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Identity
A key element in creating our future will be claiming and owning who we are as a church. In our view, Central Baptist Church can be identified, at least in part, as follows:
Central Baptist Church is a progressive Baptist Church
· As we read and interpret the scriptures, we believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its ministries are inclusive.
· Consistent with Galatians 3:28 (There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.), we stand firm in the equality of roles among people in the church and community.
· We believe the doors of the church should be open to all who might enter.
· We encourage people to attend and participate without a sense of judgment for their own struggles and trials.
· We are a community of faith to all who see our church as an avenue for their spiritual growth.
· We involve ourselves in relationship and dialogue, where appropriate, with other bodies whose heritage might differ from our own. Further, we call attention to our congregation's role within the larger Christian family.
Central Baptist Church is a Baptist Church
· We adhere to and affirm the principles and ideals long held as the benchmarks of Baptist life and thought. These include soul competency, priesthood of the believer, separation of church and state, and autonomy of the local church.
· We affirm our heritage as Baptists while seeking to find new and productive ways to express that heritage in society.
· We believe in the traditional Baptist model of choosing to form needed affiliations with other groups that give us the balance we seek between involvement with the larger Christian community and our autonomy to be more of who we are on a local level. We currently affiliate with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
Central Baptist Church has a strong relational base
· We believe we best find the presence of God and opportunities to share the gospel within the context of relationship with others.
· We affirm and validate single persons, divorced persons, traditional families, single-parent families, blended families, and any other family forms that affirm positive familial relationships.
· We believe strongly in the importance of ministry to families and children.
· We seek to discover the complex and changing needs of family life as we seek ways to minister.
· We believe in the importance of small groups.
· We believe committees, organizations, social groups, Sunday School classes, youth groups, children's programs, prayer groups, Bible study groups, and short term goal groups are important to develop and nurture.
Central Baptist Church believes in sharing the Gospel in a variety of ways
· We believe in sharing the Gospel with as many persons as possible.
· We believe in sharing the Gospel by promoting those avenues of evangelism that reflect the strengths and interests of our members.
· We believe in the gospel of the saving grace found through Jesus Christ and shared through social action and ministries.
· We believe in missions and will provide the opportunity for such things as local projects, hands-on work, special trips, and financial and prayerful support for missionaries around the world.
Central Baptist Church believes strongly in the importance of worship
· We believe worship is a process by which people connect to God and to each other.
· We believe worship is vital to the health and witness of the church.
· We believe worship should be reverent, thought provoking, and participatory.
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