We believe that all Christians and churches are different. We don’t believe that unity means “sameness.” In fact, the apostle
Paul points out that differences do and should exist between churches and individuals in Christ. There are different kinds of
gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the
same God works all of them in all men (1 Cor. 12:4-6).We are called to unity in faith and doctrine, and there should be no
tolerance for false, heretical doctrine. But we respect personal preference on issues of style and practice. These “distinctives”
represent diversity within the greater Christian unity. The following is a short list of our distinctives.

1. We believe in the expository teaching of the whole Word of God (Acts 20:20, 27; Neh. 8:8; Ps. 138:2). Therefore, our worship
services are structured around verse-by-verse teaching of the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.

2. We believe the book of Acts represents the standard for Christianity. Therefore, we seek to pattern our lives and ministry after
that modeled by the early church.

Our Mission & Means ...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem

and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth (Acts 1:8)

Our Lifestyle ... They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to

prayer (Acts 2:42).

Our Growth ... And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:47).

3. We believe in pastoral leadership as the trust biblical pattern for church government.

4. We believe that the worship of God should be spiritual – that we should remain flexible to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
It should be inspirational – which is why we have music in our worship. It should be intelligent – based on the information about
Him given to us in his Word, the Bible. It should be fruitful – that we should see his love in our lives as evidence that we have
truly been worshiping Him.

5. We believe in balance regarding the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We simply believe all the gifts of the Spirit are available and
operational within the Church, but in the context of a church meeting should only be exercised under the guidelines found in
I Cor. 12-14 and by permission of the pastoral leadership.

6. We believe that our ministry should be simple and sincere, so we try to imitate the testimony of the apostle Paul to the
Corinthians: “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly
wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have behaved in the world, and more abundantly toward you” (2 Cor. 1:12).

7. We believe that our church is only one member of the Body of Christ. In other words, we’re nondenominational.

8. We believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ, so we believe that God will take his Church in the rapture before the
Tribulation begins.

9. We believe that healthy sheep beget healthy sheep. In keeping with this purpose, we seek to win the lost, disciple the saved
and encourage the faithful. We believe if we take care of our “depth,” God will take care of our “breadth.” The purpose of the
church is not numerical growth, but spiritual growth. The only strategy we have for ministry is to “feed the flock of God”
(John 21:12, Acts 20:28, I Peter 5.2).