Our Distinctives:
We esteem God’s glory (Exod 15:11; Ps 145:5). God’s glory refers to the perfect unity of all His attributes. We treasure God’s glory when we recognize His holiness (Matt 6:9), fear Him (Heb 10:31), and acknowledge Him in all we do (1 Cor 10:31; Col 3:17, 23). At Emmanuel we long for God to be glorified and revered. This means we will not always be considered "politically correct" or "tolerant." However, we are learning to fear God more than we fear man. The apostle Paul wrote, "For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ" (Gal 1:10). Jesus said, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt 10:28). Our pursuit is to be more concerned about God’s renown than our reputation.
We practice expository preaching (2 Tim 2:15). Expository preaching is the explanation and application of a particular biblical text. This is accomplished primarily by systematically studying through books of the Bible. It may at times be appropriate to utilize topical exposition, in which a topic is chosen and a relevant passage(s) is selected for exposition. The greatest value of expository preaching is the potential to let the text speak for itself. Another value is being able to take a church through the whole counsel of God’s Word.
We emphasize the importance of prayer (1 Thess 5:17). Without prayer we can do nothing of eternal value (John 15:4-5). Therefore, our aim is to be a "house of prayer for all the nations" (Mark 11:17). To do this, we must be "devoted to prayer" (Rom 12:12; Col 4:2). We pursue this goal in our small groups, Wednesday evening Bodybuilding service, Sunday morning prayer teams, prayer chain, email prayer team, and through prayer seminars.
We promote service (Rom 12:4-8; 1 Pet 4:10-11). The church is a living body and must have working parts. Every follower of Christ should be involved in a ministry and, at Emmanuel; there are numerous opportunities for service. No service for Christ is insignificant; all is valuable. Our desire is for members to be established and thriving in a ministry for which they have a passion.
We encourage relationship evangelism (John 4:7-30). We urge our body to share their faith with their family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and acquaintances. Various statistics reveal that more than 80% of Christians trust in Christ through the influence of a family member or friend. Therefore, we seek to assist and partner with our people in reaching those with whom they currently have relationships. This means we will do everything we can as a church to encourage our people to do the work of an evangelist (2 Tim 4:5). Our desire is to be about reaching the lost at any cost.
We welcome theological diversity within the confines of evangelical theology (Eph 4:1-6). While we may hold positions on disputable doctrinal issues (e.g., creation, charismatic gifts, women in ministry, divorce and remarriage, end-times) we love and appreciate those who do not necessarily share our views. Fellowship should not be avoided in light of these issues. Our union with Christ is the basis for unity with one another.
We strive to grant one another biblical freedom in non-essential areas (Rom 14:1-23). We adhere to the historical creed: "In essentials, unity, in non-essentials, liberty, in all things, charity." Paul writes, "we will all stand before the judgment seat of God, then each one of us will give an account of himself to God" (Rom 14:10, 12). In this brief interim, there is freedom in Christ (2 Cor 3:17), but we must be careful not to use our freedom to indulge ourselves (Gal 5:13; 1 Pet 2:16). As followers of Christ, we are commanded to be holy in all our behavior (1 Pet 1:14-16).
We pursue unity and cooperation with other evangelical churches (Ps 133). An evangelical believes at least three essential truths: (1) the Bible is God’s authoritative Word, (2) Jesus Christ is the only way to God, and (3) salvation is by grace through faith. Although we may not share other doctrines, we can still unite as brothers and sisters in Christ. Biblical unity is not uniformity; it is a commitment to love and accept other believers in spite of our differences (John 17:21-23; Phil 2:1-4). This entails a humble declaration that we are finite people, limited in our understanding of God’s Word (1 Cor 13:12; Eph 4:13).
We prioritize native missionaries in our giving (Rom 15:20; Eph 5:14-16). Current research and experience demonstrates that the most effective means of reaching our world for Christ is through native missionaries. In this day and age, it is crucial that we rethink missions and change our paradigm so that we can reach as many people as quickly as possible. We are particularly supportive of the work of Gospel for Asia and Campus Crusade for Christ. Through Gospel for Asia, it is possible to fully support one native missionary for between $90-120 a month! For every $1 spent toward the Jesus Film with Campus Crusade, one soul is converted through the gospel of Jesus Christ. In 2003, we also began supporting Marvin & Cristina Rodriguez who serve as church planters in Honduras. A team of youth and adults went and served in Honduras in the summer of 2004. This is another ministry we are especially excited about.
We believe in elder-directed church government (1 Pet 5:1-5). The overall vision, decision-making, and leadership of the church is the responsibility of the elders. This in no way diminishes the importance of the congregation. God speaks through His people, and we seek to provide opportunities for the congregation to provide input and feedback.
We esteem God’s glory (Exod 15:11; Ps 145:5). God’s glory refers to the perfect unity of all His attributes. We treasure God’s glory when we recognize His holiness (Matt 6:9), fear Him (Heb 10:31), and acknowledge Him in all we do (1 Cor 10:31; Col 3:17, 23). At Emmanuel we long for God to be glorified and revered. This means we will not always be considered "politically correct" or "tolerant." However, we are learning to fear God more than we fear man. The apostle Paul wrote, "For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ" (Gal 1:10). Jesus said, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt 10:28). Our pursuit is to be more concerned about God’s renown than our reputation.
We practice expository preaching (2 Tim 2:15). Expository preaching is the explanation and application of a particular biblical text. This is accomplished primarily by systematically studying through books of the Bible. It may at times be appropriate to utilize topical exposition, in which a topic is chosen and a relevant passage(s) is selected for exposition. The greatest value of expository preaching is the potential to let the text speak for itself. Another value is being able to take a church through the whole counsel of God’s Word.
We emphasize the importance of prayer (1 Thess 5:17). Without prayer we can do nothing of eternal value (John 15:4-5). Therefore, our aim is to be a "house of prayer for all the nations" (Mark 11:17). To do this, we must be "devoted to prayer" (Rom 12:12; Col 4:2). We pursue this goal in our small groups, Wednesday evening Bodybuilding service, Sunday morning prayer teams, prayer chain, email prayer team, and through prayer seminars.
We promote service (Rom 12:4-8; 1 Pet 4:10-11). The church is a living body and must have working parts. Every follower of Christ should be involved in a ministry and, at Emmanuel; there are numerous opportunities for service. No service for Christ is insignificant; all is valuable. Our desire is for members to be established and thriving in a ministry for which they have a passion.
We encourage relationship evangelism (John 4:7-30). We urge our body to share their faith with their family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and acquaintances. Various statistics reveal that more than 80% of Christians trust in Christ through the influence of a family member or friend. Therefore, we seek to assist and partner with our people in reaching those with whom they currently have relationships. This means we will do everything we can as a church to encourage our people to do the work of an evangelist (2 Tim 4:5). Our desire is to be about reaching the lost at any cost.
We welcome theological diversity within the confines of evangelical theology (Eph 4:1-6). While we may hold positions on disputable doctrinal issues (e.g., creation, charismatic gifts, women in ministry, divorce and remarriage, end-times) we love and appreciate those who do not necessarily share our views. Fellowship should not be avoided in light of these issues. Our union with Christ is the basis for unity with one another.
We strive to grant one another biblical freedom in non-essential areas (Rom 14:1-23). We adhere to the historical creed: "In essentials, unity, in non-essentials, liberty, in all things, charity." Paul writes, "we will all stand before the judgment seat of God, then each one of us will give an account of himself to God" (Rom 14:10, 12). In this brief interim, there is freedom in Christ (2 Cor 3:17), but we must be careful not to use our freedom to indulge ourselves (Gal 5:13; 1 Pet 2:16). As followers of Christ, we are commanded to be holy in all our behavior (1 Pet 1:14-16).
We pursue unity and cooperation with other evangelical churches (Ps 133). An evangelical believes at least three essential truths: (1) the Bible is God’s authoritative Word, (2) Jesus Christ is the only way to God, and (3) salvation is by grace through faith. Although we may not share other doctrines, we can still unite as brothers and sisters in Christ. Biblical unity is not uniformity; it is a commitment to love and accept other believers in spite of our differences (John 17:21-23; Phil 2:1-4). This entails a humble declaration that we are finite people, limited in our understanding of God’s Word (1 Cor 13:12; Eph 4:13).
We prioritize native missionaries in our giving (Rom 15:20; Eph 5:14-16). Current research and experience demonstrates that the most effective means of reaching our world for Christ is through native missionaries. In this day and age, it is crucial that we rethink missions and change our paradigm so that we can reach as many people as quickly as possible. We are particularly supportive of the work of Gospel for Asia and Campus Crusade for Christ. Through Gospel for Asia, it is possible to fully support one native missionary for between $90-120 a month! For every $1 spent toward the Jesus Film with Campus Crusade, one soul is converted through the gospel of Jesus Christ. In 2003, we also began supporting Marvin & Cristina Rodriguez who serve as church planters in Honduras. A team of youth and adults went and served in Honduras in the summer of 2004. This is another ministry we are especially excited about.
We believe in elder-directed church government (1 Pet 5:1-5). The overall vision, decision-making, and leadership of the church is the responsibility of the elders. This in no way diminishes the importance of the congregation. God speaks through His people, and we seek to provide opportunities for the congregation to provide input and feedback.