"Declaring the Praises of Him Who called us
out of darkness into His glorious Light."
- 1 Peter 2:9
We exist to glorify God by making disciples who know, grow, & Go.
Knowing God → Growing in Christ → Going with the Spirit →
That's what we're all about, and we'd love for you to join us in the journey!
Please continue reading Below to learn more about Our Beliefs, OUr Values, Our Vision & OUr Practices.
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OUR BELIEFS ● We have placed our faith wholly in the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation.
● We believe in the Holy Scriptures as the inspired Word of God and the final authority in all matters of faith and doctrine. ● We believe in God the Father, God the Son, our Lord Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit. ● We believe in the virgin birth and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. ● We believe that the Bible culminates in Christ. He is the crown of the whole, all doctrine must be seen in the light that shines from him. ● We believe salvation is by grace through faith and repentance, not by works. ● We also believe that, in Christ, we are created to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. ● We believe in the priesthood of all believers, called to love and serve God, to bear witness to Jesus Christ, and to minister to each other in love. ● We believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting, with conscious blessedness for the saved and conscious banishment for the lost. |
OUR VALUES
An expert in the law once asked Jesus what was most essential. “Of all the commandments,” he asked, “which is the most important?” "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-30). These greatest commandments provide the framework for the values that represent our church family’s deepest ideals, the essence of who we are, what we are all about, what we stand for, and what we are called to do. They are the heart and soul of daily life at Montrose Baptist Church. 1. Loving God ● The Priority of Prayer Prayer connects us to God and unleashes the power of His Spirit to work in us and through us. When we pray in Jesus’ name, we know God hears us and answers according to His will. In everything we do, prayer is a first response and never a last resort (Mark 1:35; Matthew 6:9-13; 7:7- 8; 1 Timothy 2:1; James 5:16). ● The Worship of God Authentic worship is God-honoring, Christ-centered, and Spirit-directed. While worship is the purpose of all things and the goal of daily life, it is also the central event of our weekly gatherings and the chief expression of our corporate unity. In our worship services, we experience a taste of “heaven on earth,” ascribing to God ultimate worth, employing both God-honoring traditions of the past and contemporary expressions of the present (Eph. 5:19-20; Col. 3:16-17; 1 Peter 1:9; Rev. 5:12-13). ● The Word of God The Bible is the Word of God, our final authority in all matters of belief and practice. It is a trustworthy ancient testimony of God’s will and ways, a vibrant, life-giving Word for us today. The Word God spoke is the Word we study, teach, preach and live. It equips us for every good work (2 Tim. 2:15; 3:14-4:2; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:21). 2. Loving People ● The Fellowship of Believers Sharing life together in Christ is the essence of Christian fellowship. In our life together we seek to practice the “one another” imperatives of the New Testament: loving, greeting, encouraging, living in harmony, being devoted, honoring, not passing judgment, accepting, instructing, agreeing, serving, being patient, practicing kindness and compassion, forgiving, submitting, admonishing and spurring one another on toward love and good deeds. These commands are impossible to keep except when in regular contact with other believers (Proverbs 27:17; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 John 3:16-18). ● The World Around Us The church does not have a mission so much as the Mission has a church. God is calling people into a right relationship with Himself. Through compassion ministries, outreach events, and loving presence, we join God in His work of drawing people unto Himself and into His Church. Spiritual needs take priority over physical needs, though immediate concerns must sometimes be met before eternal matters can be addressed (Isaiah 1:17; Micah 6:8; Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:8; James 1:27). Values to Which We Aspire The following values represent ideals to which we aspire. We humbly confess these are not currently practiced as we would like in our shared life together as a church. We are not perfect, but we are intentionally growing, especially in the areas listed below. 1. Equipping for Service Because we believe in the priesthood of all believers and hold in high regard an “every member ministry,” we desire to “prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:12). This means helping members discern their unique God-given SHAPE (spiritual gifts, heart’s passion, abilities, personality, and experience), then placing the right people with the right tools in the right places for the right reasons (1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:12). 2. Personal Evangelism Evangelism is sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God. We recognize that even the most effective outreach events will only draw in a small percentage of the community around us. Personal evangelism is vital. Each member of Montrose will be trained in evangelism philosophy and technique, equipped with evangelistic tools, and given opportunities to grow more confident in sharing Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Colossians 4:5-6). 3. Righteousness (not Self-Righteousness) Righteousness is a rich theological word referring both to our positional right standing before God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as well as our intentional, steadfast and faithful right living before God by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us. We will encourage and gently admonish one another to live holy, set apart lifestyles that honor God and give credence to the veracity of our message (Matthew 6:33; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5-8; 1 Peter 3:15). 4. Excellence (not Perfection) Excellence in all we do directs us to develop a sustained passion for continuous improvement and innovation. In our worship, meetings, and programs we will do all things to the best of our ability for the glory of God. Perfection eludes us this side of heaven, yet we will always strive to offer unto God our very best (1 Corinthians 10:31; 14:30; 1 Peter 4:10-11). |
OUR VISION
We see the light and love of Jesus Christ filling our hearts, overflowing into our relationships, and flooding the darkness of the world around us. OUR PRACTICES As Baptists, we hold a memorial view of the Lord’s Supper (Communion) and practice Believer’s Baptism. The Lord’s Supper is generally celebrated the first Sunday of every month and is followed by a fellowship meal. At evening worship, the fellowship meal generally precedes the service. Believer’s Baptism by total immersion is celebrated when the Lord moves a follower of Christ to make this important decision. There is no minimum age requirement, but children are required to be able to verbally profess their faith in Christ as sufficient Savior and their desire to follow Him as risen Lord. Infants and young children are included within the church community through a special Service of Dedication. Individuals interested in believer's baptism or parents interested in baby/child dedication should speak with Pastor Jason or Pastor Tyler for more information. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have about these or any other practices we engage in as a local church. Please do not hesitate to contact the church or pastoral staff with any questions you may have. |