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Our Distinctives

Just as every Christian has been uniquely designed and called by God, so also, every congregation has its own distinctives in regard to the call of God upon its life. Below are some of the key distinctives that set Central apart from other churches. These distinctives are not meant to divide the Body of Christ, but to enhance its effectiveness as we celebrate our oneness in diversity.

Mission | Core Values | Philosophy of Ministry | Vision - A Church Without Walls

------ Our Mission ------

Moving people toward Christ
by being a community of faith
which loves, encourages,
and equips them in Christ,
sending them out to serve.

------ Our Core Values ------

These core values are non-negotiable areas of our life together that define who we are and how we choose to live as a church. They serve not only as guiding standards, but as challenges to us as we seek to live in faithfulness to Jesus Christ.

  1. A Personal Relationship with Jesus as Savior, Lord, and God
  2. Commitment to the Truth of God's Revealed Word
  3. Worship as the Center of Church Life
  4. The Great Commission - Near and Far in Word and Deed
  5. A Biblical World View that Speaks to Our Culture
  6. Kingdom Vision - We are One Part of the Whole Body of Christ
  7. Growing Mature, Ministering Disciples
  8. A Diverse, Loving Community
  9. The Nurture of Children and Youth
  10. Servanthood & Stewardship Inside and Outside of Central
  11. Prayer

For more background information on our core values look here.

------ Our Philosophy of Ministry ------

  1. Leaders (staff and volunteer) are primarily equippers who give away ministry.
  2. All Christians should understand their "spiritual design" as the foundation for their call to ministry inside and outside of Central.
  3. Christian growth, pastoral care, and fruitful ministry happen best in the context of an authentic community.
  4. Every ministry is given life, accountability, and support based on Central's mission, vision, values, and philosophy of ministry.
  5. Authority and responsibility are lodged as close to the actual ministry as possible.
  6. Self-organizing, "spiritual-design"-based, covenanted ministry teams are the norm at Central (both grass-roots and leadership initiated).
  7. We value thoughtful experimentation, success and failure as learning opportunities, and change for the sake of fulfilling our mission.

For more background information on our Philosophy of Ministry look in News & Views.

------ Our Vision - A Church Without Walls ------

No physical walls define the church.

1 Peter 2:4-5,9-12 		We are the church at all times and in all places:
Imagine we're a community of faith that can't be pinned down to a single piece of property or to a set of buildings, but our relationship with Christ spills out into everything we do-into our homes, our communities, and into our workplaces-24/7. This is the calling for each and every member at Central.

God is in control, so where we live, work and play is no accident. God has placed us there strategically to be his messengers. Whether it is in small groups, the workplace, over lunch or across the backyard fence, we will creatively engage and embrace our "world", individually and corporately, so that they might embrace Jesus.

A seeker's first experience of Christ may not come in our weekly celebration of worship. Rather, that first experience comes because a member has reached out and has been Christ to them. Our growth reflects God's blessing and has more to do with new people starting the journey with Christ than it does with people transferring from other churches.

No geographic or social walls limit our involvement.

Acts 1:8		 We are a missional church:
We have a rich heritage of reaching out to unbelievers everywhere. We want to build on that heritage by building bridges to people that don't know Christ or see His relevance to their lives, whether it is in Burma, Brazil or our own backyard.

We are a church that is committed as much to the needs of people outside our walls as those inside. The way we staff our church, plan for the future and spend our money all reflect a commitment to reaching our communities for Jesus.

We want to be a church that is known-and valued-by our neighbors. Therefore, we look for ways for our faith to be relevant to our communities without compromising our commitment to Christ.

We promote social justice. We will lovingly, but courageously, stand up for our faith and be willing to engage society and to take a stand for holiness, justice and compassion.

No walls should exist between us as Christians.

Ephesians 2:14-22		 We are a church that ministers in community:
God has called us into one body, one family. We believe effectiveness in engaging our world is directly related to the degree we are able to live in authentic biblical community with one another. Compassion and accountability characterize this kind of community. We recognize that we are a broken, yet redeemed people. We are a church that is learning how to love.

When we get together to worship, we reflect the diversity of the communities God has placed around us. What brings us together is Christ; we don't get hung up with how much money a person makes, the color of their skin, the sin they struggle with, their age or their background. In fact, we do everything we can to tear down the walls these things have created.

We believe people matter to God-we need to be a church where the broken have found a true home.

No walls stand between God and us.

John 15:5-8		 We are an empowered church:
Jesus Christ has torn down the wall of sin that divided us from God, and now we belong to him. We are dependent solely on God for effectiveness. Prayer is always our first course of action.

Moving people toward Christ, and helping them be his devoted followers, is the center of all that we do. We believe that lives are changed through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Effective ministry is borne out of an ever deepening relationship with God. We encourage each other to grow in Christ, and to seek after God with our whole hearts, so that God may reveal his will for us, individually and corporately, and empower us to do it.

No walls stand in the way of our personal development and service.

Ephesians 4:11-13		 We are an equipping church:
We are servant-leaders who are learning how to raise up other servant-leaders.

Living on the front lines of ministry demands skill and support. We endeavor to equip people to face this challenge, and support them as they serve. We will encourage others to discover their spiritual gifts and discern God's call on their lives. We pursue excellence in service. We serve in teams. The atmosphere here at Central will be charged with the excitement and zeal of the changed lives of people committed to God and his service!

For more background information about our vision of "A Church Without Walls", listen or read these remarks by Elder Doug Turner and the sermon series "A Church Without Walls."

For more about who Central Presbyterian Church is, see:

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