Purpose
We exist to glorify God by attracting people to Jesus, growing them in the gospel, and releasing them into the world.
We believe the best way to do this is to integrate the life transforming power of Jesus to everyday life. We call this Life Between Sundays.
We believe the best way to do this is to integrate the life transforming power of Jesus to everyday life. We call this Life Between Sundays.
“It is not about how many people in the seats but how many hands on the plow”
How We Measure Success
If a disciple is someone who is moving toward Christ, then what does that disciple increasingly look like as they get closer to Christ? In other words, what are the output goals of a disciple? There are eight discipleship attributes in the lives of believers who were progressing in spiritual maturity or moving toward Christ. The more mature a believer was found to be, the higher they would score in each of these attributes.
Bible Engagement
The Bible describes believers in Christ, those who follow him, as learners. The Bible contains many commands like “pursue truth,” “seek wisdom,” “renew the mind,” “learn from one another,” and “examine the Scriptures.” It is impossible to fulfill God’s invitation to follow him and serve him without committing to a lifestyle of learning, but “learning” in a biblical sense goes way beyond merely accepting facts. Learning incorporates the intellect and the will; it is both an attitude and a wide range of behavior and habits that lead to gaining knowledge, wisdom, and ultimately significant life change.
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
- Confessing wrongdoings to God and asking forgiveness.
- Believing in Jesus Christ as the only way to heaven and the number of years one has believed this.
- Making a decision to obey or follow God with an awareness that choosing to do so might be costly.
- Praying for the spiritual status of people they know are not professing Christians.
- Reading a book about increasing their spiritual growth.
- Having been discipled or mentored one-on-one by a more spiritually mature Christian.
Obeying God and Denying Self
The Bible is filled with examples of and admonitions related to obedience and self-denial. To be a disciple is synonymous with following Jesus, and following Jesus is synonymous with self-denial in favor of obedience to God. This attribute will help you measure the degree to which you possess a “God-focus” versus a “self-focus.”
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
- Attending a worship service,
- Making a decision to obey or follow God with an awareness that choosing His way may in some way be costly,
- Being discipled or mentored one-on-one by a more spiritually mature Christian,
- Reading the Bible or a book about what is in the Bible,
- Praying for the spiritual status of unbelieving acquaintances,
- Setting aside time for prayer of any kind.
Serving God and Others
The concept of service is vividly portrayed throughout the Bible. Jesus provided a great example for all Christians both through his spoken words and deeds. The apostle Paul states, “And our people must also learn to devote themselves to good works for cases of urgent need, so that they will not be unfruitful” (Titus 3: 14 esv).
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
- Praying for the spiritual status of people you know who are not professing Christians
- Getting involved in ministries or projects that serve people in the community
- Discipling or mentoring a less spiritually mature person one-on-one
- Praying for your church and/ or church leaders
- Setting aside time for private worship, praise, or thanksgiving to God
Sharing Christ
A key mark of a growing disciple is an outward focus. For individuals, it means intentionally befriending and building relational bridges to non-Christians, and then inviting these friends and acquaintances to church with them.
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
- Praying for the spiritual status of people you know who are not professing Christians
- Sharing with someone how to become a Christian
- Inviting an unchurched person to attend a church service or some other program at your church
- Studying the Bible
- Confessing your sins
Exercising Faith
A disciple is marked by a posture of weakness. Such weakness creates a great opportunity to exercise faith in a strong God. From Genesis to Revelation, the Christian experience is described using words like believe, trust, rely upon, and act upon. It’s clear that above all, God desires active faith in his people, for without faith it is impossible to please God.
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
- Confessing your sins
- Praying for the spiritual status of people you know who are not professing Christians
- Participating in a Bible study group or class that involved homework or personal study outside the group/ class
- Praying for fellow Christians you know
- Setting aside time for private worship, praise, or thanksgiving to God
Seeking God
A disciple is one who seeks after and worships God. Jesus stated, “Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in Truth” (John 4: 23– 24). A true disciple, a follower of Christ, is to engage in a lifestyle of worship, both privately and corporately.
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
- Setting aside time for prayer of any kind
- Setting aside time for private worship, praise, or thanksgiving to God
- Confessing your sins
- Praying for the spiritual status of people you know who are not professing Christians
- Reading the Bible
Building Relationships
A disciple is one who seeks after and worships God. Jesus stated, “Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in Truth” (John 4: 23– 24). A true disciple, a follower of Christ, is to engage in a lifestyle of worship, both privately and corporately.
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
- Attending small classes or groups for adults from church such as Sunday school, Bible study, and small groups
- Praying in a group with other Christians
- Having regular responsibilities at your church
- Being involved in ministries or projects that serve people in the community
- Studying the Bible
Unashamed (Transparency)
A disciple is not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This quality is exhibited in their willingness to talk openly in church and community environments about his or her walk with God. We naturally praise and talk about what we love. Those unashamed of the work and presence of God don’t wait for a predefined environment to talk about their beliefs in Jesus; rather, they embody the attitude of Peter and John who stated that they couldn’t help talking about the ongoing work of God in their lives and world.
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
Behaviors that positively impact this attribute:
- Reading the Bible
- Praying for fellow Christians you know
- Sharing with someone how to become a Christian
- Being discipled or mentored one-on-one by a more spiritually mature Christian
- Confessing your sins
We believe a follower of Jesus will grow in the above eight attributes if we practice these four things:
R
Reading the Bible Daily: Hands down, this behavior has the greatest direct impact on our maturity as a Christian. This should not come as a surprise, but it is a discipline that is often missed. This is not even measuring Bible study or memorization but the simple act of reading the Bible every day.
E
Engaging in biblical community: Our main avenue for engaging in smaller community is through REALife Groups (hcbcds.com/rlg). We also have different Bible studies and classes throughout the year as well.
A
Attending weekly worship service: The research clearly shows that worship services matter and that the maturity level of a disciple is greatly influenced by the frequency that they attend worship services. We believe regularly gathering with other believers pushes us towards greater maturity.
L
Living a life of confession: People who confess their sins often became more transparent with other people, were more willing to deny themselves, and were more interested in seeking a deeper relationship with God as well as more willing to share Christ with others.
What We Believe
In essential matters, unity. In nonessential matters, diversity. In all matters, charity.
– St. Augustine
– St. Augustine
THE SCRIPTURES
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible, and God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12, 13).
THE GODHEAD
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—co-eternal in being, co-eternal in nature, co-equal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man (John 1:1–2, 14; Luke 1:35). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished ¬our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3–5). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry as Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9, 10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1–2). We believe Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5; Romans 14:9; 2 Timothy 4:1).
THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8–11; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12–14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18).
THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that through Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; man is totally depraved and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26, 27; Romans 3:22, 23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1–3, 12).
SALVATION
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 2:8–10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18–19).
ETERNAL SECURITY AND ASSURANCE OF BELIEVERS
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37–40; 10:27–30; Romans 8:1, 38, 39; 1 Corinthians 1:4–8; 1 Peter 1:5). We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for the flesh (Romans 13:13, 14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11–15).
THE MINISTRY AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS
We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowing of spiritual gifts. It is, however, the believer’s responsibility to attempt to develop their sovereignly given spiritual gift(s). The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion and is the placing of the believer into the Body of Christ. We also believe that particular spiritual gift(s) are neither essential, nor prove the presence of the Holy Spirit, nor are an indication of deep spiritual experience (1 Corinthians 12:7, 11, 13; Ephesians 4:7–8). We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, in accordance with His own will, for the sick and afflicted (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14, 15). We believe that it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to minister according to the gift(s) and grace of God that is given to him (Romans 12:1–8; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 Peter 4:10–11).
THE CHURCH
We believe that the church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons (Ephesians 1:22, 23; 5:25–27; 1 Corinthians 12:12–14; 2 Corinthians 11:2). We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 18:22; 20:17; 1 Timothy 3:1–3; Titus 1:5–11). We believe in the autonomy of the local churches, free of any external authority and control (Acts 13:1–4; 15:19–31; 20:28; Romans 16:1,4; 1 Corinthians 3:9, 16; 1 Corinthians 5:4–7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1–4). We recognize believer’s baptism and the Lord’s supper as scriptural means of testimony for the church (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 2:41, 42; Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26).
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible, and God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12, 13).
THE GODHEAD
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—co-eternal in being, co-eternal in nature, co-equal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man (John 1:1–2, 14; Luke 1:35). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished ¬our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3–5). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry as Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9, 10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1–2). We believe Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5; Romans 14:9; 2 Timothy 4:1).
THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8–11; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12–14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18).
THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that through Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; man is totally depraved and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26, 27; Romans 3:22, 23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1–3, 12).
SALVATION
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 2:8–10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18–19).
ETERNAL SECURITY AND ASSURANCE OF BELIEVERS
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37–40; 10:27–30; Romans 8:1, 38, 39; 1 Corinthians 1:4–8; 1 Peter 1:5). We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for the flesh (Romans 13:13, 14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11–15).
THE MINISTRY AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS
We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowing of spiritual gifts. It is, however, the believer’s responsibility to attempt to develop their sovereignly given spiritual gift(s). The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion and is the placing of the believer into the Body of Christ. We also believe that particular spiritual gift(s) are neither essential, nor prove the presence of the Holy Spirit, nor are an indication of deep spiritual experience (1 Corinthians 12:7, 11, 13; Ephesians 4:7–8). We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, in accordance with His own will, for the sick and afflicted (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14, 15). We believe that it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to minister according to the gift(s) and grace of God that is given to him (Romans 12:1–8; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 Peter 4:10–11).
THE CHURCH
We believe that the church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons (Ephesians 1:22, 23; 5:25–27; 1 Corinthians 12:12–14; 2 Corinthians 11:2). We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 18:22; 20:17; 1 Timothy 3:1–3; Titus 1:5–11). We believe in the autonomy of the local churches, free of any external authority and control (Acts 13:1–4; 15:19–31; 20:28; Romans 16:1,4; 1 Corinthians 3:9, 16; 1 Corinthians 5:4–7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1–4). We recognize believer’s baptism and the Lord’s supper as scriptural means of testimony for the church (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 2:41, 42; Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26).