Scriptural Authority

Since the Bible is God’s inerrant and infallible Word, we value it as the supreme authority which alone can bind our consciences in all matters of faith and life.  As a church, it is our desire to be governed by the whole counsel of God in Scripture so that all decisions are made in the light of His revealed truth.  We place a high value on expository preaching and the application of God’s Word to our daily lives.   

God-Exalting Worship

We value corporate worship that centers on the triune God instead of man.  Through songs, prayers, and the preaching of the Word we boast of God’s greatness and recount His mighty works expressed most gloriously in His work of redemption in Jesus Christ.  Since God regulates His worship by His Word, we are not at liberty to invent new ways of worshiping Him that are inconsistent with Scripture.  As worship is chiefly about God’s glory, we desire for our worship to be characterized by a joyful reverence.

The Means of Grace

We value the ministries of Word (preaching and teaching), sacrament (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper), and prayer (individually and corporately) as the chief means through which God’s Spirit strengthens, equips, sustains, and empowers believers with the grace needed to help them grow into the likeness of Christ.

Grace Dependence

We value the grace of God by which alone believers are saved, sanctified, and sustained in the Christian life.  We neither earn nor merit anything good but live in complete dependence upon Him for all things.  God’s grace becomes the lens through which we look at life, understanding His goodness, mercy, and kindness, and how indebted to Him we are.  Such awareness rightly prompts a humble and heartfelt response of worship and thanksgiving.  

Christ-Centered Community

We value the context of a Spirit-led community where Christians can live out their faith in mutual encouragement, accountability, and support.  It is within this context that those married, single, widowed, young and old, and of different backgrounds are united in Christ and can fulfill his command to “love one another with brotherly affection” (Rom. 12:10).   

Lost People

We value lost people, because lost people are valued by God.  As Jesus came to seek and save the lost, so we desire to follow in his steps, sharing the gospel in a manner consistent with our own particular spiritual gifts, personalities, and abilities.  In addition to evangelism at home, we also seek to actively partner in the work of missions around the world and see God’s Kingdom advance.  

Covenant Families

We value families where parents intentionally seek to fulfill their covenantal calling to raise their children in “the nurture and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4).  The church’s covenantal role is to come alongside parents in this high calling to encourage, equip, and support.  We also value covenant families by seeking to foster godly marriages that give a visible testimony to the world about the relationship between Christ and his bride, the Church.

Faithful Tradition

We value the witness and rich legacy of ministry left to us by those here at Ebenezer and throughout the history of the Church who have gone before us.  We see ourselves as standing on their shoulders in the work of Christ’s Kingdom as we “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 4).  As such, we affirm our name, Ebenezer (meaning “thus far the Lord has helped us” from 1 Sam. 7:12).  This rich tradition does not inhibit us but gives us a solid foundation on which to minister in an ever-changing world.