What We Aspire to Be

Identity Statement: 

We are a worshipping family united in Jesus for mission, mercy and ministry.

 

Objectives:

  •  Glorifying God: In the beginning God made us in His image for the purpose of representing His glory on earth. The divine image was to be on display through people as they ruled over God’s created order, married and raised a godly heritage to know and love the Lord1. The glory of God through humanity was diminished in its brilliance at the Fall as God sent our first parents out of the Garden. This expulsion was in part to protect Adam and Eve from living forever in their fallen state, thus, not glorifying God eternally.2 Throughout the rest of the Old Testament the impact of sin’s degrading effects are displayed in human stories of failure. And, although there are hopeful signs among Adam’s descendants that a better day is coming – a day for renewal – the identity of the One who would bring that renewal was not realized until God sent His Son to take on flesh and become one of us. The Lord Jesus is the first descendant of Adam to live in full obedience to God and the only One who is able to bear the sins of all the rest of Adam’s descendants. Therefore, Jesus is the first human being to ever fully put on display the glory of God – bearing fully His image as well as His nature. It is only through Jesus that guilty sinners come into a right relationship with God. It is in Jesus that we are made saints of God.3 As saints of God in Jesus we are renewed and are then equipped and empowered with all that is needed to glorify God. As members of Caloosa Baptist Church we recognize and admit that we are powerless in our own strength to glorify God as His majesty demands. We also choose to rest in Jesus as we rely on His resurrection life to empower us to glorify God to the maximum.

 

  •  A Worshipping Family: More than friends, we are members with one another as brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers – all part of one spiritual family of God in Jesus. In Revelation 5 we see worshippers from every tribe and tongue, redeemed from every nation, gathered to worship the One Who saved them – the Lord Jesus Christ. We desire to be a worshipping family with a laser focus on Jesus, welcoming others warmly.

 

  • United in Jesus: Motivated by the humility and sacrifice of Jesus4, we are committed to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. As family members we are determined to humbly seek forgiveness from each other and grant forgiveness to each other as offenses arise5. And, as Scripture teaches us, we will seek to follow the pattern of heavenly wisdom6. Our unity in Jesus provides a strong foundation on which to move forward into meaningful initiatives impacting others7.

 

  • For Mission: God’s mission has always been to bring sinners into a right relationship with Himself. God sent Jesus on a mission to save people dead in sin. Jesus has sent us on a mission to make disciples of all nations8. We are a church committed to reaching others with the Gospel and helping them mature in Christ. We believe in personal evangelism, disciple-making relationships, and missions. We support the Cooperative Program of the SBC9 and others who are committed to making disciples of the nations.

 

  • For Mercy: The Old Testament introduces us to the one true God who reveals Himself as a God of mercy10. The New Testament presents the Lord Jesus as the greatest and clearest expression of the mercy of God. The cross of Jesus is the intersection of the mercy and justice of God – the place where justice and mercy meet in perfect harmony. As blood-bought recipients of the mercy of God, we commit ourselves to share the mercy of God with others. Jesus repeatedly said, “go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice11.’” We are a church intent on sharing the mercy of God in tangible ways relieving suffering, and meeting human needs – all with the Gospel as the foundation and the goal of our efforts. Mercy opens a door for God’s mission of reconciling people to Himself through Jesus12.

 

  • For Ministry: Jesus demonstrates what true servanthood really looks like13. Jesus invites us to join Him in serving others in like manner. We are committed to loving each other by caring for each other. Jesus said that people would know that we belong to Him by our love for one another. Love is as love does. We intend to care for one another in ways that matter. In the family context of our church we will put in practice the “one another” commands of the New Testament.

 

1 Genesis 1:26-28

2 Genesis 3:22-24

3 Ephesians 1:1

4 Philippians 2:1-14

5 Ephesians 4:29-32

6 James 3:13-18

7 Philippians 1:27

8 Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8

9 www.sbc.net/cp/

10 Exodus 34:1-8

11 Matthew 9:13

12 Acts 3:1-26 & 4:1-4

13 Mark 10:44-45