It has been our goal from the beginning to create a church home that people can be excited about, a place where people can come and have the freedom to become all God has called them to be, a place where people can come and get excited and equipped to go out and change the world with the love of Christ, and a place where people can come and experience this “great adventure” of faith. The Church @ 434 was created for people like you and me.

The Church @ 434 is on the “cutting edge” in a rapidly changing world. We have the ability to do that because as believers we have the one thing that never changes, and that is, of course, Jesus. If we are going to ever discover the excitement and adventure of living for Jesus we will do so through learning how our faith meets the real world.

So continue reading about the “The Church @ 434 Experience…”

The Structure

The structure is designed as a ministry flow chart. It’s sole purpose is to enable ministry to happen.

Elders will fulfill the Biblical role of providing leadership wisdom to the ministry of The Church @ 434…

Staff becomes responsible for the day-to-day operations and leadership of the ongoing ministry of The Church @ 434…

Congregation becomes responsible for taking the message of Christ into the world and becoming the full time ministers that God as called them to become…

You will notice there are no committees in the structure. Any committee that would be needed will be a temporary committee. As a team it’s function will be clearly defined. It’s existence will have a set beginning and ending, and it’s focus will be to fulfill a certain task.

Definition of Church

Church: The manifestation of Jesus Christ in His people in the world.

The Church @ 434 Mission

To touch and change our world with the love of
Jesus Christ.

The Church @ 434 Vision

To lead people in discovering the excitement and adventure of living for Jesus.

Who We Are at The Church @ 434

The Church @ 434 is a Southern Baptist Christian fellowship designed to teach, equip, and mobilize people to live out “life abundant” in their everyday existence through:

Worship experiences that will meet individual needs while proclaiming Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Opportunities for spiritual growth and development for the entire family.
To help individuals live up to their maximum potential through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
To assist believers in discovering their talents and how to use them in day to day living.

A Philosophy of Church

“They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching, and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All of the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they freely gave to anyone as he had need. Everyday they continued to meet each other in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added daily to their number those who were being saved.”

Acts 2:42-47 NIV

I am convinced that this passage of scripture gives us a good overview of what a New Testament Church should be like.

THE FOUR BASICS OF CHURCH

It should devote itself to the teaching and proclamation of God’s word.
It should fellowship.
It should pray together.
It should be a community of believers.

If this passage gives us a model of what “church” should be , then there are some basics philosophies that are crucial to understanding the The Church @ 434concept.

Church has never been buildings, but rather it is people. People are the “called out” of God, we must always remember that we serve one who says , ” I do not come to dwell in temples built by man.” (Acts 17:24)
“Each of us are on a journey.” (Philippians 3:12-14). None of us have arrived. As part of a royal priesthood, we are each accountable before God.
Every person has been given a spiritual gift and a ministry that needs to be used in the body of Christ.
Our “call” is to be Christians, NOT religious…if you remember it was the religious people that crucified Jesus!
Tradition is fabulous, if it is Biblical, BUT tradition for tradition’s sake is wrong. In Luke 6:33-39 we discover that Jesus was trying to explain that He is and has always been “NEW STUFF.”
The church’s ministry evolves out of needs as they arise (Acts 6).
- The church must be alert so they can respond pro-actively instead of re-actively.
- The church must be careful not to program itself to death.
The church must strive toward excellence in the things it does. But it does not have to do everything. It is better to do a few things well than to do all things with mediocrity.
The church is a “hospital” to meet the needs of those to whom we are called to minister; it is not a “hotel” where the staff insure its member’s comfort.
With the exception of Biblical truths, nothing should be written in stone. The church should always have the freedom to try new things and explore new avenues of ministry.
Failure is okay. I believe that it is a greater mistake to try nothing than to try something and fail.
The church should be a “soft place.” A place where Christians can always re- discover the joy of their faith, and a place where the world can find acceptance, hope and love.

The Church @ 434

These are some philosophies that are important to any church being successful and these are some of the ideas that are crucial for Covenant Community Church being successful…

The Church @ 434 must be a Church with a VISION
- if we have VISION then we will have purpose and be on a mission
- if we have VISION we will be innovators not imitators
The Church @ 434 must be a Church of PRAYER
- if we are a praying people, prayer will be the foundation on which all decisions and activity happens
- if we are a praying people, we will be a caring place
- if we are a praying people, the impossible becomes possible
The Church @ 434 must be a Church of PERSONAL GROWTH
- if we desire to grow as a people, then discipleship becomes a life-style
- if we desire to grow as a people, then we will create an exciting environment to be a part of
The Church @ 434 must be a Church that desires to GROW AS A CHURCH
- if we are serious about changing our world, we will strive to meet the needs of those around us
The Church @ 434 must be a Church with an ATTITUDE (a positive attitude)
- if we believe God has given us a mission, then we will be excited about how He blesses us
- if we believe God has given us a mission, then our leadership will reflect confidence and excitement
- if we believe God has given us a mission, then we will be “real” in our approach to ministry
The Church @ 434 must be a Church of FOCUS AND CONFIDENCE
- if we are confident in what God calls us to be, we will be bold in following His leadership and strive for excellence in all we do, realizing that we are not called to do everything
The Church @ 434 must be a Church of QUALITY AND EVALUATION
- if we are to become all God asks, then we must evaluate all we do in terms of quality, impact, and levels of participation
- if we are to become all God asks, we will not fear mistakes, we will learn from them and grow
- if we are to become all God asks, we must accept that some programs have a life cycle, so we will be constantly changing and evolving
The Church @ 434 must be a Church of MINISTRY MINDSET
- if we want to change the lives of people, we must realize we are a part of a big team in the Kingdom of God
- if we want to change the lives of people, we will see our faith as a daily adventure, not just a “Sunday event”
The Church @ 434 must be a Church with a HEART FOR PEOPLE
- if we have a heart for people, we are sensitive to the needs, fears, and issues facing people today
The Church @ 434 must be a Church of STRONG LEADERSHIP
- if we are to be strong, church leaders must become encouragers and cheerleaders for their people as they minister and grow
- if we are to be strong, church leaders will be the quarterbacks or captains of the team, but not dictators
- if we are to be strong, church leaders must be willing to take risks in order to make progress

The Missing Piece of the Puzzle…

Well, now that you have read about some of the philosophies and Biblical basis that was used in the creation of The Church @ 434, let us share one more brief thought with you.

We understand that there are thousands of churches to choose from, each one has strengths and weaknesses. We have tried to create a structure that will strengthen families and individuals based upon strong teaching of the Bible, exciting worship experiences, and encouragement for people in their role as ministers in the world. So if you are looking for something that is different than the rest then you may very well be the next piece of the The Church @ 434 puzzle.

Prayerfully consider The Church @ 434 as your church home and see how you may fit into the puzzle. Our prayer is that you will be active in striving to become who God wants you to be.