Ascend  exists to reach the wayward with the Good News of Jesus, disciple the saved, and grow together as a Family of Believers.

 

The Vision of the Church is in the name:  Ascend. Church.  We are on an upward journey of worship together until we see Jesus face to face.  We want to help others ascend well so we do it in gathered community.  

 

The Core Values of the Church are:

 

    1.  Follow the Word.  

We want to be faithful to follow the Word for what it says.  We commit to study the Bible as individuals and as a gathered group.  We believe that the Bible has complete authority and relevance for all of life, and that it is completely true and trustworthy.

    

    2.  Authentic Worship.

As we gather to worship through song, studying the Bible, and other various aspects, we commit to being authentic.  As we sing, we will sing as to the Lord.  As we study, we will do so as to the Lord.  Whether it is through fellowship, the Lord's Supper, etc, we will strive to just be honest and real with our hearts and lives.  The focus will be on Jesus and meeting with Him instead of being impressive or trying to keep up with the newest worship fad.

    

    3.  Real Relationships

God has called us to do this journey in groups.  We will be meeting in small and large groups.  We commit to deeply loving each other in these times.  We commit to forgiving and bearing with one another.  We commit to working through hard things together so that we can authentically engage with each other as we are.  We aren't perfect and relationships aren't perfect, but we will strive to really love each other.

 

    4.  Being Generous

Everything we have is a gift from God: the next breath, our time, our belongings, our finances.  We know that it all belongs to the Lord, and we will walk this journey with open palms, ready to give to the Lord anything He asks of us.  We commit to treat these temporary blessings as gifts that we are ready to give away in the event that God calls upon us.  Our focus is not on our stuff, but on our Jesus and His call for our lives.

 

The Beliefs of the Church are:

 

The Sovereignty of God 

God is living, relevant, vibrant and true. He is intelligent, spiritual, and personal. God is the Creator, Redeemer, Healer, Provider and Sustainer. God is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes, but are one in nature, essence, and being.

 

The Supremacy of Christ

Christ is the eternal Son of God. In coming to the earth, Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus lived without sin. He honored God’s law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of The Father where He is the One Mediator providing reconciliation between God and man. Jesus will return in power and glory to judge the world and to complete His redemptive mission. Jesus now dwells in all believers as the living Lord. 

 

The Power of The Spirit 

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He inspired men to write the Scriptures. He enables us to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts us of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls us to the Savior, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration every believer is baptized into the Body of Christ by Him. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which believers serve God through His church. He equips, encourages and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, ministry and service.

 

The Integrity of The Word

The Holy Bible is the divine word of God. It was inspired by God and written by men and is God's revelation of Himself to man. God is its author, salvation is its end, and truth is its substance. All Scripture is without error and is true and trustworthy. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ.

 

The Gospel of Grace 

As a family of faith we will intentionally seek out the hopeless, helpless and marginalized with the intent of sharing with them with the Gospel of Grace.  The gracious purpose of God is Redemption and restoration. We believe that grace is not an abstract construct but the person of Jesus Christ living in and through His people. Grace regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. In the person of Jesus, grace is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. 

 

The Significance of People

As a family of faith, we believe that our true identity is found only in Jesus and the finished work of the cross. Our identity is not based on who we are, what we have or what we have done, but solely on who Jesus is, what He has given us and what He has done. All people are treasures to God, valued far more than we can imagine or dream.

 

The Gift of Generosity

God is the source of all blessings. Everything we have and are we owe to Him. We desire to be generous and serve Him with our time, talents, and material possessions. We recognize we are stewards of these, entrusted to use them for the glory of God, the advancement of His Kingdom and for helping others. According to the Scriptures, Christians should live generous lives, generously giving cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionately, and liberally. 

 

The Mandate of The Mission

It is the role and privilege of every Christ-follower to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. As a family of faith, we are committed to intentionally be a mission shaped community, in which we serve each other through our grace-gifts as we serve in our spheres of influence by being the heart, hands, and feet of Jesus. Our transformation by the Gospel creates a deep and abiding love for others. Jesus has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations and ethnic groups. It is our duty to be intent on impacting the world with the Gospel of Grace through verbal witness, living a set apart lifestyle, and by any and all means in agreement with the gospel of Christ.