Philosophy of Ministry
Our Vision (who God is calling us to be and what God is calling us to do)
To launch and strengthen a fleet of Christ-following communities who are compassionately sailing through a turbulent culture toward a deeper amazement of God's grace.
Our Philosophy of Ministry
Pastor-Led
Hebrews 13:17: As shepherds, the pastors are to lead the flock of God. They lead from a position of spiritual authenticity, integrity and servanthood or they forfeit their privilege to lead. At Woodmen Valley Chapel, the Senior Pastor is appointed to lead the church and be accountable to the Elders.
1 Peter 5:1-3: The Bible designates that Elders are to be appointed to "be shepherds of God's flock...serving as overseers." (1 Peter 5:2) The Elders of the church are responsible for the welfare and governing of the church. They are authorized to make the final decisions concerning the church.
Lay-Empowered
Ephesians 4:11-13: We desire to be a community of God's people who are in the right places for the right reasons. We desire to be a church where everyone is serving in their area of giftedness according to their talents, skills, and passions.
Acts 2:42-47: We believe the most significant spiritual transformation occurs in the context of community groups. The book of Acts records the impact and vitality of meeting in small groups. The early followers of Jesus drew together in small group community to grow in the Word, for prayer and fellowship, and for outreach to the community.
Biblically-Based
1 Timothy 3:16-17: We believe the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God and is necessary for spiritual growth and equipping for life. It is our "soul food" and our "user friendly" manual for living. It is the timeless and timely foundation for all of our ministries. We expect all preaching and teaching to be derived from the Bible.
Seeker-Sensitive
1 Corinthians 9:19-23: Being Seeker-sensitive does not mean: ignoring the Bible, avoiding controversial topics, watering down doctrine, addressing only "safe" subjects, using "gimmicks" to draw a crowd. Being seeker-sensitive does mean: presenting biblical truths in terms people understand— - not in "Christian-eze," removing cultural obstacles that may get in the way of understanding the gospel, providing a safe environment where people can hear the "dangerous" life-changing message of the gospel, addressing people's felt needs so they can recognize their real need for a relationship with Christ, speaking the truth in a loving, compassionate, and meaningful way, presenting biblical truth in a way that is interesting, stimulating, credible and compelling using various art forms to convey biblical truth.
Contemporary Style
John 1:14 and Galatians 4:4: The message of the gospel and the teaching of the scriptures must come to people in terms that they can understand. Just as Jesus became a Jew and communicated in terms familiar with a first century Hebrew culture, so too, we will use the language, technology, art forms and music of our culture to communicate biblical truth to our generation. Just as missionaries today must learn the language and culture of the people they are trying to reach, we also must know the language and culture of the people we are trying to reach. Our message is the timeless gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible, but our methods are constantly being changed to most effectively connect with our culture.
Our Values (what guides us...)
We strive to be intentional and guided by our 10 values:
- People matter to God and to us.
- Our church is to be culturally relevant and biblically-based.
- Genuine worship can be meaningful to both believers and seekers.
- Life-change and loving relationships best occurs through small groups.
- Pastors and church leaders mobilize, equip, and release believers to serve in their area of giftedness.
- Church membership means commitment to Christ with our time, service, finances and prayers.
- Excellence honors God and inspires people.
- Biblical unity is affirmed by embracing the diversity within the Body of Christ.
- Global Impact is a natural overflow of a healthy church.
- Our church should continue to grow until everyone in the Pikes Peak Region is a fully devoted follower of Christ.
