PHILOSOPHIES
The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent. – 2 Peter 3:9 (NLT)
Therefore, we at Brentwood want to align our hearts with God’s heart. People are our top priority, especially their salvation from their sins so they may escape God’s future judgment and receive a full life now as they await Jesus’ return.
We at Brentwood also will not compromise God’s message on how to be made right with Him. He tells us simply that:
God wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one mediator who can reconcile God and humanity… the man Christ Jesus. he gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. – 1 Timothy 2:4-6
We at Brentwood believe that the best and only hope for humanity is to live for God. This is reflected in our mission statement which says that we want to reach and teach people how to live for Jesus Christ in their everyday lives. the way we hope to achieve our mission is described in the graph below containing different colors.
Our intent is to reach people through our CROWN events such as our celebration services and outreach events. Then once a person decided to give their lives to Christ, then we take them through some short classes teaching them the basics of the Christian faith, making them part of our CONGREGATION.
Once people finish those short classes, we introduce them to small group FELLOWSHIP where they can build strong and trusting relationships. After gaining maturity and confidence from time spent in small groups, the next step is for people to get involved in a current MINISTRY at the church. Finally, people who spend time and money involved in a current ministry will eventually become part of the CORE of the church, leading the church into the future.
Concerning our philosophy of ministry:
I. Care of Fellowship
The church body will be given care directly by its Deacons. The Deacons will be assigned specific members and keep in regular contact with their members. The Deacons will provide spiritual and practical care when the need arises. The Deacons will provide such care as:
- Communion
- Weddings
- Funerals
- Food distribution
- Counseling
- Visitation
- Financial assistance
Confidentiality will be kept between the Deacons and their members unless given permission to share the need in order to effectively meet that need. If a situation arises that is too much for the Deacons to handle, then that situation will be brought to the elders with the hope of biblically handling the situation. the goal of this ministry is to serve the fellowship in the above-described capacity in order to free the elders to equip the fellowship to do the ministry of the church. Because of the vital importance of this ministry to the overall health of the church fulfilling its mission, a person being considered for the servant role of Deacon must be called by God with a passion to meet the needs of people. The elders will provide consistent training to equip the Deacons to do this ministry.
II. Church Ministries
Sunday mornings will be Brentwood’s emphasis on church ministries. Since our weekend gatherings will be the front door for our guests, we must equip members to serve in those weekend ministries. Any other ministries at the church will be led by people who have a specific calling to begin and oversee those ministries. Brentwood will not attempt to start a ministry unless there is leadership in place for that ministry. If Brentwood sees a need in the church or neighborhood but has no leadership to oversee a ministry to meet that need, the congregation will pray for that leadership to bring forward the Holy Spirit. when leadership is set apart by the Holy Spirit that will be Brentwood’s invitation from God to begin the ministry. Conversely, all ministries should be understood to be temporal. each ministry should continue only for three reasons:
- There is a need still to meet
- Leadership is in place
- The ministry is still effective and relevant
If any two of these three reasons… or all three… are compromised. Brentwood will understand it to be the leading of the Holy Spirit to cease the ministry and seek His leadership for something new. the goal of Brentwood is not to burden down its membership with church activities. Every member is called to be a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. the role of every member is to be active in their circles of influence ministering to the people God has placed in their lives.
The less ministry happening at the building during the work week means more free time for the membership… allowing each member to fulfill their mission.
Brentwood desires to teach its members to follow Jesus om their everyday lives and this will be evident if a member is active on Sunday mornings, active in a community group, and active in the circles of influence.