Essentials | Pillars | Membership
The Essentials {What we believe}
God is…
There is one God. He is infinite, eternal, and almighty. He is perfect in holiness, truth, and love. He exists in three forms: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is a community of One.
God the Father
God the Father is the Creator of all that exists. He created freely and supernaturally out of nothing. All things were created for His glory and His honor. He is sovereign over all creation.
Jesus the Son
Jesus Christ is God made flesh. He is fully God and fully man. He was always with God and is God. He is the agent of creation. It is only through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that man can be saved. Jesus Christ reconciles sinful man to God.
The Holy Spirit
When Jesus returned to Heaven to prepare a place for us, He sent the Counselor. This Counselor is the Holy Spirit. He is the giver of life. He convicts of sin and persuades to repentance. It is by the leading of the Holy Spirit that we have trust, faith, understanding, and opportunity to bring glory to God.
The Scriptures
The Bible, including the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament, is the inspired Word of God. It is through the Scriptures and the guidance of the Holy Spirit that we are led towards salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. We are called to study the Scriptures and apply them to our lives. They are totally sufficient as an authoritative guide to the Christian life.
The Church
The church is not a religious institution or denomination. The church is made up of all those who offer themselves as genuine followers of Jesus Christ. The church exists to worship and glorify God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It also exists to faithfully serve Him and to do His will on earth. All members of the church should also be a vital and committed part of a local body. Each individual should be an integral part of the church body, nurtured and equipped for the work and ministry of bringing glory to God by proclaiming salvation and reconciliation to all through faith in Jesus Christ.
The Pillars {Core Values}
At Genesis Community Church we have four core values or “Pillars” that we strive to keep paramount in everything that we do. These are some things that are important to us as a family. Each Pillar is represented by a word from the Greek New Testament.
λόγος {logos}
(Word) At GCC we have a passion for the Scriptures that God gave us. It is not simply a belief in the scriptures, nor just a process of simply memorizing of the scriptures, nor merely reading the Scriptures. We believe that the Scriptures are living, active, profitable, sustaining, and universal. The Scriptures are a pathway by which we can know God more intimately. We desire as a family to hunger and thirst for the living word of God. This pillar is represented by the Greek word logos. The word “logos” translates to “Word”, or “Word of God.” However, it is not simply the word of God as it relates to Scripture, but Jesus Himself was the “logos” or “Word of God” according to the Book of John. He was the “word become flesh”. We want to proclaim and believe in the power of the living word of God.
εὐφραίνω {euphraino}
(Rejoice/Celebrate) At GCC we want to constantly and consistently live out our lives in worship both corporately and individually. We as children of God were created to worship. We want to bring glory, praise, and honor to God in all that we do. However, we do not wish to worship God religiously, tediously, or begrudgingly out of habit. We want to worship Him gladly. We want to celebrate Him joyfully in and out of season. We want to constantly be reminded of the hope that He gives and the glory that He deserves. So we choose to represent our pillar of worship with the word euphrainō. This is the Greek word for celebrate, or rejoice, or party. We want to joyfully celebrate alongside one another as we give praise to God for all He has done.
σώματός {somatos}
(Body) At GCC you will often hear the phrase “Not only because he says but because he IS”. We believe that the church should be united in community, a community of one. We believe this because we believe that God Himself was, is, and always will be a community of one. We want to exist as one body, one mind, and one spirit. Paul uses the example of the human body as a way to understand this. The Greek word for body is somatos. All the members and parts of the body exist together as one body. Each part has a job. Each member has a place. No member is greater or less than any other. All are vital. All are valued. We want to exist as a community of one so that the world may know that God is who He says He is! We believe our greatest witness to the world is our unity in community.
διακονέω {diakoneo}
(Servant) At GCC we believe that as a church, as a community, and as a body we are called to fulfill the great commission of Jesus. We are to exist not for ourselves but for the continued redeeming work of Jesus Christ to the world around us. This means: we serve, we love, and we give…freely. We want a mission bigger than us. We want a call outside of our walls. We want to build the Kingdom. So we will serve Him, both inside and outside the walls of our church building with open hands and open hearts. We will be humble servants…diakoneōs.
Why Covenant Membership?
Covenant is a Biblical concept; God made a covenant with Noah, with Abram, with the children of Israel, and even brought a new covenant with Jesus Christ. A covenant is different from a contract or simple agreement because it inherently implies meaningful relationships. At Genesis Community Church we believe that every follower of Christ should be a part of a community of committed followers. Covenant is GCC’s form of membership. At GCC, we covenant with one another and together we covenant with God. The covenant of GCC is birthed out of our love for the church body and its individual members. We hope each and every member will experience the fullness of joy which is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Covenant Members keep each other accountable in loving relationships of mutual submission. The covenant clarifies the Biblical obligations and expectations for both the elders and the individual members, and it explains our basic beliefs and values. Our hope is that it serves as a tool for reflection and growth toward holiness. As a covenant member of GCC, members affirm the essentials and values (pillars) of GCC. Any follower of Christ may covenant with GCC by:
A. Prayerfully considering the essentials and values (pillars) we hold to be true
B. Interacting with those who are already covenant members of GCC
C. Covenanting with us by choosing to embrace the essentials and values (pillars) of GCC
Download Covenant Membership as a PDF.
