Living Hope Church
Purpose Statement
SEVEN MINISTRY VALUES:
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY - Submitting to and relevantly communicating the timeless truths of Gods Word provides the foundation and defines the function of Living Hope Church. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Titus 2; 2 Peter 1:2-4)
OUTREACH ORIENTED - Reaching out to the unsaved and un-churched both locally and globally in obedience to Gods command to: Go and make diciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8), details the primary ministry focus of Living Hope Church.
GODS POWER - Not depending on our abilities, but through prayer, relying on the ministry and power of the Spirit of God to bear spiritual fruit in our lives and through our ministry efforts. (John 14:16-17, 26; 16:12-15; Acts 1:8; Eph. 5:15-21)
AUTHENTIC FELLOWSHIP - We schedule times for relational small-group ministries for fellowship in the Word, in prayer, and in ministry to one another.
...the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by (every person) (Eph. 4:16; Acts 2:42-47)
ACTIVE SERVICE - Responding with the gifts, abilities and resources God has given to each one; we strive to serve faithfully and humbly in the body of Christ.
...by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body...(Eph. 4:17)
PASSIONATE WORSHIP - Loving God by repenting of personal sin and renewing our commitment to walk by faith according to Gods commands, promises, and life principles will ultimately bring glory to God.
...that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him. (Colossians 1:10)
We are also committed to regularly attend and participate in the Biblical elements of corporate worship during the weekly services of Living Hope Church. These elements include: giving of tithes and offerings, prayer, singing, and careful attention to the reading and exhortation of Gods Word. (Heb. 10:24-25; Malachi 3:8-10; 1 Cor. 16:1-2, 2:1-8; Eph. 5:19-20; Heb. 13:15; 1 Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 3:16-4:4)
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE - In our relationships with one another we follow Gods command to imitate His kind of love by: ...walk(ing) in love as Christ has loved us and given Himself for us. (Eph. 4:25-5:2; Phil. 2:1-8)
Questions? Ask Pastor Jay
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I’ve Been Thinking!
"I received the following article recently from a member here at Living Hope. I think you will find it to be insightful and challenging as it relates to the financial investment in the local church ministry. If you are not already, I hope you will be a more cheerful giver after reading this!"
- Pastor Jay
Why I Will Always Belong to a Church that Needs Money
-Author Unknown-
On July 23, 1970, my wife Connie gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. For three years we had tried unsuccessfully to start a family, so our joy was overflowing with the arrival of what was to be our only biological child. Lance, our son, was born before it became acceptable for the father to be present in the delivery room. I waited in the hallway just outside, and at exactly 4:13 PM, I heard a sound that I will never forget, Lances first cry. The nurse emerged with a smile and said, “You have a baby boy.” I could hardly contain my exuberance.
The wonderful glow of fatherhood was almost immediately dimmed, however, when I was asked to visit the business office at the hospital. They wanted me to pay for Lance. In fact, it seemed to me that my wife and child might be held hostage until the hospital bill was settled. I wrote the check, paying all the expenses in full. That check turned out to be only the first of hundreds, maybe thousands, I would write on Lances behalf. Children are expensive. There was formula and food to buy, doctors visits, and vaccinations. All these things assaulted my bank account. Diapers and toys took their toll, and clothes were a constant drain. Just about the time we would build a great wardrobe for the kid, he would grow, forcing us to start all over again. And as his age and size increased, so did his expenses. Baseball gloves, Nike shoes, uniforms, glasses for his eyes and braces for his teeth.
And then disaster struck. Lance became a teenager. Now it was cars, dates, and brand-name clothes. Then came college. Lance has always and only wanted to be an architect. It seemed to us like he was going to be in school until he was 40 years old. His expenses soared. Tuition, room and board, books, computers and calculators – it never seemed to end. But of course, just like parents everywhere, we were happy to be able to help him. And we did all we could to support his growth and dreams.
But then, one day Lance died. On Halloween day, 1991, we buried our 21-year-old Lance in a country cemetery. And that afternoon, we walked away from his grave. And since that day, we have never spent another nickel on Lance.
And that is how I learned it. Death is cheap. Death can be sustained without expense. It is living that is costly. It is growth that is expensive. Our dreams, visions, and hopes require sacrifice. Death does not. That is why I will always belong to a church that needs money. A living, growing, thriving church will always require the continual, consistent, and conscientious support of its loving members.
For a printable version of this article, please click here
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