Why do we exist?

 

Our mission is Christ's mission. By the Spirit, Christ is working through the church to love and redeem Gainesville.

 

We are a Christ-Centered Church. This means that the focus of everything we say and do is on what Christ has done for us by His Grace. Our message is not what we must do to gain God’s favor and acceptance, but on what Christ has accomplished through His life and work on the cross. Because of this, we can be honest about the reality of our sin and brokenness and yet still hopeful and assured of God’s love.

The Gospels show us that Christ’s Mission is to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).
After His resurrection, Christ did not leave us as orphans (John 14:18). He ascended to the Father in order that He can be with us through the Spirit (Eph. 4:8). Now, through the church, Christ continues in that same mission of bringing good news to the world. 

Jesus intentionally designed and established the church as the very place where He may be found (Matt 16:16; 28:19). We have no ministry separate from Christ's. This is why the reason for our existence is to participate in His ongoing mission.

The Church is the Fullness of Christ (Eph. 1:23)

Scripture teaches that Christ is our prophet, priest, and king. FPC is a place where the people of Gainesville meet Christ in all three ways.

A place where Christ is encountered through Word (prophet): Romans 10:14ff

  • God’s inspired word in scripture is our only rule of faith and life. In all of its parts, the Bible points to Christ and his work of redemption (Luke 24:27)
  • Through expositional preaching, we are confronted by Christ’s grace and truth.

A place where Christ is encountered through Sacramental Worship (priest): 1 Cor. 10:16

  • Worship is where God meets with and blesses his people
  • Christ has given us Sacraments to nourish our faith and as signs and seals of his covenant.

A place where Christ is encountered through Organized Community (king): 1 Peter 5:2

  • Christ exercises his Lordship over his people through our leadership, the ordained elders.
  • Christ expresses his love and care for us, as we love, support, and encourage each other in His Body, the church.

Characteristics of a Christ-Centered Church

1. Empowered by Christ’s Presence (Sacramental)

We emphasize Christ presence to redeem and bless his people as we gather to worship. Because Christ is present, our worship is not merely an intellectual “remembering” what Christ has done or an emotional manipulation to get us to do something. Instead, our worship leads us to experience Christ through the gospel: starting with an encounter of God’s glory, an awareness of our sin, a renewal in Christ’s grace, and rededication of Christ as our king.

2. Sent on Christ’s Redemptive Mission (Missional)

We participate in Christ’s redemptive mission and believe that conversion is necessary for the hope of salvation. The church, though, is more than just an equipping agency to send missionaries to bring people to Christ; the church is the place where people meet Christ. The church being the church is God’s missionary strategy to the world. This means that we live faithfully as a church, while expecting and inviting non-Christians to participate in the life of the church and worship. We cultivate a missionary mentality both locally and globally.

3. Formed by Our Beliefs about Christ (Confessional)

Our beliefs are fundamental to our Christian identity. They unite us to Christ and determine our behaviors. We desire to understand and be trained in the whole counsel of God’s word. Scripture is our only rule of faith and practice. We seek, however, to read and interpret the scripture with the consensus of the church that is passed down from every age and place through the use of confessions.

4. Devoted to care for and edify one another as the Body of Christ (Communal)

We want to emphasize that participation in a local church really matters. We experience Christ more fully when we serve as a member of Christ’s Body. This means we share each other’s burdens, care for the spiritual nurture of each other’s children, rely on each other’s gifts and resources, and build each other up in the faith.