Who We Are
We are a church of people from all walks of life who are united by a belief in and obedience to the Bible . . . and the God of the Bible. We are not a bunch of perfect people (boy do we have some stories), but people who are experiencing the life-change that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ. And we don’t want to keep this experience to ourselves—we welcome you.

Beliefs
The following are brief summaries of some key beliefs that help define who we are.

1. The Bible. It is God’s word and His complete written revelation to us. Though written down by human authors, it was through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Because of that, it is truth without any mixture of error. It is the guide for how we are to live as Christians and operate as a church.
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Hebrews 4:12

2. God. There is only one true & living God who is the Creator & Sustainer of the universe. God is eternal and reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, & Holy Spirit, with
distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence, or being—a “Trinity” (three-in-one).

• As Father, He desires and makes possible for all to become part of His eternal family.
Genesis 1:1, 26-27; Deuteronomy 6:4;
Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14

• Jesus, God the Son, is co-equal with the Father and was in existence before His incarnation. He was born to a virgin, lived a sinless life, & died a sacrificial death to save us. His resurrection from the dead proved that He was the Son of God with power over sin & death. He will return to gather His church to be with Him forever.
Matthew 1:18-23; John 1:1, 14; Isaiah 9:6;
Isaiah 53:1-12; Romans 1:1-4; Acts 1:9-11

• The Holy Spirit is God, co-equal with the Father & the Son. He has personal attributes (is not some inanimate “force”). He makes us aware of our need for salvation and is active in the process of saving us. He lives in every believer from the moment of salvation and provides the Christian with power for living and understanding spiritual truth. He gives every believer at least one spiritual gift to be used in the work of the Kingdom.
John 14:16-18; 15:26-27; 16:7-14;
2 Corinthians 3:17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

3. Humanity. We were created by a special act of God, the crowning work of His creation. We are made in His image and were created to live forever with Him. Because of sin, we are separated from God and are dead spiritually. We are incapable of overcoming sin on our own and are in need of salvation, which God offers to us. Until we receive salvation, we can expect only judgment & eternal separation from God. By receiving Jesus as Savior & Lord, we become part of the family of God.
Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 8; Romans 3:23 & 6:23

4. Salvation. Salvation is God’s gift of forgiveness & adoption into His family that comes by receiving Jesus into our lives as Lord and Savior. He is the only way to be saved. Salvation is something each individual must choose to receive and it is the beginning of a life that should be totally surrendered to God. God’s gift of salvation lasts forever & culminates in our being with Him in heaven. Those who do not receive God’s gift of salvation spend eternity in hell.
John 3:16-18; John 14:6; Romans 10:9-10;
Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 8:31-39

5. The Church. Church exists on both a universal (those from all history & locations who have been saved by faith) and local (smaller groups of likeminded believers) level. The church (local & universal) is given the mission of making disciples of the entire world.
Matthew 16:13-18; Matthew 28:18-20;
Acts 2:41-47; Ephesians 4:11-16

6. Baptism & The Lord’s Supper. The two ordinances of the church symbolize Jesus’ death, burial, & resurrection and our communion (sharing) with Him in life eternal.
Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

A more detailed statement is in The Baptist Faith & Message (2000), published by the Southern Baptist Convention, of which we are a part.

Core Values

L Lost people matter to God and to us. It will be a priority with us to introduce them to the gospel of Jesus so that they can be saved. We will seek to reach them proactively but lovingly. We will be relevant in our methods and ministry. We will seek the lost locally, nationally and internationally. (Luke 15 & 1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

H Helping believers to grow as disciples is our commitment, based on Jesus’ charge in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Our goal is to help people become like Christ (Romans 8:29 & Acts 4:13).

B Biblical truth is the final and ultimate guideline for our beliefs, behavior, and ministry. We will teach the Bible and challenge each other to live it out in our lives. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 & Matthew 7:24-27)

C Change is not something of which we will be afraid. We will be willing to change (strategically) our methods to be more effective in obeying the Great Commission. We will not, however, change the message nor the mandates of God’s word. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

Mission

Our mission is to make disciples—helping people find Christ and grow to be like Him.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20

We want to be a church that fulfills this mission— first, in the White Rock Lake area, but also in our individual areas of influence (family, work, school), as well as to the world beyond Dallas (we are involved in international missions).