanuel Worship Center of Emporia? This question more than any other is asked by our first time guest. The answer is found best by looking at our Core Values [What We Cherish] and our Statement of Faith [What We Believe].
Our Core Values:
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We value a Real Intimacy with God - through a life style that is God focused and God direct. The primary purpose of EWCE is to bring people into a lifelong, loving relationship with God. [Eph.1:3-4]
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We value the Bible as God’s Word - and look to it as our source for instruction, inspiration, guidance and wisdom. While the Bible contains concepts that can be difficult to accept, it is our firm conviction that God’s thoughts and wisdom should always take precedence over man’s ideas. [2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 4:12]
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We value God’s Grace and Power - Just as we could not be freed from sin without Christ redemptive work, we cannot live the Christian life without God’s grace and power working in us and through us.
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We value Genuine Fellowship- Acknowledging our dependency upon God in all areas of our lives, it is our joy to fellowship with Him and to receive His grace and power [Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Cor.12:9; Eph. 1:6-8; 2Tm. 2:1]. Fellowship is God’s idea and not merely a good idea. The church is supposed to be a deeply caring community of people who follow Christ, not a place we attend. At EWCE, we are informal, real with each other and not afraid to talk about our shortcomings. We love to laugh, ‘hang out’ and encourage a light-hearted atmosphere in our gatherings. [Heb. 10:25; Acts 4:32; Ps.133:1]
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We value our Children - They are not just the church of tomorrow; they are a vital part of the church today. We desire to provide for them a safe and protected environment where they feel love, accepted, wanted and protected. Where they have the freedom to enjoy their childhood as they learn about God, His family and Kingdom principles.[Ps.127:3; Matthew 18:5]
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We value Personal Growth and Healing -EWCE seeks to accept people as they are and where they are in life, while encouraging their journey into health and personal growth in all areas of their development; spiritual, emotional, physical and social. [Phil. 2:1-5; Is. 53; 1 Jn. 4:7-21]
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We value Excellence - People are attracted to what is done well, whether it is church programing, the cleanliness of the building and grounds, the efforts to serve the community or participation in community functions; once they are drawn to excellence of the church, they can be drawn to the Author of excellence Himself. [Col. 3:23]
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We value Un-Churched People - By making lost people our priority because Jesus came to save the lost. Un-Churched people should be impacted by our living in such a way that the ‘Good News’ of the Gospel is seen. Every activity will be measured by the question: Is it pleasing to God and will it result in Disciples of Christ. [Matt.9:37-38]
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We value the Un-reached People of the World - By prioritizing world missions’ efforts to those who may never hear unless someone is sent. We will expend our prayers, resources and mission efforts to partner with those ministries that prioritize in reaching these areas through church planting, ministry training for nationals, translation efforts, and food and medical supplies. [Matt.28:18-20]
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We value Involvement and Team Ministry - We place a high priority on leadership development and team ministry. We believe God has given to every believer gifts and abilities for His church. We desire to be a place where every believer can discover, develop and be empower to use their God-given gifts and abilities to their full potential. [1Cor.12-14; Romans 12:6-7; Eph.4:11-12]
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We value Kingdom Partnerships – we will seek to partner and network with other churches and ministries who hold to the Absolutes of the Scripture in impacting our region and the world. [Matt.16:18; 1 Cor. 1:10-13]
OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH
We believe the Bible is the inspired and only infallible and authoritative written Word of God in its original text. [2 Tim. 3:16-17]
We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three persons simultaneous at the same time, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. [Matt. 28:18-20]
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, in His virgin birth, and His sinless life. [John 1:1-2, 14; Matt. 1:23; Heb. 4:15]
We believe in His doctrine and miracles as taught in the cannon of the New Testament. [Mark 16:15-20; 2 Tm. 3:16]
We believe in His vicarious and atoning death, and His bodily resurrection and His ascension into heaven where He is seated at the right of the Father. [1 Cor.15; Eph. 1:20; Heb. 8:1]
We believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ and the catching away of the Church. [1Thess.4:13-18; Rev. 4:1]
We believe in Christ’s personal future return to the earth in power to rule for a thousand years. [Rev. 20:4]
We believe in the future resurrection of the saved and the lost; the saved to everlasting life, the lost to everlasting damnation. [Jn.5:29]
We believe the only means of being cleansed from sin is by repentance and faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. [Heb.9:22; Eph. 1:7]
We believe regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for personal salvation. [Titus3:5]
We believe in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in all believers at the time of regeneration. [Romans 8:9; 1Cor. 3:16-17; 6:17-20]
We believe in the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling, all believers are enabled to live holy lives. [Epn.5:26; 1Thess.5:23; Heb.13:12]
We believe the Baptism of the Holy Spirit according to Acts 2:4 is given to all Believers who ask for it.
We believe the Manifestations of the Holy Spirit as listed in 1 Cor.12-14 are very much a part of the Spirit’s ministry in the church today.
We believe in the five-fold ministry of the church, that of the Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher. [Eph. 4:11-12]
We believe in the governing of the church by elders, the Pastor as the lead Elder. [1Tm.5:17; Titus1:5]
We believe in water baptism by immersion in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. [Matt.28:18-20] We also believe it is a symbol of our identification with Christ and not a means of grace or an entrance into the new covenant.
We believe in partaking of the Lord’s Supper [Holy Communion] in remembrance of His death until He comes again. [1Cor.11:23-32]
We believe the Church is Christ body and God’s Ambassadors to the world that all might come to know and believe on Jesus Christ as Savior. [2Cor.5:20]
Who are we? We are a church that is committed to demonstrating the love of Christ to you; a church where all are welcome regardless of race, age, gender, marital, or economic status. Where people meet to celebrate the risen Savior Jesus Christ, to enjoy God, and to love and serve one another. Our hope is that you know that Jesus Christ, the Son of God loves you and so do we. We invite you to visit us in person. If you are looking for a family oriented, and culturally diverse community church or just tired, hurt, and seeking to understand this world, God has something for you and we will help you to find it. We are people just like you. We are growing and building relationships, and its all because we trust in the awesome power of God's Love, His Grace, and His Word.
Filed under Ministries, Upcoming Events, Who Are We? by Admin
