We believe the Bible to be the inspired, authoritative Word of God and is therefore our infallible rule of faith and practice. (II Timothy 3:16-17)
We believe that there is one God eternally and self-existent in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, spiritual regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential, and that this salvation is received only through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Messiah, Savior and Lord, and not as a result of good works. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life; that the fullness of the Holy Spirit is to be every believer's experience and that it is God's will that both of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and the gifts of the Spirit (Romans 12:6-8, I Corinthians 12:7-11, 28) be manifested through the believer's life.
We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
We believe that all Christians should be committed to the fulfilling of the Great Commission set forth in Matthew 28:18-20, thus making it possible for the gospel to be preached to all the peoples of the world.
Core Values Statement
Values, like the wind, are invisible, but underlying every decision we make is a value. These values affect the climate of our church community and shape our teachings, practices and preferences. Having been entrusted by God with the ministry of Vineyard Christian Fellowship, we are led by Him to identify the following key concepts as those which guide this ministry.
1. The Lordship of Christ: Jesus is the head of the church and apart from Him we can do nothing. It is only through Him that people are drawn to God. (Ephesians 1:22-23, John 14:6).
2. Authority and Centrality of Scripture: All Scripture is given by God. It is the standard of truth in which God reveals Himself and His will to everyone. We desire to make all our preaching and teaching Bible-centered. (II Peter 1:20-21, II Timothy 3:16-17)
3. Foundation of Prayer: Prayer is essential to the work of God. By beginning with and carrying forth any effort in prayer, we are convinced in faith that the end result will be in the purposes of God. (Acts 6:4, James 5:16)
4. Primacy of Worship: The worship of God, both personally and corporately is to be the ultimate calling of every Christian. It is our way of expressing our awe of God's majesty, glory and power. (John 4:23-24, Hebrews 13:15)
5. Love for One Another: Our Lord made it very clear when declaring His New Commandment that our demonstrated love for one another would cause all to see that we are his disciples. (John 13:34-35)
6. Love for and Outreach for the Lost: Jesus commissioned us to make disciples of all nations. In keeping with the Lord's love for the lost, we will make every effort to welcome strangers and to preach the gospel to all people. (Matthew 28:19, John 3:16)
7. Fullness of the Spirit: We humbly acknowledge that the work of God can only be carried out in the power of the Holy Spirit, Who has come to empower and to fill every believer. We desire to grow in the fruits and the gifts of the Spirit for Christ-honored living and ministry. (Acts 1:8, Galatians 5:25)
8. Developing Mature Disciples: We embrace the calling of God to help one another discover and grow in knowing Him and doing His will. (Philippians 1:6, John 8:31-32)
9. A Grace Orientation to Life: Salvation begins and continues with God's grace. It is our purpose to encourage everyone among us to depend totally on the grace of God and to trust Him for all the future grace needed to live for his Glory. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5-7)
Foundations
Biblical Teachings about the Basic Beliefs and Practices of the Christian Faith
Introduction
In Matthew 7:24, Jesus tells the story men who each built a house. One man was a foolish builder. He chose to build his house on sand. The other man was a wise builder. He built his house on rock. A big storm rolled in. The rain poured, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the two houses. The foolish man's house, having been built on a sand-soft foundation, could not stand the strain of the storm and collapsed. The wise man's house, having been built on a rock-solid foundation, withstood the terrible wind and flooding. Jesus said that if we hear his words but fail to put them into practice, we are like the foolish man. The implication is that our "spiritual house" will collapse. He also said that if we hear His words and go ahead and put them into practice, we are like the wise man. We are building our "spiritual house" in such a way that it will weather the storms of life.
Faith is the most important dynamic in a Christian's life. The Bible says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (II Corinthians 5:7). It also says that it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). The Bible teaches us too that it is by faith that we overcome the world and go on with God (I John 5:4). A Christian can build his or her life on a solid foundation only by understanding and putting into practice, in faith, the teachings of God. But how is faith developed? "...Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).
Purpose
The purpose of Foundations is to assist believers in attaining biblical understandings on which they can confidently build their lives. It is important that we know, understand, and put into practice the precepts taught in the scriptures. The Foundations class is a guide to the basic beliefs of the Christian faith. The lessons in this class are a representative of our understanding of the Bible's teaching on these matters. Is not my word like fire?" declares THE LORD. Jeremiah 23:29
Approach
Foundations is covered in four class sessions and three take home lessons. The class sessions are normally held on Sunday mornings, twice monthly, during the preaching time of our meetings. The take home lessons have a review section which is submitted to the teacher at the next class following that assignment. Our church elders alternate as teachers of this class which is usually offered once per quarter.
Announcement about the beginning date of the next Foundations class is made in the church bulletin in advance of the class. A registration form is also available at that time. The completion of Foundations is a prerequisite for church membership.
Lessons
1. Belonging to Him: Life's Greatest Privilege How does a person become a Christian? What qualifies a person for eternal life?
2. Knowing Him: Life's Highest Calling Why is it important to get to know God better? What is God like? Can He be trusted?
3. The World's Most Important Book: The Bible Is the Bible reliable? How does God use the Bible to develop our faith?
4. Living for Him: Life's Ultimate Purpose What does God want from His children? How does a believer determine the will of God?
5. Life's Power Source: The Ministry of the Holy Spirit Who is the Holy Spirit? What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? How does one become filled? What are spiritual gifts and how are they to be exercised?
7. Your Kingdom Connection: The Local Church What is the role of the church in a Christian's life? How should a believer relate to the church?
Who Should Participate?
New believers are encouraged to complete Foundations. It is designed to explain and to help establish the "Basics" in the new Christian's life. It can be a "refresher course" for believers who desire a review of the basics.
Newcomers (new or mature believers) to Vineyard Christian Fellowship will gain an understanding of the beliefs and practices of the church. This will be helpful in decided if VCF is the right church with which to be affiliated.
For more information contact the church office at 937-593-0981.
Biblical Worldview
We hold the following to be a basic foundational statement summarizing our God-centered view of His redemptive work and our partnership in that work in this present age.
1. God created man to enjoy earth and inhabit it as a king does his domain; unhindered by any power that would diminish the quality of life God has given. (Genesis 1-2)
2. Man's rule of earth -- God-given and God-ordained -- was lost through disobedience. The control of the planet was forfeited to Satan, whose goal is to deprive man of God intended purpose and destroy all hope of recovery. (Genesis 3)
3. God established Israel to teach man His desire for man's recovered ruler-ship. By renewed obedience to God, joyous and peaceful living could be realized -- personally and nationally. (Genesis 12)
4. Against a backdrop of man's failure to learn this lesson, God entered the human scene. "The World became flesh" in the person of the God-man, Jesus Christ. The life, which was the light of man, shone into darkness. The Work spoke. (John 1)
5. He spoke consistently of a kingdom. "The kingdom of God is immediately at hand", Jesus proclaimed. He spoke authoritatively of the fact that the earth's original ruler -- God -- was available. If man would receive his King, he could enjoy a renewed dominion of peace and joy here and now. (Mark 1:14-15)
6. For His claim to be God's Messiah, here to restore God's rule, He was crucified. But by a power unknown to man, the blood of the cross became the means of breaking Satan's hold on the power of death. Jesus rose again and commissioned His forces (He called his "church") to bring his world of God's restoring ruler-ship to bear upon the world of Satan's destroying ruler-ship. (Matthew 16:13-19)
7. The ultimate message of the Bible is that Christ will return to drive out the last vestiges of Satan's operation on earth. (Revelation 20) But, in the meantime....
8. The Church, consisting of all Christians joined corporately in multiplied local expressions, has been commissioned to walk the pathway of demonstrated surrender to Jesus' reign. To His people the Lord has committed the declaring of the message of His Kingdom's power and provision to all of mankind in every generation. (Matthew 28:18-20)
Adapted from Prayer is Invading the Impossible by Jack Hayford