The River of Life Partnership Class
Overview
Introduction video from the pastor. Cover and experience Core Values. Vision Statement. Beliefs taught by the River of Life Church. Identifying Gifts & Passions. Relationship & Partnership, Partnership agreement. Leadership at the River of Life.
Introduction video from the pastor. Cover and experience Core Values. Vision Statement. Beliefs taught by the River of Life Church. Identifying Gifts & Passions. Relationship & Partnership, Partnership agreement. Leadership at the River of Life.
River of Life Core Values
Intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Full of love and encouragement. We find our identity in Him. Knowing His word the bible.
Who are you closest to in the world? Your spouse, a friend, a sibling, a parent. Your relationship with Jesus should be like that and it can be even better than your relationship with others.
Full of love and encouragement. We find our identity in Him. Knowing His word the bible.
Who are you closest to in the world? Your spouse, a friend, a sibling, a parent. Your relationship with Jesus should be like that and it can be even better than your relationship with others.
Spirit-led contemporary worship.
Worship focused on God; in an atmosphere of intimacy and celebration. We pursue His presence.
Give out worship CDs. Cover private worship and corporate worship.
Worship focused on God; in an atmosphere of intimacy and celebration. We pursue His presence.
Give out worship CDs. Cover private worship and corporate worship.
Prayer that connects us to the Father's heart.
Present our needs, thanks, praise, and our hearts. Learning to listen to Him. Cover private and corporate prayer. Spend time praying.
Present our needs, thanks, praise, and our hearts. Learning to listen to Him. Cover private and corporate prayer. Spend time praying.
Value the work of the Holy Spirit in every believer.
Transformed life, empowering of the Spirit, and the comfort of His presence.
Transformed life, empowering of the Spirit, and the comfort of His presence.
Community
Among believers and non-believers in our building, town, and region. Our relationships are intergenerational, outreaching, and accepting. Focused on releasing God's love to others.
Among believers and non-believers in our building, town, and region. Our relationships are intergenerational, outreaching, and accepting. Focused on releasing God's love to others.
The River of Life Vision Statement
We exist to see, take part in, and celebrate the transforming works of the Holy Spirit. We will bless the community around us, while we share the good news about Jesus Christ.
Statements of Beliefs
God is the creator and ruler of everything. He made everything good. He desires a good relationship with each of us. God's character is expressed in the "Fruit of the Spirit"; Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
Jesus is the Son of God, God in human form, the Messiah, and the Savior. He lived a sinless life in perfect obedience to God the Father. He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sins on the cross, and arose from the dead on the third day, demonstrating His authority over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven, but will return to put an end to all evil in the world. Jesus is Alive.
The Holy Spirit is God the Spirit, who lives in every believer. The Holy Spirit makes people aware of their need for repentance, salvation and relationship with God. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to people; He helps us understand, and grow in our relationship with God.
The Bible is the word of God. It is an account of God's dealing with, and love for people. God inspired the original writers of the bible to communicate His heart to the world. The bible records the successes and failures of the people that God dealt with for our benefit today. The bible is the Truth about God revealed to the world.
Jesus is the Son of God, God in human form, the Messiah, and the Savior. He lived a sinless life in perfect obedience to God the Father. He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sins on the cross, and arose from the dead on the third day, demonstrating His authority over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven, but will return to put an end to all evil in the world. Jesus is Alive.
The Holy Spirit is God the Spirit, who lives in every believer. The Holy Spirit makes people aware of their need for repentance, salvation and relationship with God. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to people; He helps us understand, and grow in our relationship with God.
The Bible is the word of God. It is an account of God's dealing with, and love for people. God inspired the original writers of the bible to communicate His heart to the world. The bible records the successes and failures of the people that God dealt with for our benefit today. The bible is the Truth about God revealed to the world.
We believe in creation as recorded in the bible.
We believe that humans were created in the image of God, and every person is precious to Him.
We believe sin is rooted in not trusting God. Sin is every choice we make that hurts God, others, and/or ourselves. These choices or sins, cause us to depart or turn away from relationship with God. Sin leads to death, and we all have sinned. Our sins separate us or keeps us from having a good relationship with God. After we die our sins continue to separate us from God.
We believe salvation is God's gift to us. It enables us to have relationship with God by removing the consequences (death/separation) of our sins. Each person has to accept this gift on their own. Accepting it looks like this. Recognize your sins for what they are; ask God for forgiveness; acknowledge that Jesus took your consequences on the cross when He died, and start choosing to follow Jesus as He leads you into true freedom, joy, and relationship with God the Father through the Holy Spirit.
We believe that water baptism should be done upon confession of faith in Jesus Christ. Water baptism is an act symbolizing that your old way of life filled with sin is dead, and now you are a new person with the desire to use your life to honor God. In new testament times people were baptized by full submersion in water. We continue this same practice.
We believe heaven and hell are real. Heaven is the place were God's goodness is fully revealed. Hell is the place fully separated from God's goodness. After a person dies their soul goes to heaven or hell permanently. Those that have accepted God's gift of salvation go to heaven. Those that don't go to hell.
We believe that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, and bring the kingdom of heaven to earth. We believe that the church was commissioned to continue this work. This is done through the use of the gifts God has given to the church, the power of the Holy Spirit, and His love expressed through us towards others. Both foreign ministries and local ministries commonly have this as their focus, but it is important to realize we are all called to the same commission daily.
We believe that Satan/the Devil was an angel that rebelled against God, and one third of the angels in heaven sided with Satan. He temped Adam and Eve to sin, and continues to this day to temp people to sin. When Adam and Eve sinned they allowed Satan to rule the earth. Satan's lordship over the earth is the reason why we have the things you know to be bad in the world. (Note that Jesus took away Satan's authority at the cross.)
We believe that God desires unity among His church. This means that we should be joined in love with all believers; regardless of what building they choose to meet in. As such we should make the effort to reach out to believers among different denominations to strengthen our bond of love in Christ with them.
We believe that humans were created in the image of God, and every person is precious to Him.
We believe sin is rooted in not trusting God. Sin is every choice we make that hurts God, others, and/or ourselves. These choices or sins, cause us to depart or turn away from relationship with God. Sin leads to death, and we all have sinned. Our sins separate us or keeps us from having a good relationship with God. After we die our sins continue to separate us from God.
We believe salvation is God's gift to us. It enables us to have relationship with God by removing the consequences (death/separation) of our sins. Each person has to accept this gift on their own. Accepting it looks like this. Recognize your sins for what they are; ask God for forgiveness; acknowledge that Jesus took your consequences on the cross when He died, and start choosing to follow Jesus as He leads you into true freedom, joy, and relationship with God the Father through the Holy Spirit.
We believe that water baptism should be done upon confession of faith in Jesus Christ. Water baptism is an act symbolizing that your old way of life filled with sin is dead, and now you are a new person with the desire to use your life to honor God. In new testament times people were baptized by full submersion in water. We continue this same practice.
We believe heaven and hell are real. Heaven is the place were God's goodness is fully revealed. Hell is the place fully separated from God's goodness. After a person dies their soul goes to heaven or hell permanently. Those that have accepted God's gift of salvation go to heaven. Those that don't go to hell.
We believe that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, and bring the kingdom of heaven to earth. We believe that the church was commissioned to continue this work. This is done through the use of the gifts God has given to the church, the power of the Holy Spirit, and His love expressed through us towards others. Both foreign ministries and local ministries commonly have this as their focus, but it is important to realize we are all called to the same commission daily.
We believe that Satan/the Devil was an angel that rebelled against God, and one third of the angels in heaven sided with Satan. He temped Adam and Eve to sin, and continues to this day to temp people to sin. When Adam and Eve sinned they allowed Satan to rule the earth. Satan's lordship over the earth is the reason why we have the things you know to be bad in the world. (Note that Jesus took away Satan's authority at the cross.)
We believe that God desires unity among His church. This means that we should be joined in love with all believers; regardless of what building they choose to meet in. As such we should make the effort to reach out to believers among different denominations to strengthen our bond of love in Christ with them.
Identifying Your Gifts
People will help you to identify your gifts.
What you are passionate about can be your gifts.
Through dreams and visions.
What you are passionate about can be your gifts.
Through dreams and visions.
Finding Your Spiritual Gifts: The Easy to Use, Self-Guided Questionnaire
Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul's Path to God
Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul's Path to God
Relationship & Partnership with the River of Life
What is the difference between relationship and partnership? Depending on how close you are with someone you can have a strong or weak relationship. Most of the time relationships just happen as we live life. In the church we want to build strong relationships, but we don't just want to hope that it will happen. We make an effort to strengthen those relationships.
A partnership means that you have agreed to work with others to reach a goal. At the River of Life we welcome all into relationship with us. Both believers and non-believers can have deep friendships with us, but we won't let just anyone lead an outreach or ministry for the church. Only those believers that are committed to the well-being of all those that gather at the River of Life church are truly partners. A partner works to make our vision statement a reality. A partner agrees with our beliefs, and does not work towards division among the believers that gather at the River of Life church. If you have a concern about anything concerning the River of Life church you bring it to the leaders of the River of Life church.
The goal of partnership is to identify those that have gifts they want to use to help achieve God's will for the region, and want to support and take part in what God is doing through the River of Life church. Partnership allows leaders to know who is interested in making this their home church , being leaders among the church, and contributing to the maturing of the believers gathered here. Being a partner does not raise you above non-partners. If anything it lowers you to being a servant to them.
Partner Responsibilities
Partner Benefits
A partnership means that you have agreed to work with others to reach a goal. At the River of Life we welcome all into relationship with us. Both believers and non-believers can have deep friendships with us, but we won't let just anyone lead an outreach or ministry for the church. Only those believers that are committed to the well-being of all those that gather at the River of Life church are truly partners. A partner works to make our vision statement a reality. A partner agrees with our beliefs, and does not work towards division among the believers that gather at the River of Life church. If you have a concern about anything concerning the River of Life church you bring it to the leaders of the River of Life church.
The goal of partnership is to identify those that have gifts they want to use to help achieve God's will for the region, and want to support and take part in what God is doing through the River of Life church. Partnership allows leaders to know who is interested in making this their home church , being leaders among the church, and contributing to the maturing of the believers gathered here. Being a partner does not raise you above non-partners. If anything it lowers you to being a servant to them.
Partner Responsibilities
Partner Benefits
Leadership at the River of Life
This could be done as a video, or a question and answer section. Overview of who we are and God's calling for each of us.