Core Values:

We are purpose driven:
We believe in the priority of our purpose over our comfort or preferences. We will be willing to live our lives outside of our natural comfort zones in order to achieve this purpose. (For example, we seek to accommodate the cultural preferences of our target audience in our worship and our witness).

We are biblically grounded:
We unapologetically believe in the Bible. We recognize the Bible as the sole authority for all our faith and practice. The first consideration in any decision we make is what God has revealed through the Scriptures. We are committed to sound exposition of the Scriptures as a vital part of our community life. Our doctrinal statement is simply a summary of the biblical truths we affirm, including a commitment to the inspiration of both the Old and New Testaments. We believe that the unchangeable and uncompromising message of the Bible ought to be presented in a manner that is relevant to contemporary people in our community.

We are ruled by grace:
We recognize that our relationship with God depends entirely on His grace. Any good thing that we have and any good work that we do, we see as an example of His grace in our lives. Since our faith is based on God's grace, we will seek to live graciously in our relationships with others. We will not seek to make rules for ourselves or for others that God has not clearly revealed in the Scriptures. We know, in fact, that grace produces a deeper, more holy response than law.

We value discipleship, the process where believers help one another grow to be more like Christ:
We believe that those who have accepted God's grace will be transformed. This transformation is a gradual process which a person cannot achieve on his/her own. We all need biblical instruction and personal accountability to become all that God has called us to be. Thus we endeavor to be available and teachable to one another. We recognize that true discipleship is costly for it involves a life of voluntary sacrifice following the pattern of Christ. We believe God calls every believer to a life of spiritual reproduction, imparting their own spiritual life to the next generation of disciples. Thus we believe God enables each believer to be a witness for Him and to grow to a place of effective service within the church.
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We value heritage over tradition:
We know there is much to be gained from the great men and women of faith who have gone before us. We value the rich heritage they have left us through their deeds, their words, and their music. We do not believe that we have all the answers or are in any way superior to those who have gone before us or even over those who minister in other ways in the present time. We will seek to understand our role in the history of the church and impart that heritage to those who come after us. However, we do not feel bound by the successful methods of others in this time or times past. We recognize that the world is changing at a rapid pace and methods that work today may not work tomorrow. We expect God to continue demonstrating His remarkable creativity by showing us exciting and effective strategies to present His love to our community.
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We value growth:
We believe that God desires His church to grow both numerically and spiritually. While all growth requires adjustments, we are willing to make these changes in order to maximize our ministry in the lives of those God brings to us.
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We value honest inquiry:
We believe that biblical Christianity is not a blind leap of faith. We like to say that Jesus died to take away our sin, not our minds. We don't demand quick or emotional responses to the call of Christ in a person's life. We understand that many biblical issues are complex and that on some occasions even the most noteworthy of scholars still disagree on minor doctrinal issues. We do affirm that God has clearly revealed the essentials of our faith and we believe that diligent exploration of the Scriptures will lead a person to a faith that is intellectually honest, deeply satisfying, and continually growing.
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We value unity:
The Scriptures make abundantly clear that there is no room for dissension or quarreling in the church. We believe our unity, which is nothing more than a manifestation of our love and devotion to one another, is an essential part of our witness to the greater community. We have a clear biblical plan for resolving disputes and affirm that members have a responsibility to be reconciled to one another.
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We value diversity:
Within our unity of purpose and bond of love, we appreciate the diversity of personality, giftedness, and cultural backgrounds that God has given to us. As we share our different backgrounds and life histories, God is able to enrich our fellowship with one another.
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We value generosity:
We recognize that God has richly blessed our congregation both with financial wealth and with a wealth of talent and other personal resources. We seek to live lives characterized by generosity towards one another and toward those outside the church who are less fortunate than we are. We believe that biblical stewardship is both a response of a loving heart to the grace of God and a skill which can be developed through biblical instruction.
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We value caring as an intentional part of ministry:
We recognize that there are times in each of our lives when we can benefit from tangible expressions of love from others within the Bethany community. Thus, we seek to care for one another and allow others to care for us as a necessary part of the life of our community.
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We value children and families:
We understand that one day we will pass on the work of Christ to our children and thus seek to invest in their spiritual development. We minimize "meetings" to promote family opportunities.
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We value the ministry of both men and women:
Both men and women are important to God. It was He who created male and female. We accept that the Scriptures make some distinctions as to the particular roles of men and women both in the home and the church, but also are convinced that the Scriptures affirm the absolute worth of each role. Men and women are able to use their God given abilities for Bethany.
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We value excellence:
We recognize that everything we do will affect the reputation of Christ in our community. Thus, we strive to have every aspect of our ministry done to the very best of our ability.
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We value the biblical priority of the local church:
We recognize that church membership is not a "consumer choice" based on personal needs, but an important commitment that reflects our obedience to Christ. While we do not exalt commitment to an organization over a personal relationship with God, we recognize that participation in the life of a local church is necessary for each believer to fulfill his/her God given potential.
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