The Church’s Character:
We believe the church is visible and invisible, gathered and scattered. The church is not a place… it’s a people. Whenever and wherever the people of God gather to worship, serve, or fellowship, church is taking place. The church is universal in the sense that it is comprised of all believers in Jesus Christ throughout the world. The Church is also local as observed in the gathering together of believers within their perspective communities (Hebrews 10:25).
The Church’s Calling:
The church has been called to be the agent through which Jesus Christ continues the work of His kingdom by the empowering of the Holy Spirit. The church represents the body of Jesus (His hands, feet, mouth, etc.) to a broken and sinful world. The church is called to be a people who are built of the foundation of Jesus Christ, a dwelling place of God, a royal priesthood, holy, loving, worshipful, grounded in truth, extended in service, and reaching the lost (1 Peter 2:4-10, 1 Timothy 3:15, Matthew 20:25-26, Matthew 16:18).
Do I need to join a local church?
The Bible strongly emphasizes the importance of regular fellowship with other believers (Hebrews 10:25, Acts 2:42). The New Testament church regularly met corporately to worship, teach, study, fellowship and minister (Romans 16:5, Colossians 4:15, Philemon 1:2, 1 Corinthians 14:26). It should be a high priority to every believer to get plugged into a Bible teaching church.