Vision: Embodying the presence of Christ to Sanford and the world
Mission: By the grace of God and the power of His Holy Spirit, we will embody the presence of the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ to Sanford and the world through our worship, our witness, and our way of life as His disciples.
Values:
W God-focused intergenerational worship.
Worship is far more about God than about us! In our worship, we gather as the body of Christ-believers from all generations in an encounter with the living God, who has revealed Himself in Scripture and supremely in His Son, Jesus Christ. We focus on God; He is the center of our worship. We declare and celebrate God's mighty acts, particularly in Christ, and His presence and work among us through the Holy Spirit. We carry on a holy conversation with God as He speaks to us about who He is and who we are in relation to Him. God speaks to us through His Word and by His Spirit, and we respond in faith, praise, thanksgiving, and obedience. Because we seek to exalt God and build up the body of Christ, we provide weekly opportunities for the entire JHBC family to worship together, as well as ongoing age-appropriate/generation-specific opportunities. (Psalm 95; Psalm 100; Isaiah 6; Revelation 4-5; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 14; Ephesians 1:3-23)
W Bible-centered life-impacting Bible study and discipleship.
Because we believe that the Bible is God's inspired word, it is central to all that we do. The Bible bears witness to God's character, His great eternal redemptive purpose in the world, His saving work in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the way of life He calls us to follow as Jesus' disciples (individually and as a church). As we study God's word together, He forms and transforms us into the likeness of Christ, and the church grows in unity toward maturity as the body of Christ. Through small-group Bible and discipleship studies as well as careful Biblical preaching and teaching in worship, God's word impacts our lives and our life together as disciples of Jesus. (Psalm 19; Isaiah 40:8; 55:8-11; John 17:17; Romans 12:1-8; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Timothy 4:11-16; 2 Timothy 3:14-17)
W Hands-on relationship-driven missions.
We are on mission with God in the world, a redemptive mission that is both local and global in scope. Because God has planted us in the city of Sanford, He has given us a special responsibility to bear witness to our city and its surrounding communities through our works, our words, and our way of life. As a local expression of the body of Christ, we share with Christ's church throughout the world the responsibility of making disciples of all nations. We support with our finances and our prayers the efforts of those individuals and organizations with whom we share a genuine relationship, fostering a sense of partnership and accountability. We are also committed to direct hands-on involvement by participating in mission work through our church and those organizations with whom we partner to reach our city, our state, our nation, and the world. (Genesis 12:1-3; Isaiah 42:1-9; 52:7-10; Matthew 9:35-38; 28:16-20; Luke 24:45-49; John 20:19-23; Acts 1:6-8; Romans 10:5-17; 2 Corinthians 5:11 - 6:2; 1 Peter 2:9-10)
W An accepting and encouraging sense of family where everyone's voice counts.
We are a family of faith that gladly welcomes anyone who desires to worship with us, and joyfully accepts followers of Christ whom God calls to become a part of our congregation. As fellow-disciples we share each other's joys and sorrows, bearing one another's burdens and so fulfilling the law of Christ. We encourage one another as we follow Christ together. In humility, love, and mutual respect, we strive to listen to each other as we seek to discern God's guidance, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Mark 3:31-35; Acts 2:42-47; Romans 14:19; 15:1-7; 1 Corinthians 12:4 - 13:13; Galatians 5:13 - 6:5; Ephesians 4:1-6; 4:29 - 5:2; Philippians 2:1-18; Hebrews 10:24-25)
