Wind River Community Church

Our Core Values

Our MVP statement tells you why we exist and what we are here to do. Core values are different. They are the guiding principles for how we will accomplish our MVP statement. You might define them as the guiding principles of our church, the essential and enduring ways in which we approach ministry.

The following then are the constant, passionate, biblical core beliefs that drive the ministry at Wind River Community Church.

Christ's Headship

We acknowledge that Christ is the head of the church, and we submit ourselves to Him. Our job is to find out what Christ wants us to do and do it, staying in tune with Him at all times.  (Ephesians 1:22-23; John 15:1-8)

Biblical Teaching

We value God's inspired Word as His authoritative book for all believers. We will preach and teach the Bible and be faithful to its teachings. We believe that anointed teaching is a catalyst for the transformation of people's lives. (2 Timothy 3:16)

Worship

We value worship that leads people into the presence of God. We desire to create personal and corporate opportunities where God's people can express love to the Lord and respond to His presence. (Deuteronomy 6:5; Psalm 29:2; Romans 12:1-2; John 4:24)

Prayer

We value prayer because God desires his people to pray, and He hears and answers prayer. (Matthew 7:7-11; James 5:13-18) We desire that the ministries of the church will be characterized by a reliance on prayer in their conception, planning and execution. We further desire that WRCC be a place where people's needs are met in prayer.

Sense of Community

We value Christian community. We desire that the people of WRCC commit themselves to participating with other believers in a small group setting where they can develop friendships, care for each other, learn God's Word, exercise their spiritual gifts, grow in their faith and reach the lost. (Acts 2:44-46)

Spiritual Growth

We seek to help people grow spiritually by encouraging growth in biblical knowledge, Christian character and Christian practices. As people grow, we will begin to encourage them to develop the five purposes of every believer: worship, discipleship, service, evangelism and fellowship. (Colossians 2:6-7; Mark 1:17)

Excellence

We value excellence in ministry. We believe that excellence honors God and inspires people.  (Colossians 3:17; Malachi 1:6-14; Proverbs 27:17)

Lay Ministry

We value the work of the ministry accomplished by non-vocational workers. We view everyone at WRCC is gifted to minister and that each one has a particular SHAPE (Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experience) for ministry. We believe that the primary responsibility of pastors and elders to "prepare God's people for the works of service". (Ephesians 4:12) Therefore, as much as possible, the ministry of Wind River Community Church will be placed in the hands of lay ministers. This will be accomplished through training opportunities and through practices which encourage lay initiation, leadership, responsibility and authority in the various ministries of the church.

Team Leadership

We believe that WRCC should be led by men and women with leadership gifts. We value servant leaders who provide strategic focus and intentionality to the ministry. We also believe in collaborative leadership; people working together as teams, forging unity out of diversity. (Nehemiah 1-2; Romans 12:8; Acts 6:2-6)

Spiritual Gifts

We believe that Wind River Community Church should operate as a unified community of God's people who understand and use their spiritual gifts. We believe that all the gifts listed in the Scriptures continue to be a valid and important part of the WRCC community. We encourage the people of WRCC to be open to all that the Spirit of God desires to do in and through them. (1 Corinthians 12 and 14; Romans 12; Ephesians 4)


Healthy, Loving Environment

We believe that loving relationships should permeate every aspect of church life. We believe that the people of WRCC should extend grace to each other while urging one another on in the faith. We believe that a warm, friendly atmosphere in every venue of the church-from our small group gatherings to weekend services-brings honor to the Lord and shows respect for each person. We believe that the people of WRCC should manifest authenticity, valuing transparency over appearance. (Romans 12:9-21; 1 Corinthians 13; James 2:1-4)

Lost People

We believe lost people matter to God, and therefore, ought to matter to the church. Therefore, the church will value and encourage relational evangelism and evangelism as a process so that the people of our community might be reached for Christ. In addition, we believe that WRCC should be supporting missions both at home and in other countries. We believe that God wishes us to reach as many people as possible with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. (Luke 15; Matthew 18:14).

Relevance and Innovation

We value communicating the good news of Jesus Christ to our culture in ways it can understand. Therefore, we will adapt and change our forms and methods in order to stay relevant to those we serve, without compromising biblical absolutes (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

Family

We value strong families and seek to provide an atmosphere which strengthens marriages and families. We support the spiritual nurture of the family because it is one of God's dynamic means to keep each person spiritually and emotionally healthy. Families consisting of a husband and wife, a husband and wife with children, single-parent families and single adults of all ages each have value. We are also committed to strong youth and children's ministries. (Colossians 3:18-21; Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Ephesians 5:22-6:4)

Trusting and Obeying God in the Area of Finances

We value the stewardship of God's money. We will use God's money to fund and support the ministry to which He has called us. We believe that Wind River Community Church can trust God alone to bring in necessary finances. We also believe it is our responsibility to be fiscally responsible with God's money; that we should live within our means and do the best we can to limit debt. (Matthew 25:14-30; Proverbs 22:7)

Conflict Resolution

We value the relationships at Wind River Community Church and in the community.  We also know there are times when people have misunderstandings and misinterpretations leading to conflict.  God calls us to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) and to deal with conflict so that it will glorify Him.  We believe that Matthew 18:15-17 is Christ’s teaching on how to deal with conflict in a God-honoring way.  We are devoted to creating a culture of peace in our homes, at our work place and within the church.