OUR VISION

To grow devoted followers of Jesus through healthy, biblical churches

OUR PURPOSE

Love God. Grow Together. Serve Others.

We want the gospel to take center stage in our hearts and around the world. Jesus said to His followers: “…All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:18–20). 

Jesus’ directive is our highest priority. Every facet of church activity, in some way, relates to our biblical purpose.

Just as the New Testament church in the book of Acts was focused on making disciples, so are we! Acts 5:42 records of the Jerusalem church: “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” This young church was constantly engaged in communicating the gospel and helping people become devoted followers of Jesus.

Love God.

This begins in the heart with a personal relationship with Jesus. This love grows as we gather together in worship and hear the teaching of God’s word.

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30)

Grow Together.

We grow together through God’s word and through community. Community is the fellowship we enjoy as Christians. The Bible is taught in every worship service and during our Connection Groups.

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)

Serve Others.

Jesus adds people to His church and gifts them to serve by His grace. We desire to help all members of our Emmanuel family discover and use their gifts to serve others through outreach, missions, and care.

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)

OUR PROCESS

The New Testament gives us a pattern for following Jesus

Step 1 – Believe in Jesus

Salvation from sin is a moment of faith. God says, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts 16:31). This belief is more than a head belief—it’s a heart trust. It means to fully trust Jesus Christ as the only Saviour—the only way to God, the only hope of rescue from separation from God. This is what Jesus called being “born again” in John 3.

The first step of our process in developing devoted followers of Jesus is to help them place their faith—their belief—in Jesus alone as Saviour. This is biblical salvation.

Step 2 – Follow Jesus in Baptism

The second step in your relationship with Jesus is baptism. Baptism doesn’t make someone a Christian. It doesn’t wash away sin. It’s simply going public with your faith and choosing to identify with our almighty, merciful Saviour. Jesus was our example in baptism, and He commanded us to be baptized—to publicly show forth our heart decision and faith. Baptism pictures His death, burial, and resurrection. It also pictures your new life in Jesus Christ.

Baptism is one of the first, easiest, and best ways to be a witness to others about your faith in Jesus, and to publicly declare you are not ashamed of Him.

Step 3 – Connect with Believers

In Acts 2, those who believed were baptized, and then they were added to the church. Once someone has believed in Jesus, their next step is to connect with a family of believers. Through these relationships, a new Christian can grow and mature in the faith and teachings of Jesus. It is our goal for every new believer to be baptized and then connected with friends and others in the church body who can help you mature and grow in grace.

The primary way we connect and disciple believers is through our connect groups. There’s a group for you, and new friendships are waiting to be discovered!