Philosophy of Ministry
Core Disciplines (how we grow as disciples):
- Grow in God’s grace daily through prayer, Bible reading, and other personal disciplines. (Mark 1:35, Matthew 4:1-11; Philippians 4:6-9)
- Seek fellowship with God’s people through small group participation and weekly worship attendance. (Mark 3:14, Acts 2:42-47, Hebrews 10:24-25)
- Serve our church and world with our time, spiritual gifts, finances, and witness. (Romans 12:1-8, 2 Cor. 9, Matthew 28:18-20)
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31). We believe that in order for Christians to grow in our love for God and neighbor, it is crucial that we regularly engage in spiritual disciplines. Though spiritual growth is a process guided by God’s Spirit, we also believe God uses the disciplines to enable us to grow in grace. Therefore, empowered by the Holy Spirit, every member of the Birchwood family is encouraged to become a fully devoted follower of Christ by practicing these three habits.
Ministry Values (values that guide the way we do ministry):
- The Bible is God’s Word and the ultimate source of truth for us personally and in ministry. (Psalm 119, 2 Tim. 3:14-17, Hebrews 4:12)
- Lost people matter to God. (Luke 15, Luke 19:9-10, 2 Pet. 3:9)
- God calls people to minister together in community. (Acts 2:42-47, Acts 13:1-3, 1 Cor. 12:12-26)
- People grow best in the context of significant and intimate relationships with other believers. This happens most often through small groups and mentoring. (Mark 3:14, Acts 2:44-47; 2 Tim. 2:2)
- God calls us to serve the Body of Christ according to our spiritual gifts. (1 Cor. 12:4-11, Romans 12:3-8, Eph. 4:11-16, 1 Peter 4:8-11)
- God calls all believers to the pursuit of full devotion to Christ and His Kingdom. (Matthew 22:36-40, Philippians 3:7-14)
- In all we do, we are to offer God the first fruits of our time, talents, and treasure. (Ex. 34:26, Psalm 33:3, Col. 3:23-24)