Mission Statement
Berea Baptist Church exists to glorify God by evangelizing the
lost and equipping the saints with the goal of Christ-likeness.
The Principles of Our Church
~ God-Centered in Focus ~
Existing to bring glory to the great God whom we serve, the focus of the preaching, the programs, and the praise of Berea Baptist Church shall be God-centered. Our God-centered focus is revealed in our:
Commitment to Excellence. We believe that God’s glory is worthy to be honored by the eager effort of God’s people. Seeking to reflect the excellence of our God, BBC is committed to a purpose-driven ministry which establishes measurable standards and seeks to accomplish them by using our God-given resources effectively. Excellence in ministry is more than being the best or doing our best: it demands proper stewardship in the performance of the right mission (Matt. 25:14-30).
Commitment to a Word-Centered Fellowship. We believe that the sole authority for the faith and practice of God’s people is the Bible, God’s inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word. The making and maturing of Christ-like disciples demands the clear proclamation of the all-sufficient Word of God (2 Tim 3:16-17). We are committed to building godly hearts for godly living (Pro 4:23) by concentrating on the communication of biblical truth with practical application to every area of daily living.
Commitment to Effectual Prayer. We believe that God’s people must be committed to following God’s demand for fervent and persistent prayer (1 Tim. 2:1-7; Luke 18:1-8). As a loving Father, God delights in answering the prayers of His children (Matt. 7:7-11). Most importantly, God is honored by answered prayer (Ps. 50:15). Therefore, we are committed to regular times of corporate prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 4:23-31; 13:1-3), loving intercession for fellow believers (Phil. 1:9-11), and continual praying for the furtherance of the Gospel and the redemption of the lost (2 Thes. 3:1; Rom. 10:1).
~ People Oriented in Program ~
The maturing of Christ-like disciples who will be useful and fruitful in the work of the ministry demands a people-oriented focus. Programs are not more important than people. Our people orientation is seen in our:
Commitment to gift-based ministry. We believe that God has gifted every believer with the abilities necessary for a fruitful ministry in the local church (1 Cor. 12:7; 1 Pet. 4:10). These gifts have been given for the good of the church (1 Cor. 14:12) and for ministering to others (1 Pet. 4:10). Therefore, we shall seek to place believers into areas of ministry according to their God-given gifts and abilities.
Commitment to Spirit-motivated ministry. We believe that the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of God’s people to burden them about ministering for God’s pleasure (Phil. 2:13; Ps. 37:4; Neh. 2:12). Therefore, we will seek and encourage the bottom-up development of ministry throughout the church.
Commitment to an equipping ministry. We believe that every member of the local church is responsible and accountable for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12). God has given vocational ministers to His church for the purpose of equipping and empowering church members to engage in effective ministry. Such ministry will result in the building up and strengthening of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-16). Therefore, we shall strive to place the ministries of Berea Baptist Church into the hands of nonvocational ministers.
Commitment to servant leadership. We believe that God has established clear positions of leadership within His church (1 Tim. 3:1,10). These leaders are committed to genuine servant leadership which seeks the benefit and development of those who are served (Matt. 20:20-34; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). Therefore, we honor Christ-like humility and strive to forge consensus among God’s people through diligently teaching biblical principles.
Commitment to mentoring spiritual leaders. We believe that God calls on spiritual leaders to develop the next generation of spiritual leadership through the mentoring process (2 Tim. 2:2). Therefore, we call believers to a serious ministry commitment and invest our lives in the development of spiritual leaders who can rise to fill our place.
~ Process-focused in Discipleship ~
Useful and fruitful disciples who live like the Lord Jesus are not developed through events; rather God’s people learn to live godly through instilling a passion in their heart for God’s glory. Learning to live for the pleasure /approval of God (2 Cor 5:9; Eph 5:10) rather than our own or anyone else’s demands that we focus on the process of discipleship. This focus will be demonstrated by our:
Commitment to providing accountability in the context of loving relationships. We believe that a mark of a maturing believer is a commitment to biblical fellowship. Such fellowship seeks to encourage and exhort other believers to faithfully follow Christ (Rom. 15:14; Heb. 3:13; 10:25) and is best developed in the context of loving relationships where there is a common interest in the welfare of others (John 13:34-35; Phil. 2:3-4). Therefore, we structure ministry opportunities where meaningful relationships and mutual accountability can be developed.
Commitment to relationship evangelism. We believe that God has placed every believer into a relational network of people that is to be their primary evangelistic focus. We believe that Christ sends each believer out to develop redemptive relationships with the lost (John 17:18; 20:21). Believers are not to be of this world, but in the world, giving a clear verbal witness about Christ (Rom. 10:9-15), and living out the Christian life so that the unbelievers may see it (Matt. 5:16; John 13:34-35). Therefore, we encourage every believer to have regular contact with the world, while avoiding its corruption. We seek to train believers to communicate the Gospel and to provide opportunities for unbelievers to be introduced to the fellowship of our church.
Commitment to training believers for effective life stewardship. We believe that God calls on every believer to be found faithful in the stewardship of all that He has entrusted to his care. As managers of God’s resources, believers will be held accountable for how they invest their lives, abilities, material assets, and even their relationships (1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:12). Therefore, we are committed to the development of stewards who are well-pleasing to their Lord.