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About UsWe are a Word oriented group of people who want to get God's Word out to as many people as we can. Listen to the latest Sunday messages under the Ministries page.
WRITE THE VISION
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To accomplish the vision and direction God has given me, we need to continually keep in front of us 1 Cor. 1:10--"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you: but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." Because we are a supernatural church, composed of supernatural people, doing supernatural things, for we are laborers together with God. ALL of our programs must be coordinated to meet the following objectives:
1) To reach the area for Jesus, meeting the needs of people; spirit, soul, and body. Sharing with the area that GOD IS! 2) To train and establish our people to live an effective life of Christ. 3) To involve more people in serving within the Body of Christ. 4) To lead those who are called of God, to a place of ministry (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher).
To meet these objectives, we will continually improve all our programs on all levels to meet the specific needs of the over all congregation. All of our programs will strive for excellence of ministry. As we grow and expand, we will add to or divide departments to meet the expanding needs. The following is a list of programs which we feel will be effective to accomplish what God has call us to do and be:
1) PRAYER (Intercession) A - To have an effective prayer (intercession) program B - To engage as many people as possible in praying cooperatively C - To have the prayer room open and people praying before each service
2) OUTREACH & ALTAR WORKERS A - To train our members in various OUTREACH MINISTRIES such as:
1-Soul
Winning: Teams going out on a regular basis, canvassing the area in
a systematic manner, 2-Visitation: Teams visiting regularly in the homes of our church people as well as first time visitors. 3-Jail and Prison: Teams visiting on a regular basis, in cooperation with the jail and prison guidelines.
4-Nursing
Homes: Regular visitation in various homes as both volunteers and
nursing home staff are 5-Hospitals: Both men and women available to visit as needed.
6-Altar
Workers: Training people to be effective prayer partners, following
up with those (as needed)
3) EDUCATION A - To have an effective ministry to infants, toddlers and children through grade 6. 1-Involve more workers through training, assisting and teaching. 2-Divide age groups as needed.
3-Provide
teaching for Sunday AM and Wednesday PM. (Classes for special
services will be B - Teen Ministry 1-Teen service weekly. 2-Teen outreach. 3-Teen involvement in other areas of ministry within the church. C - Young Adult (College career age) D - New Members Class 1-Sharing with new people the vision, the purpose, governmental structure and direction of our church E - New Convert Class 1-Instructing young Christians in basic scriptures as they begin their new walk of faith. 2-To help them get rooted and grounded in the scriptures and the local church.
4) SOCIALS A- Singles ( involving all age groups) 1-Young Adults 2-Senior citizens 3-Support groups (as needed) 4-Break-down as growth continues B- Couples (involving all age groups) C- Social activities (planned activities for the social life of the church) D- Planned fellowship and get acquainted with all visitors
5) HELPS A- Ushers 1-Involving more people through training and serving. 2-Knowing what is going on and where. B- Greeters
1-Personalities that attract first time visitors (you are the first
person to minister to the needs 2-Know where and when all departments meet. 3-Increase in participants. C- Storehouse 1-Meeting the needs of the needy, members of our congregation first, then outside the church. 2-Building up a supply of provisions (as needed). 3-Working with the local food bank to meet the majority of the needs. D- Bookstore/Lending Library 1-To provide people with sound and profitable Word of Faith books/tapes for study and inspiration. 2-A resource of ministry material. E- Maintenance 1-To adequately maintain ministry facilities inside and out. 2-General maintenance.
F- Custodial 1-To keep building clean. 2-Scheduling general "clean-up" day with congregation annually. 3-Having building prepared before each service.
6) Music/Arts A- Praise and worship 1-Effective praise and worship to draw the people to God. 2-Ushering saints of God into His presence. 3-Involving more people in special music. B- Adult Choir 1-Special music for special occasions. 2-To minister to The Lord and to the people. C- Children's Choir 1-To provide an opportunity for children to express themselves in choir. D-Drama 1-To present drama as a means of presenting the Gospel. E-Sound/Lighting and Taping 1-To provide quality sound and record all services. 2-To make tapes available of all services. 3-Lighting control for each service, providing help for lighting during services.
7) TELEVISION/RADIO A-To share Jesus effectively to people across the area.
8) MISSIONS A-To emphasize the necessity of missions, to do our part in reaching the world with the Good News of Jesus. B-To have at least one missionary speak per year.
9)MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT A-'Hook up' with ministries in order to reach all the area and surrounding counties for Jesus. B-Support other ministries with prayer and finances.
10)ORGANIZATION A-To organize so that the Holy Ghost can flow freely. B-Must organize for all systems to work effectively. C-Not an organization, but an organism with organization, so we can do the work God has called us to do. Everyone doing their function.
It is my sincere desire that everyone who attends my church will be involved in some way. There is plenty of work to be done. As you serve The Lord faithfully, others will want to follow your example. All of us must work together to build the Kingdom of God.
Church Government
A. Officers
2. Elders
a) General
Responsibilities. The
Elders are responsible to provide for the pastoral care of the
church in the manner described in
b) Qualifications.
An elder must evidence
the qualifications prescribed for that office in I Timothy 3:1-7 and
c) Term of Office. An elder may serve for a term of five years, at which time he may be re-appointed for another three-year term by pastor after which he will be an inactive Elder for a minimum of one year. An elder may discontinue his leadership role for other reasons: Death, geographical re-location, personal desire, and disqualification, in which case discipline will be administered by the other Elders and the congregation in the manner described in I Timothy 5:19-25. Terms of office shall be staggered as evenly as possible. The pastor can terminate any Elder in which he sees Biblical grounds.
d) Number. There shall be a minimum of five Elders, including the Pastor in which the Pastor is Chairman of. e) Organization.
Positionally, the Elders will operate in equality, including the
Pastor. Functionally, they shall organize themselves to include a
Chairman which is the Pastor, Vice-Chairman, and a Secretary, none
of whom shall be paid staff. The Chairman, or in his absence, the
appointed Vice-Chairman, shall conduct the meetings of the Elders
and the congregational business meetings.
f) Selection.
Recognizing that the Scriptures
teach the appointment of church leaders with the cooperation of the
local body, (Acts 6:3, 14:23;
Nomination forms for eldership may be submitted to the existing Elders by the candidate himself, by another individual, or by the Elders themselves.
The Pastor and Elders will interview the candidate, who will fill out a self evaluation form.
Upon the consent of the Pastor, the name of names of candidates will be made available to the congregation for their prayerful consideration for a period of not less than two weeks, including Sundays.
Evaluation forms will be filled out by the congregation and be given to the Elders for their review. Any negative evaluation shall prompt further evaluation by the Elders.
Upon the Pastor’s approval, the new Elder candidate(s) shall be presented to the congregation for a congregational vote at the annual meeting or any meeting called for that purpose. A two-thirds majority of the votes cast is necessary for election to the office of Elder. Otherwise the appointment will be made by the Pastor.
Following the selection of a new Elder or Elders, they will be presented to the congregation in a service of dedication.
3. Staff a) Senior Pastor. Qualifications. The Senior Pastors shall be Gary and Winnie Pierson.
Duties. Their primary responsibility shall be to provide biblical preaching and teaching, with the majority of his time spent in preparation for the ministry. Additionally, as time and gifts allow, he shall provide guidance, counsel, leadership, and vision to the church in harmony with the other Elders.
Relationship to Elders. The Senior Pastor’s relationship with the Elders shall function on the following levels: First, he shall be in head of the Elders, who shall function as his spiritual counselors and advisors. They shall have responsibility to ensure he is adequately fulfilling his role as pastor by financial and prayerfully lifting him up. Second, he is to be "the head" in the decision-making process within the Board of Elders. Second, he shall serve as a pastor and leader of the Elders, and function as a spiritual shepherd to them. He shall manage the volunteer and vocational church staff on a day-to-day basis.
b) Other Staff. The Board of Elders may appoint other staff to needed positions as they may choose, and may designate other staff members as Elders as they may deem necessary in accordance with the procedures outlined under selection of Elders above.
B. Elder's Councils
1. Membership
2. Number
3. Leadership
4. Meetings
5. Elder's Councils Specified
a) Stewardship Council. The Elders’ Stewardship council shall be responsible for church property, facilities, equipment, and the handling of church finances. The Stewardship council shall recommend a Church Treasurer for appointment by the Pastor for an annual term. The Council shall recommend an annual budget to the Pastor, shall be responsible for all the receiving and disbursement of all church funds, and shall provide regular financial statements to the Pastor. The Church Treasurer shall be a member of the Stewardship Council. b) Education Council. The Education Council shall oversee the education ministries of the church, including the Sunday school department, youth groups, children's ministries, Vacation Bible Schools, Bible studies, women’s ministries, and any other activity that properly falls within the ministry of Christian Education in the church. . All reports and appointments are to be presented to the Pastor for his approval. c) Outreach Council. The Outreach Council shall be responsible for any involvement by the church in missions, including missions education, communication with missionaries, and scheduling and providing for visiting missionaries. It shall also oversee any specific evangelistic or outreach efforts of the church, and shall encourage general involvement in missions and outreach by the church body. All reports and appointments are to be presented to the Pastor for his approval. d) Body Life Council. The Body Life Council shall include the Care group ministry, church dinners and picnics, and any other church function designed to express the life and fellowship of the body that is not specifically a part of the responsibility of other Councils. . All reports and appointments are to be presented to the Pastor for his approval.
C. Deacons and Deaconesses
While all members of the Body of Christ shall cultivate a servant’s heart ("Serve one another in love," Gal. 5:13), a Deacon and Deaconess fulfill a specifically recognized role of servanthood within the local body. Their appointment may reflect (1) special abilities to organize or develop ministries or functions, (2) recognition of the spiritual gift of serving (Rom. 12:6,7), (3) the unusual demands of a specific task for which they were appointed, or a combination of the above. Their appointment may be for the duration of the task for which they were appointed by the pastor , or for an indefinite period if the responsibility is a continuing one.
2. Qualifications
3. Termination
D. Membership
Nevertheless, recognizing the need to identify individuals who wish to publicly demonstrate their commitment to this body, who have acquired the right to vote in certain matters governing this body, or who are eligible to serve as its Elders, we will recognize the official membership of those who meet the qualifications and follow the procedure described below.
1. Qualifications
a) Age. A member shall be 14 years of age of older. Junior membership is available to those under 14 years of age who otherwise meet the qualifications described below. Junior members shall not have voting privileges.
b) Salvation. Anyone desiring to become a member shall give testimony to their having come to personal faith in Jesus Christ.
c) Baptism. A member of this body shall have been baptized as a believer. Baptism is in no way a means of salvation and therefore is not required for membership in the body of Christ universal. It is, however, an evidence of a person’s willingness to follow Christ and publicly identify with His Body. We recognize that the other modes of baptism are valid expressions of this desire, but we practice immersion, which we believe best illustrates the spiritual realities of the baptism of the Holy Spirit (that act by which all believers are placed into the body of Christ) and the believer's personal identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.
d) Vows of Membership. Eligibility for membership includes a willingness to abide by the articles of faith and practice of this church, and to take the vows of membership. 2. Procedures a) Interviewing. Any person desiring to unite with this church shall be interviewed by the Pastor and give written assent to the articles of faith and practice and the membership covenant of AWOL. Upon the unanimous approval of the Pastor, the names of those accepted for membership shall be announced to the congregation at least a week before their reception as members, which shall be during a regular service of the church.
b) Transferring. A member of a church in the Agape Word of Life may transfer to another church in the Conference by presenting a letter indicating that he is a member in good standing.
3. Duties
The Board of Elders accepts the responsibility of the spiritual oversight of those who have become members.
4. Discipline
a) Step 1. The person who is aware of the offense is to be the first person to prayerfully confront a sinning member.
b) Step 2. If the individual in error refuses to deal with the problem, the matter shall be brought to his or her attention again by one or two additional witnesses who offer reproof and spiritual counsel.
c) Step 3. After reasonable attempts toward restoration have failed, the charges shall be submitted to the board of Elders, who shall give opportunity to the individual to answer the questions raised.
d) Step 4. If the matter is not reconciled to the satisfaction of the Board of Elders the offender shall be excluded from the fellowship, participation, and membership of the church at large, by action of the Board of Elders in an announcement to the membership of the church.
e) Step 5. If the sinning individual at any point demonstrates an attitude of repentance, he or she shall be welcomed and affirmed in love and restored to the fellowship of the church.
f) Attitude of Discipline. These steps must be taken in an attitude of love and prayer, with gentleness and under the direction of the Holy Spirit, with the restoration of the individual the goal at all points in the disciplinary process.
g) Privacy. The discipline of members shall be a process within the body of the church membership and Board of Elders, and shall not be a matter of public discussion within the community by Elders or church members.
h) Discipline of Non-Members. Discipline of non-members shall be left to the discretion of the Board of Elders.
5. Amendments
6. Congregational Meetings
7. Finances a) Contracts. The Board of Elders may authorize any officer or officer’s agent or agents of the church in addition to the officers so authorized by this Constitution to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the church, and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances as approved by Pastor. b) Checks, Drafts, Etc. All checks, drafts, or orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the church shall be signed by such officer or officers, agent, or agents of the church and in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by resolution of the Pastor. In the absence of such determination by the Pastor such instrument shall be signed by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer . c) Deposits. All funds of the church shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the church in such bank, trust companies, or other depositories as the Pastor may select. d) Gifts. The Board of Elders may accept on behalf of the church any contribution, gift, bequeath or devise for the general purposes or for any special purpose of the church. |
