What We Believe

We are Christian

We believe Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth and died for the world, so we might believe in him and be saved. The Bible describes Jesus as: the way, the truth, and the life, Messiah, living water, bread of life, Lamb of God. These names mean something. They help us understand God’s heart and our invitation to faith. That faith welcomes us into the broader Church and calls us to worship, grow in community, serve, and share our faith with others.

We are Baptist

We embrace Baptist heritage and believe in believer’s baptism, the autonomy of the local church, the priesthood of believers, the divine inspiration of the Bible, and religious liberty.

We are Moderate

We choose to be neither legalistic nor liberal in our beliefs and actions, and we understand the tension in living in between those ways of life. We hope to exhibit a healthy diversity of viewpoints within a healthy theme of love for all.

Vision 472

A Three Part Vision for our Church

The three part vision for our church is broken into three parts:

4 Kingdom Values: Four areas that define how we answer God's call for us

7 Congregational Distinctives: places that make us unique as a congregation

2 Hoirzon Points: ways we are growing together as a church and in our community

Kingdom Values

Worship - This happens everywhere and is integral to our Christian life. Regardless of venue or style, we value worship and express it through music, drama, scripture reading, prayer, and preaching.

Mission - We value equipping and sending believers to fulfill the Great Commission by meeting physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of our community and world.

Discipleship - We teach Biblical truths throughout our church so all continually grow in their personal relationship with Jesus and might discern and fulfill God’s calling.

Community - We value community that loves one another and respects differing preferences. We seek understanding and affirmation that God works in individuals, families, and the church body.

Congregational Disctinctives

Inter-Generational - Every age is represented across our church family, and we encourage all ages to worship and work together, engage in fellowship and community, and learn from one another.

Egalitarian - We believe men and women are equal in God’s eyes and are therefore given equal opportunity for congregational leadership in membership and ministry.

Teaching - We invest in and equip the next generation for vocational ministry through mentoring, internships, and education.

Thinking - Healthy discussion and dialogue is essential for the Christian walk. We have created a safe environment for people to respectfully differ theologically while seeking God’s truth.

Family Discipling - Within our homes, we learn who we are and our place in the world. Our goal is to support families raising children to be all God calls them to be.

Relational Mission - Real change happens when we actively live life-on-life with others. We extend this intentionality to our community, region, and beyond.

Partnering - We partner with local, regional, and international ministries and organizations through volunteering and donations. If you want to serve your community, we can connect you.

Horizon Points

University Outreach - Our church is in the middle of downtown, minutes from the University of Tennessee. We work to sustainably impact the campus.

Family Redemption - Family is sacred. We are committed to redeeming and restoring broken families through ministries focused on marriage, parenting, adoption, and foster care.