Our Vision and Values

Shorepoint exists to lead people into an authentic and life changing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Core Values

 

Our passion is the presence of God.

Everything we do is fueled by the presence and relationship of God. From our worship experience on a Sunday to having coffee with a friend, we want to see people radically encounter Jesus and come to a deep revelation of the freedom we have in knowing Him. This passion helps us stay committed to the journey of advancing the Kingdom.

Exodus 33:14 // Psalm 16:11 // Jeremiah 29:13 // Acts 3:20 // Hebrews 4:16 // James 4:8

Our response is to go.

Jesus commissioned His followers to go into all the world with His message. We are responding to the call of Christ, witnessing and participating in the building of the Church and the extension of His kingdom. Whether it is a mission trip, the workplace, or school…if you go, He will show up!

Matthew 28:19 // Acts 1:8 // 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Our heart is friendship.

We like to say that we are “better together” because we each have the opportunity to learn and grow as we influence each other’s lives. Jesus gave commandments to love our neighbors as ourselves. It is with this heart that we are committed to allow God to frame our lives through authentic community.

John 15:13 // Proverbs 17:17 + 27:17 // John 15:15

Our culture is life-giving.

We believe church should be fun, encouraging, and inspiring. Hebrews 10:24 points to this value when it states, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” We believe that every person was made in the image of God and deserves to be treated with respect. The motivation of our actions will always be rooted in love, encouraging people to be more of who they were created to be.

John 10:10 // 2 Corinthians 3:17 // John 3:16

Our strength is unity.

We believe life-change happens best in community, when we are unified. The Bible references the power of unity in Philippians 2:2, where it states we are to live in one accord, knit together in spirit. At Shorepoint, we want to be known as individuals who have come together, under One Name, for a common purpose and are stronger for it.

Philippians 2:2 // John 17:21 // Ephesians 4:3,16 // 1 Corinthians 1:10

Our joy is generosity.

At Shorepoint, we believe cultivating a generous heart is our response to God who has been ever generous with us. In return, we give of our time, talents, and resources so others can discover hope . Everything we have is a gift, and we want to help as many people as we can with our generosity – locally and globally.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 // Proverbs 11:24-25 // Matthew 6:19-21

Our spirit is excellence.

We believe excellence honors God and inspires people. Having an excellent spirit circles back to being purpose driven, while representing Jesus and His Church well. We are engaged, hard working, faithful servants who do things to the best of our ability to spread the Gospel of Christ.

Philippians 4:8 // Daniel 6:3 // Colossians 3:23 // Matthew 5:14-16

Our responsibility is the next generation.

Our mission is to sow into and equip this generation. We believe that children, youth, and young adults don’t need to wait to step into their calling, but that they actually get to be a part of it right now.

Psalm 78:3-4 // Psalm 145:3-4 // Psalm 48:12-14 // 1 Peter 2:9

Our calling is to honor.

We are vocal with our honor, meaning we demonstrate through consistent respect in word and action toward those we lead, love, and follow. Honor recognizes and affirms that every person is valuable and powerful, and we choose to submit to the leadership placed over us and care for those placed under us.

1 Peter 2:17 // Romans 12:10 // Philippians 2:3

 

 

Beliefs

Bible

The Bible is the inspired Word of God, and is His revelation to people of Himself and His plan of salvation. The Bible was written by human authors through the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because it was inspired by God, the Bible is truth without any mixture of error and is totally relevant to the issues we face today. Put simply…the Bible tells us what is right, what is not right, how to get right, and how to stay right.

II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26

Trinity

There is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is one in essence and three in person. Although each member of the Trinity serves different functions, they possess equal power and authority.

The doctrine of the Trinity expresses three essential truths:

– The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons.
– Each Person is fully God.
– There is only one God.

I John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11

The Father

God is great: He is all powerful, all knowing, always present, unchanging, completely worthy of our trust, and above all, Holy. God is good. He is our Father. He is loving, compassionate, and faithful to His people and His promises.

Exodus 3:14; Numbers 23:19; Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2; Psalm 11:4-6; Malachi 3:6; John 3:16, 4:24, 5:26, 14:1; Acts 17:28; Romans 3:3-4

The Son

Jesus Christ is completely human, but at the same time, completely God. He is the only plan for bringing people who are far from God back into a right relationship with God. He lived a perfect life, so that He could be a substitution for us in satisfying God’s demands for perfection. He defeated death in His resurrection so that we can have life.

Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1,14, 20:28; Philippians 2:5-6; I Timothy 2:5; I Timothy 3:16

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit’s presence assures us of our relationship with Christ. He guides believers into all truth and honors and exalts Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, God’s righteousness, and the coming judgment. He comforts us, empowers us, gives us spiritual gifts, and makes us more like Christ.

Mark 1:10; Luke 1:35, 4:1, 11:13, 12:12; John 15:26, 16:7-14; Acts 1:8, 2:1-4, 13:2; Romans 8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Peter 1:21; Revelation 22:17

Man

Man (humankind) is made in the image of God and is the supreme object of His creation. Man was created to have fellowship with God, but became separated in that relationship through sinful disobedience. As a result, man cannot attain a right relationship with God through his own effort. Every human being is uniquely created, possesses dignity, and is worthy of respect and love.

Genesis 1:26-27, 31; 3:1-8; 11:1-9; Romans 3:9-10, 23; 5:12-14; Ephesians 2:1-3

Eternity

Mankind was created to exist forever. We will exist either eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is Heaven. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence. To live forever with God in heaven requires that we receive the gift of salvation.

John 3:1, 14:1-6; Romans 6:23; I John 2:25, 5:11-13; Revelation 20:15

Salvation

Because man is spiritually lost, separated from God through sin, we need salvation. The blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, provides the only way of salvation through the forgiveness of sin. Salvation occurs when we confess our sins and place our faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as sufficient payment for our sin. Salvation is a gift from God, and cannot be earned through our own efforts and good works.
Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 9:22
In addition to providing forgiveness of our sins, Jesus’ death on the cross also provides for divine healing. While not everyone for whom we pray is healed, Scripture encourages and instructs us to pray for healing.

Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matthew 8:16, 17; James 5:14-16; I Peter 2:24

Water Baptism

Jesus taught that His followers are to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Water baptism is a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ. It is a public and powerful witness of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, a declaration that we have died to sin and have been raised with Christ to walk in the power of a new life. Because water baptism is a witness of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we practice water baptism by immersion. Jesus Himself provided the example of water baptism. Though Jesus had never sinned, He asked to be water baptized in order to “fulfill all righteousness.” In the first century church, those who accepted the message of Christ were baptized in water.

Matthew 3:13-15, 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 8:12, 10:47-48

Communion

The word, “communion” reminds us that we have become a community with God and with each other through the work of Christ on the cross. Communion, the Lord’s Supper, is a spiritual meal consisting of two elements: the bread and the cup. The bread symbolizes Christ’s body broken for us. The cup, filled with the fruit of the vine, represents the blood of Christ poured out for our sins. Participating in communion provides us an opportunity to:
Remember the suffering of Christ on the cross as payment for our sins and celebrate our salvation.
– Examine our own heart and motives and experience forgiveness.
– Recognize the community we have with each other through Jesus Christ.
– Look back to the cross of Christ, look within to see our need for the forgiveness and grace of Christ, and look ahead to the coming of Christ.

Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25

Baptism In The Holy Spirit

All Christ-followers have the opportunity to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. This was the normal experience of believers in the first-century Church. This gift is promised to each believer. With the baptism in the Holy Spirit comes greater power for life and service. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is distinct from, and subsequent to, the experience of salvation.

With the baptism in the Holy Spirit come such experiences as:
– an overflowing fullness of the Spirit
– a greater power to be a witness of Christ
– an intensified reverence for God and dedication to His work

Luke 24:49; John 7:37-39; Acts 1:4, 1:8, 2:38-39, 2:42-43, 4:31, 8:12-17, 10:44-46, 11:14-16, 19:1-7

The Church

The local church is a community of believers united through faith in Christ, a visible expression of the universal Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Church is committed to the teachings of Christ and obeying all of His commands, as we seek to share the Gospel with the world. Shorepoint Church serves together in
love and unity with other local churches, committed to the ultimate purpose of bringing glory to God as we love and serve each other.

John 17:11, 20-23; Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23

Sanctification

Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication to God. While salvation is a gift which occurs in a moment, sanctification is a lifelong process as we recognize our identification with the death and resurrection of Christ and yield the members of our body to the Lord as “instruments of righteousness.” Sanctification leads to a life of holy living. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to obey the command to “Be holy, as I am holy.”

Romans 8:29, 12:1-2; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18; I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; II Thessalonians 2:1-3; Hebrews 2:11

The Return of Jesus Christ

While we don’t know when Jesus Christ will return to take all believers to heaven forever, we eagerly await for the imminent coming of our Lord and Savior. The truth of Scripture is that Jesus could come anytime.

Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; II Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7