CORE VALUES
WE VALUE AND UPHOLD THE BIBLE.
We believe the Bible is God's inspired Word, the authoritative and trustworthy rule of faith and practice for Christians. Deuteronomy 11:18 instructs us, "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads." The Bible is both timeless and timely, relevant to the common needs of all people at all times and to the specific problems of contemporary living. For in the book of 2 Timothy 3:16 we read, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that all God's people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." Therefore, we are committed to equipping Christians, through the preaching and teaching of God's Word, to follow Christ in every sphere of life.
WE VALUE AND UPHOLD WORSHIP.
Scripture teaches, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). Therefore, we must come together in unity to praise, honor and love the Lord we serve. We must provide an atmosphere of openness to allow the demonstration of worship in a variety of forms. Therefore, we will come together to celebrate God's goodness, be exposed to His Word, and uplift our fellow believers as we open the doors to those who seek and desire to visit and we will follow the command of the Psalms, "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs" (100:1-2).
WE VALUE AND UPHOLD OUTREACH.
We believe we must be committed to spreading the Christian message to the children and the community from which we come, as well to the people of our culture and other cultures for the growth of the worldwide church. Therefore, we will follow the commands of Scripture, "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8b). "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20).
WE VALUE AND UPHOLD EXCELLENCE.
We believe the God of our Salvation deserves the best we have to offer. The Lord himself is a God of excellence, as shown in the beauty of creation; further He gave the best that He had, His only Son, for us. (Romans 8:32) Paul exhorts servants, in whatever the do, to "work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23). Therefore, in the ministries and activities of the Union Church we value a high standard of excellence to glorify and love God. This is best achieved when every person is exercising his or her own God-given spiritual gifts to the utmost of their ability.
WE VALUE AND UPHOLD FAMILY AND FELLOWSHIP.
The Bible teaches that we are made to be in community. Community as described in Acts 2:42 "they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer". Community with God through the salvation of Jesus Christ and the intervention of the Holy Spirit is our first and most important relationship. Sharing the love we receive from this relationship with others is the Great Commission and is also commanded in 1 John 3:16, "This is how we will know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for one another". Therefore, we will teach and give opportunity to experience the power of prayer. We will foster strong homes and families where personal where personal and family spiritual growth is promoted. We will foster fellowship. We will be an example of loving relationships permeating the family of faith and spreading to the outside community; meeting the needs of those God has put in our midst.
