Distinctives
Reverence
Our purpose is to glorify God, which means to give Him weight. The reality of an all-powerful and holy God should have a profound effect on our lives and our worship. It is no stretch to say that the church in our time currently suffers from a view of God that fails to give Him proper weight. One of the ways that we give weight to God's name is by setting aside the first day of the week to come together and worship. We are not trying to be necessarily traditional or contemporary, but we are trying to be God-centered, not man-centered. Entertainment may divert us from our anxieties for a little while, but it is only the knowledge and presence of our Creator that gives us true and lasting joy! When you visit Charity, we hope that you notice our reverence for God on Sundays and also in our lives throughout the week.
Unity
When Jesus prayed for the church, he prayed that it would be One, and when Paul wrote to the Philippians, he prayed that they would stand firm in one Spirit and continue in one mind. Church unity does not just happen; we have to be intentional for it to happen. At Charity, we cultivate unity in three distinct ways:
1. Church Membership: In a world where commitments and relationships are easily abandoned, we want church membership to be taken seriously. Being a member of the body of Christ is an enormous privilege with staggering blessing and weighty responsibilities. The average stint for a modern church member is fewer than five years. This is surely not what Christ intended for His chosen people. We want the grace and humility to cultivate lasting and meaningful relationships with one another.
2. Accountability: At Charity, you are not likely to slip in and out without being noticed. A community of faithful believers is the best way to keep yourself accountable to your profession of faith in Jesus Christ. The example of other believers and their encouragements to you are things you cannot live without. The Elders at Charity will watch for your souls, knowing that they will one day give account.
3. Church Discipline: It seems that church discipline would bring disunity, but it has, in fact, the opposite effect. Jesus Himself taught specifically (Matt. 18) on church discipline and Paul gives us numerous instructions. Church discipline serves two purposes in the church. The first is to restore someone who is in sin. If someone willfully continues in sin, we should love them enough to put them out of our fellowship in order to restore them to true fellowship. Secondly, church discipline maintains the vital unity of the church by putting out those who would destroy it. It has been well said, "Don't join a church that wouldn't kick you out!"
Truth
We believe that grace and truth came through Jesus Christ and that the Bible is God's revelation of Jesus Christ to man. Because souls cannot be saved and lives cannot be built on feelings, we are committed to honoring and teaching truth. It is truth and the wise application of truth that changes lives and gives light to the world. We want to appreciate history, knowing how the great truths and traditions of Christianity have come to us and shaped who we are, and we want to be people of sound doctrine, doctrine that will stand the test of time and not be shaken with changing times. We look forward to sending out scads of children who are firmly grounded and confident in God's unchanging truth.
Love
True love, or charity, is the ultimate Christian virtue, the one that binds all other virtues together. Love is not a sentimental feeling or a habit of being nice; it is willfully choosing to sacrificially humble ourselves and do what is best for others. Christ showed us this love when He sacrificed Himself on the cross in order to propitiate God's wrath for our sin. Having this quality of love for God and others is our ultimate goal, and it cannot be had though any human effort: it comes only from God through grace. The name of our church is Charity, because we want this love to the unifying thread in all we do.