Our VIsion
The vision statement of Peine Ridge Church lays out what we hope the Holy Spirit will accomplish in and through us as we pursue our God-given mission. This is what we are striving to be, and praying we’ll become, as a result of our compelling belief that Jesus is supreme, that Scripture is foundational, and that God should be glorified in everything we do.
We ENVISION . . .
. . . a family of believers that loves selflessly, worships biblically, lives with Godly focus, upholds the truth, engages missionally, and fights for unity. This means that we will promote and protect our church’s Values and Distinctives
We STRIVE . . .
. . . to be a group of joyful Christians who have a common faith in Jesus, a genuine love for each other, and an unswerving commitment to glorify God by making disciples of Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 4:1–6, Matthew 28:16–20, John 13:34–35). This means we strive:
- To be a people who suffer loss and walk through uncertainty with firm hope because of the joy set before us in Christ.
- To pursue greater understanding of, stronger faith in, and a deeper appreciation for God’s sovereign grace as clearly communicated in “The Solas of the Reformation” and “The Doctrines of Grace.”
- To be a people who hold fast to the sound doctrine of the Scriptures to the end of our lives, dying with joy in the Lord.
- To see our identity in Christ as paramount, protecting our unity in Christ above every lesser identity and connection in this life.
- To be gracious and tender-hearted toward one another by being willing and committed to forgive each other as God, in Christ, has forgiven us.
We ENDEAVOR . . .
. . . to have church gatherings that magnify God as people trust in, enjoy, and submit to Jesus. We are convinced that this only happens when we are led by God’s Spirit, through His Word; therefore, we are committed to faithfully reading, preaching, singing, praying, displaying, and responding to His Word in our gatherings. (Colossians 3:16). This means we endeavor:
- To focus every aspect of our Sunday Worship Gatherings on God, creating and maintaining an atmosphere of serious joy in Christ.
- To submit all of our felt needs, expectations, and desires for corporate worship to the lordship of Christ.
- To consistently display the gospel of Christ through every component of our gatherings.
- To saturate our gatherings with the Word of God through the public reading of Scripture, expositional sermons, and Biblical songs and prayers. To be careful to only worship God as He has appointed in His Word (never doing what God has forbidden, always doing what He has commanded, and only doing what He has allowed).
- To display the Word in our gatherings through baptism and weekly communion.
- To respond to the Word in our gatherings with joyful faith and obedience.
We PRAY . . .
. . . to become a mature body of believers who are growing in understanding, faith, righteousness, and love for God under the leadership of Biblically qualified elders and deacons. (Philippians 1:1, Ephesians 4:11-16, 1 Timothy 3:1-7). This means we pray to become:
- People who are holy and relentless in fighting sin by fleeing the temptations of, and wisely guarding against, gossip, slander, unrighteous anger, lust, greed, selfishness, etc.
- People who are quick to confess sin to one another and are eager to do acts in keeping with repentance.
- People who seek to live out this holiness in every sphere of life.
- In sexuality, embracing the person that God made us to be—men as men and women as women.
- In marriage, men humbly leading like Christ and wives gladly submitting like the Church.
- In parenting, bringing up children in the instruction and discipline of the Lord.
- In employment, working hard with sincerity as a way of faithfully serving the Lord, from whom we will receive our eternal reward.
- In entertainment, wisely analyzing the messages we receive, honestly evaluating the effect it has on us, and diligently limiting the amount of time, energy, focus, and money we give to it.
- People who understand that righteousness is not merely outward behavior but must spring from a genuine desire to be like Christ in glad submission to the Word of God, for the glory of God.
- People who so deeply know our weakness and dependence that we are steadfastly and urgently seeking God through prayer, both individually and corporately.
We LONG . . .
. . . to be a people so transformed by grace that our living faith moves us to actively love others and sincerely share the Good News of Jesus in every area of life. (1 Thessalonians 2:8). This means we long to be:
- Motivated to serve others by love, not guilt.
- A people who hold their possessions loosely, glad to generously give because they trust in God, not in money.
- A church that is helpful to those who are hurting and in need so that they glorify our Father in heaven.
- A people who pray and vote and work against the evils of domestic abuse, rape, abortion, sex-trafficking, ethnocentricity, poverty, etc.
- A people who seek opportunities to declare the gospel of Christ in the church, home, and community where we live, work, and play.
We HOPE . . .
. . . to be a church that is concerned foremost with the exaltation of Christ in the growth of His Kingdom. (Colossians 3:2–4). This means we hope to:
- Partner with other Biblical churches and missionaries to support the advancement of the gospel in our city and around the world.
- Rejoice together with other churches when the Lord blesses them and others through them.
- Eagerly encourage and support the planting of other Biblical churches.
- Celebrate the sending out of our members to plant churches or be missionaries.