Who are we?

We're an imperfect group of people who have plenty of differences—and we love it that way. We're seekers and followers who have all come to the same realization: 

God is for everyone, so we are too.

Together we seek to follow Jesus and tell the whole world about His love for them.


Our mission looks like this:

Follow Jesus who teaches us to love God, love everyone, make disciples, and tell our stories.


The gospels describe Jesus' message very simply: He went from town to town calling for repentance and announcing the arrival of the kingdom of God.  And to everyone he met, the first command that Jesus gave was equally simple:

Follow Me.

This is still the command that we hear when we give our lives to trust Christ and so this simple command is the mission of FCC.  We exist to follow Jesus.  The earliest name for the Christian movement was “The Way” because they followed the way of Jesus and we seek to live in continuity with that earliest movement.

As followers we are focused on the active embodiment of Jesus' most important commands: the Great Commandments (Mark 12:28-31) and the Great Commissions (Matthew 28:18-21 and Acts 1:8). These central commands drive everything we do at FCC. 

 Therefore, as followers of Jesus, we:

Love God – so we live as Worshippers

Love everyone – so we live as Servants

Make disciples – so we live as Disciplers

Tell our stories – so we live as Missionaries

These four commands mark our lives together as followers of Jesus.  We recognize that we are not following Jesus unless we are obedient to these commands as expressed in our collective ministry and our individual lives.  Every program, practice, and plan at FCC is governed by this mission and every member of FCC is challenged to embody this mission in their life.

What we believe

One God

There is one God who made all things and loves all things.  God especially loves you. God made you on purpose and God made you for a purpose. God is eternal and God is motivated by an eternal love for the whole world and that includes everyone and that includes you.

Genesis 1; John 3:16

The Bible

The Bible is our only rule for what we believe and what we do.  We believe that the Bible is God’s Word and is authoritative and reliable in all that it teaches.  It is inspired by God and it is useful for teaching us how to live and training us in the righteousness that God desires for our lives.

2 Timothy 3:16,17

Jesus

Jesus is the Son of the Living God. He is the anointed saving king (Messiah or Christ) that was promised by the prophets of the Old Testament. He took on flesh and lived in history so that he might call disciples, teach us how to live and ultimately die for the sins of the whole world and rise again from the dead three days later. His sacrifice means that our sins can be forgiven, and we can be reconnected to the God who made us and loves us. His resurrection demonstrates that death has been defeated and that all who trust in Christ will live eternally with God. 

We believe that Jesus will return to finish the work of God’s restoration and live eternally with God’s people in the eternally new earth.

John 1:1-18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 9:27-28

God's Spirit

The Holy Spirit Lives within those who believe in Jesus Christ as Comforter and Advocate and helps us become more like Jesus in thought, word, actions, and character.

The New Testament teaches the ministry of all believers, recognizing that the Holy Spirit gives various gifts to members of the body so that every member can make a contribution to the effective ministry of the entire church.

We are, therefore, a Spirit-filled church seeking to do God's will and to become more like God’s Son, Jesus Christ. While we do not presume to dictate one's private worship practices, we have agreed that for the sake of the unity of the body, in our public worship and other sanctioned church meetings, we will not teach or practice what is commonly called speaking in tongues or spontaneous words of prophecy.

John 16:5-15; 1 Corinthians 12:1-7

The Church

The Church is the body of Christ on earth and it is God’s plan for reaching the world. We are charged with the task of continuing Christ's mission to proclaim that good news and live out the kingdom of God until Christ returns. The church is filled with broken imperfect people who are deeply loved by God and who love one another for the purpose of continuing God’s mission.

FCC is a local and independent church that is not part of any larger denomination or governing body. All leadership decisions are made by local elders who are selected by the congregation and who are charged with the spiritual and practical leadership of the church. Together, we share united in one Lord, one faith, and one Baptism. We share in Jesus’ invitation to Communion for all believers. We do this together as members of this local church that follows Christ’s great commandments and seeks to fulfill the great commission.

Though membership is not required for participation in FCC, we invite those who want to partner with us in ministry to become members of the church. We require for membership only that which is required in scripture: A public confession of trust in Christ as savior and Lord and baptism by immersion as an expression of that faith and a symbol of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27

You

God’s Word teaches that all people are made in the image of God, and though that image has been tarnished in all of us, God still intends good things for your life. You are God's masterpiece and you have been gifted by God to do the work that God has prepared for you. One of the best things we get to do in life is figure out what good work God has prepared for us and go do it.

 Romans 3:21-24; Ephesians 2:8-10

Salvation

All people are in need of God’s saving work in their life.  God wants to forgive your sins and heal your brokenness. God wants to make you into a new creation and adopt you into God’s family. This salvation is possible because of God’s infinite grace toward you. It is not something that anyone accomplishes by living a good life or by going to church. It is a gift from God that is received by trusting in Christ as Lord and Savior. The Bible teaches that we mark this trust by being baptized as an expression of our faith.

Acts 4:8-12Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16-18; Acts 8:26-38; Romans 6:1-4

Imagine if an entire church committed to the same mission.

100 years ago, our church tried. And it worked.
 
First Christian Church was known throughout our community as a people who worshiped, loved, served, and discipled well. We frequently recommitted ourselves to the same mission and spurred each other toward lives that look like Jesus. 
It took the form of a simple commitment card. Through it, members of this church pledged to live out the gospel in the most basic, yet impactful ways.
Regularly attending church. Serving within our church and community. Investing in a group where discipleship is a priority. And inviting others into the same life. Individual commitments led to collective impact.
Times change and the methods differ, but the mission always remains. 

It’s the same DNA, and our turn to live it.

Love God

The things that get our first and best attention are what we end up loving the most. And we prove what’s important to us by what we make a priority. Our commitment to love God begins with a commitment to Worship. We make it a priority to show up each week, setting aside specific time to center our lives around God. From that commitment flows a desire to love God all the time.


Sermon - Love God

Love Everyone

We will be people who are known by our love. That’s how Jesus says we are going to be recognized as his followers. Our commitment to love everyone means we find ways to serve. We step out from the sidelines and participate in the work of God.


SERMON - LOVE EVERYONE

Make Disciples

Making disciples begins with being a disciple –someone who is actively seeking to become more like Jesus. While we’re doing that, we make strategies to find others and point each other toward Jesus. Our commitment to making disciples leads us to commit to groups where intentional and strategic discipleship is the priority.


SERMON - MAKE DISCIPLES

Tell Your Story

We tell the truth. That’s all Jesus asks from us. We tell people what we’ve seen God do in our lives and invite others to open themselves up to the story God has for them. Our commitment to telling our story means we pay attention to the specific people in our lives who need hope and to whom we have unique access and relationship.


SERMON - TELL YOUR STORY