SIX PILLARS OF TOOWONG BAPTIST CHURCH
1. Lifting High the Name of Jesus through Worship - We want to make the greatness of God known by loving and obeying Him in all of life; when we meet together for congregational worship we use a blended style of worship that acknowledges the variety of people and preferences within the church family. John 4: 23-24; Romans 12:1-2; I Corinthians 10:31
2. Proclaiming the Authority of God’s Word Without Compromise - We believe the Word of God is sufficient and authoritative for all of life. We study it carefully to understand the Holy Spirit’s original meaning and purpose, and we work to apply it to the lives and problems of people. 2 Peter 1:3-ff; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 4:12
3. Boldly sharing the Good News of Jesus - Christ commanded his disciples to make disciples of every nation, so we explain the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost, seeking to win them, bring them into the church and teach them God’s Word. Evangelism also includes showing the love of Christ to unbelievers by being friends to them and serving them; church planting; and supporting and sending short-term or long term missionaries to other countries.
Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 8:1-8; Philippians 1:12ff; Ephesians 6:18.
4. Authentic and Sacrificial leadership - The kind of people that God calls to lead at Toowong Baptist Church is extremely important. Obviously our pastors, deacons and teachers must meet the biblical qualifications as set forth in the books of 1Timothy and Titus. Beyond that we expect our leaders to follow in Apostle Paul’s example of being authentic, forthright, honest, hard-working and sacrificial. In a phrase we expect that our leaders set the example of saying to Christ daily: “Lord, I will be Faithful, Available, and Teachable!”
God calls Pastors with the assistance of deacons to shepherd His flock, so we work to provide pastoral care for all the members of Toowong Baptist Church. This care includes building relationships, preaching, teaching, counseling, administering the ordinances, and exercising church discipline. Acts 20:20ff; I Peter 5:1-4; 2 Corinthians 6:3-11; 1 Thessalonians 2:8-9
5. Building Biblical Community – God designed the church to be a community, so we encourage people to spend time helping and encouraging one another, and using their spiritual gifts to serve in the work of ministry. Mark 9:50; John 13:34; Romans 12:5; Romans 12:10; Ephesians 4:11-16
God works through families to prepare future generations to know, love, and serve Him, so Toowong Baptist Church works hard to strengthen family relationships at every level: marriage, parenting, young people and singles. Genesis 2:18-25; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Ephesians 5:22-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21
6. Pursue Christ-likeness - Our goal is to become like Jesus Christ in character and lifestyle, so we encourage each other to work hard at Christ-likeness (totally depending on God’s grace to do so). Matthew 5:1-12; Colossians 1:28; Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 12:14.
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