WHAT WE PRIORITIZE
As a church of Jesus Christ, Faith exists to glorify God by making disciples of all nations. To move us toward the realization of this vision, we have formulated six ministry priorities:
GOSPEL CENTRALITY: THE GOSPEL IS EVERYTHING
The gospel is the good news that God is redeeming his fallen creation through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Our foundational conviction is that we never outgrow our need for the gospel. The gospel is not grade-school theology that we replace with higher-level content as we mature. The gospel is not like training wheels on a bike; it’s not something we need for a while but eventually can make do without. Rather, the gospel is the core of everything we believe, and it impacts everything we do as a church.
FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP: THE GOSPEL BEGINS AT HOME
We believe that God created us male and female; that marriage is the union of one man and one woman for life; that understanding and application of the gospel begin at home; and that the father is intended to be the family shepherd. Because God designed the family to be the primary context for discipleship, we strive to keep families together as much as possible, incorporating children into worship and the overall life of the church at an early age.
AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY: THE GOSPEL UNITES US
We believe that the gospel unites people like no other power in the world. It brings together people of different genders, ethnicities, ages, classes, and life experiences. It brings deep-seated, not superficial, relationships that are characterized by truth and love.
We believe that the gospel must be explored; therefore, we are a community that welcomes doubters, skeptics, people struggling with life’s tough questions: Are all religions the same? Why would a good God allow so much suffering in the world? Is the Bible a reliable witness to the life and teaching of Jesus? Are science and Christian theology compatible? We refuse to respond to such questions with Christian clichés and platitudes; instead, we engage in intelligent yet humble conversations about faith and life.
TOTAL TRANSFORMATION: THE GOSPEL TRANSFORMS US
No sphere of life remains unaffected by the gospel. As we gather on Sundays for worship, participate in small groups, lead family devotions, and practice personal spiritual disciplines such as Bible study and prayer, the gospel changes our thinking, affections, and behaviors. It transforms our sexual practices, work life, parenting, friendships, recreation, sports, artistic expression, view of technology, money management, and much more.
LOCAL ENGAGEMENT: THROUGH US, THE GOSPEL CHANGES OUR COMMUNITY
The gospel not only brings transformative power to us, but also through us to our neighborhoods, schools, places of work, and our city as a whole. We seek the good of Seminole and all of Pinellas County—feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, ministering to the marginalized—and we express unequivocally that the gospel is the motivation for our justice ministries.
GLOBAL INVOLVEMENT: THROUGH US, THE GOSPEL ADVANCES TO THE WORLD
Our mission, which begins here in our own city, extends to all nations. We give sacrificially of our time and resources to support the spread of the gospel and the planting of new gospel-centered churches throughout our region, our nation, and the world. We are not called merely to make disciples of our own congregation, nor are we called merely to make converts of all nations. Our calling is the much more demanding work of “making disciples of all nations.”