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OUR VALUES
Along with every other true church, we are motivated in our mission statement by obedience to Scripture. Christ's Great Commission given in Matthew 28:18-20 is at the heart of what we are trying to do. But unlike any other church, we have a distinctive personality as a congregation reflected in our name and the particular mix of biblical values we especially hope to uphold. A church which takes the name of the Good Shepherd should share his heart. We are motivated in our attempts to build this church for him by the following five values we will strive to champion.

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A. The worth of the individual (Lk. 15:4; Jn. 10:3,14; Col. 1:28)
We believe that each individual is of great worth in the sight of God. We, therefore, want to ensure that each member of The Church of the Good Shepherd is healthy and growing and sought when straying by a shepherd who knows and loves him or her.

B. The limitations of the individual (Ex. 18:18; Num. 27:16-17; Mt. 9:35-38)
We want the Lord to use us to gather more and more of his lost sheep into this fold, but we recognize all too well our finitude and frailty. Therefore, we want constantly to train workers so that far from God's people being like sheep without a shepherd, they may be equipped for ministry and brought to maturity.

C. The worth of the church (I Cor. 12:12,21; I Tim. 3:14-15; Heb. 13:17)
Although our American individualism makes us especially prone to independence, we accept God's verdict that community is important for his sheep. We want to band together according to God's instructions under his ordained leaders for corporate worship, meaningful fellowship, and concerted outreach, resisting our natural tendencies to "do my own thing" and becoming a people for God's own possession, living together as family and flock, bride and body.

D. The limitations of the church (II Thes. 3:10; I Tim. 5:16; Rom. 13:1-7)
We certainly believe the church is responsible for something significant in God's purposes, and we, therefore, give a significant portion of our time, money, and ability to it. We also believe the individual, the family, and state have responsibilities from God, and the church should not try to do their work to the neglect of its own. We want, therefore, to be involved in our vocations, families, and communities as salt and light, in addition to our involvement in the church.

E. The worth (AND LIMITLESSNESS!) of God (Isa. 40:28; Jer. 32:27; Heb. 11:6)
The ultimate reality we are committed to as a church is that God is worthy of our complete devotion and trust. He has no limitations! We want, therefore, to be a church characterized not by fear but by faith.

Page updated February 22, 2008.