Mission: Leading people to grow in their faith, hope and love for Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the Focus
We are in relationship with God through the person and life of Jesus. We refuse to be distracted by anything that takes our eyes off Jesus.
Hebrews 12:1-2
Imperfect people are welcome here
We are a family of imperfect people being loved and transformed by God.
Matthew 9:12
Transformation happens from the inside out
Healing happens when we slow down and allow God to reshape us from the inside out. The power of the Spirit, the truth of the Scriptures, and dependence on God will change us.
Romans 12:2
We are a family
We are a family, living in community, fighting for joy and fueled by the gospel. We are more focused on how we love one another than what we consume. Honest feedback and feet to our faith is the atmosphere at Providence.
Ephesians 2:19; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31
Disciples are made not born
An authentic life is not automatic, it is the result of a passionate pursuit of Jesus. We equip people to be and make disciples.
Matthew 28:19
We are better together
To give every person the opportunity to respond to the gospel, we must collaborate with others.
Philippians 1:5
It's the beginning of the end if we do not reach young people
We are committed to reaching young people because they can serve God passionately, follow God faithfully, and change the world radically - Now! We equip them with grace and truth to shape future culture from the inside out.
Deuteronomy 6:7, I Timothy 4:12
SCRIPTURE
The Lord desires us to know and to love Him with all of our hearts. We cannot love Him without knowing Him. He has revealed Himself and His will primarily to us through the Bible so that we may know and walk with him intimately. We believe that the 66 books of the Bible are the verbally inspired and authoritative words of God, and therefore both infallible and inerrant.
Matthew 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; John 1:1-18
GOD
We believe in a Trinitarian God. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the most marvelous relationship that has ever existed. Their relationship has always existed and explains creation, relationship and abundant life. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are co-equal and co-eternal in their divinity, yet separate in person.
Genesis 1:26; Psalm 110:1; Isaiah 48:16; 63:10; John 1:1-2; 2 Corinthians 13:14
THE FATHER
He is the sovereign Creator of all things. It is by His will and design that all things exist and are held together. He created everything out of nothing. Everything is made for His glory and for His glory alone. It was by His grace and His own desire that He sent the Son to make payment for our sins, providing the way into a restored relationship with Him.
Genesis 1:1, 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19-20; John 4:24
JESUS
We believe Jesus is the Son of God, fully man and fully God. He is the firstborn over all creation. By Him and through Him all things were created and are sustained by His word. He is the physical revelation of God to us, the visible image of an invisible God, who conceived supernaturally by the Holy Spirit, was born of a virgin, and both fully God and fully man. He lived before creation with the Father and lives now in physical form, reigning at the Father’s right hand over all kingdoms, rulers and authorities. Through His life, death, and resurrection, the gift of salvation is offered to all who place their faith in Him.
Matthew 1:23-25, 25:46; John 1:1, 1:14, 3:16, 5:24, 5:28-29; Acts 2:24-27, 9:1–11; Hebrews 4:15, 9:27; Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 1:25, 3:23-25, 5:12-14, 6:23, 10:18; Colossians 1:15-20; James 3:9; Revelation 20:11-15
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in the Person of the Holy Spirit, fully God and worshipped and adored as God. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin and reveals to us the person and work of the son, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is a person and, therefore, has volition, emotion, and intellect. He guides, leads, directs, and teaches the believer in all things.
Matthew 28:19; John 3:3-7; 1 Corinthians 2:12; Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30
MAN AND SIN
We affirm that all humanity is made in the image of God and created to live in right relationship with Him. However, our choice to sin caused a breach in that perfect relationship with God, rendering us powerless to restore the relationship that has been broken. We believe that sin also distorts our view of God, self, and others, and that left to ourselves we are unable to remedy our lost condition.
Genesis 1:1, 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19-20; John 4:24
SALVATION
We believe that God pursues all who are lost and that the gift of salvation, while offered to all by grace, must be received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed on the Cross for the forgiveness of sins. He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son does not have life and the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36)
We believe that salvation is a gift from God and inspired by love. In His substitutionary death, Jesus bore all of our sins, shame, and guilt, taking upon himself the full consequence of sin and death, satisfying the covenant justice of God, and thus removing the estrangement between God and those who place their faith in Jesus.
Luke 4:18-19; John 1:12, 29, 3:16-17, 3:36, 10:10, Romans 3:21-26, 5:1-2, 8, 11; Acts 2:36-38; I Peter 2:9-10, 24-25; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, 6:2; Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7; Galatians 3:13-14, 4:3-5; Ephesians 2:4-9; I Corinthians 15:3-4; I John 3:16; Hebrews 2:14-15, 9:12, 14, 22, 24, 26-28, Colossians 1:19-22, 2:13-15; Revelation 5:9-10
THE CHURCH
Jesus ascended in order to empower His church to help restore this broken world. They are living their mission through our surrendered lives and community. We believe the Church is the Body of Christ, the hope of the world. The one true Church is composed of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Wherever God’s people meet regularly, there is the local expression of the church.
Matthew 6:18, 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; Romans 12:4-9; Ephesians 1:22-23, 3:10, 4:11-13; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 12:7, 12:12-13; 1 Peter 4:10; Colossians 1:18
Role of MEN and WOMEN in Church Ministry and Leadership
Women and men are created as equal image-bearers of God and are designed to complement
each other in gender and role. Christian women are created in Christ to be spiritually equal to
Christian men. This includes possessing uniquely feminine spiritual responsibilities and
privileges. In their service to Christ, they may hold church ministry positions of leadership and
give scriptural instruction. We reserve the role of Elder specifically to qualified men as
described in Scripture below. The following statements are applied specifically to Providence
Church.
A. Women And Men Are Created As Equal Image Bearers Of God. Genesis 1:27-28
The image of God includes many qualitative issues of person, soul and spirit. In all these aspects
women are equal to men.
B. Women And Men Are Designed To Complement Each Other In Personhood, Gender
And Role. Genesis 2:18, Matthew 19:4, I Corinthians 11:3,8-12, Ephesians 5:21
Female is physically distinct from and complementary to male, and vice-versa, both in gender
and personhood. Women and men are intended to complement each other in all aspects of life
and ministry. Male dominance and female inequality were never God’s will.
C. Christian Women Are Created In Christ To Be Spiritually Equal To Christian Men.
Romans 12:1-8, I Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:28, I Peter 2:5&9, 4:10-12
Christian women are regenerated and indwelt by the same Holy Spirit as Christian men, have the
same spiritual life commands and are given the same spiritual gifts as men to fulfill their ministry
for Christ. There are no scriptural limitations on spiritual gifts given to women.
D. Christian Women Possess Uniquely Feminine Responsibilities And Privileges. Titus
2:3-5, 1 Peter 3:1-7, Ephesians 5:22-24 Christian women have clear responsibilities as younger and older women, and as mothers and wives, that are distinct from those of Christian men. Womanhood and motherhood are extraordinary blessings given to the world and the church and should be held in high regard.
E. Christian Women Can Hold Church Ministry Positions Of Leadership, Give Scriptural
Instruction. (Luke 2:36-38, 8:1-3, John 20:18, Acts 1:14, 2:17, 9:36-42, 18: 26-28, 21:8-9,
Romans 16:1,2,3&7, Philippians 4:2-3, Colossians 4:15, 1 Timothy 3:11, 2 John 1:1
Christian women were recognized for their spiritual leadership, gave spiritual instruction, and
received ministry support in the New Testament Church. Women may be asked to serve in any
aspect of the worship service or church life.
F. The Position of Elder is Biblically Limited to Spiritually Qualified Christian Men.
1Timothy 3:1-13, 5:17 and Titus 1: 5-9, 1 Peter 5:1-2
Women can hold any ministry or leadership position at Providence other than that of Elder. This
limitation does not exclude women from participating in Elder meetings.
While there are a variety of understandings of the meaning of 1 Timothy 3:11 in reference to
women serving in the position of deacon, it is evident from this reference that their role is vital to
this position. This scripture also indicates a woman’s relationship to the deacon position is to be
evaluated by the quality and character of their lives. In addition, it is clear from other New
Testament references that women did the work of deacons (Acts 9:36, Romans 16:1-2), and that
the opportunity for women to have a deacon type of ministry should be reflected and recognized
in the church. At Providence Church being a deacon is a servant role and therefore can be held
by any spiritually qualified individual.