Fellowship Core Values
What We Value
The primary question that should be in the forefront of every believer’s mind and purpose for life is – What is it that God’s people are to be? Or, more precisely, what does God want me to be?
The following “core values” are our answer to these questions.
Biblical Literacy
Fellowship is a people who value knowledge of the Bible as well as historical and current theological issues. Members are encouraged to study the Bible themselves and attend group Bible studies with a willingness to think and to learn. Studies and sermons stress thoughtful interpretations and compelling presentation. We value this to the end that we are a people who wish to be conversant with the important biblical matters that require intelligent responses.
Theological Orthodoxy
Fellowship is a people who value a thoughtful, yet balanced evangelical theology that focuses upon the central and defining doctrines of the historic Christian faith while avoiding questionable peripheral doctrines that divide the community of faith. We are committed to the historic fundamentals of the faith without being divisive within the body of Christ. We desire to be charitable without being compromising.
Lives of Prayer
Fellowship is a people who value lives devoted to prayer as a necessity to a personal and corporate walk with God. This is expressed in times devoted to prayer.
Spiritual Development
Fellowship is a people who value and are engaged with the Holy Spirit in a journey of holistic (intellectual, emotional, volitional, and moral) spiritual formation. We do not claim to have arrived at a mature state, but are alert to the Spirit’s on-going shaping of our personal and corporate lives as we pursue the way of Jesus.
Loving Community
Fellowship is a people who value internal community. Community expresses itself in our loving care for one another and authenticity in our relationships. We are accepting of our differences and provide freedom of thought and expression. We join our talents/gifts to those others in the teamwork of ministry while appreciating creativity and innovation. We take forgiving initiative to resolve interpersonal conflict, exhibiting good humor, grace, and loyalty to the community when another view prevails.
Compassionate Community
Fellowship is a people who value social awareness, being informed of community issues and personal circumstances of people outside our church. We are generous to the needy with our understanding and resources. In the controversial cultural issues, we are a people who seek to make discerning judgments based on biblical teaching, yet always gracious and charitable in personal and public discourse. We value biblical morality in our character and reputation, but do not engage in legalistic moralism toward others.
Virtuous Personal Lives
Fellowship is a people who value high moral character and virtuous lives. We believe such lives are the product and mark of redeemed people who are committed to and guided by the explicit biblical principles that describe such lives. We accept the Bible as authoritative and when controversial issues arise, we defer to it in determining and justifying our church positions and practices.
Outreach to Others
Fellowship is a people who value outreach. We are missionary minded and support efforts to evangelize the lost, both locally and globally. We are a people who value mentoring others through actively imparting essential knowledge, counsel, encouragement, skills and strategies to those who are less experienced in the Christian life.
Excellence in Presentation
Fellowship is a people who value excellence in all we do, both internally as we present ourselves to God in worship and study, as we care for our facilities and business affairs, and as we give testimony for our Lord to the community.
Flexibility in Practice
Fellowship is a people who are historically grounded and value worthy traditions, while not becoming slaves to ideas or practices that are no longer meaningful or practical. We appreciate and learn from the past, but we do not enthrone the past. We are forward-looking and open to appropriate change in organization and practice so that we are always prepared to enter the future and its ministry opportunities.
Service Activities
Fellowship is a people who value the primacy of service, the very reason for our lives. We believe our service to others within our church community and to the larger local community flows out of and is an expression of our worship, love, and service to God.