Vision, Purpose & Core Values
The Oaks' Vision
“Helping people become fully devoted followers of Christ.”
Purpose: The Oaks exists to fulfill the five biblical purposes of the church:
- Growing Deeper through inspiring Worship
- Growing Broader through gift oriented Ministry
- Growing Larger through relational Evangelism
- Growing Closer through genuine Community
- Growing Stronger through intentional Discipleship
Worship
We celebrate the presence of Christ and experience His transforming power both personally and corporately.
John 4:24, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Ephesians 5:19-20, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”
Ministry
We believe that every member is a minister and should strive to demonstrate God’s love by serving others through their God-given gifts by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I Corinthians 12:4-7, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”
Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Evangelism
We intentionally build relationships with those who do not know Christ in the hope that we will reach them by sharing His message through our words and actions.
Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Philemon: 6, “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”
I Thessalonians 2:8, “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”
Community
We will share Christ-like relationships, speak the truth in love, forgive each other with grace and humility, and grow together in our journeys of faith.
John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Acts 2:42, 44, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. All the believers were together and had everything in common.”
Ephesians 4:2-3, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Discipleship
We desire everyone to continually grow in their faith and knowledge of God; to be shaped into the image of Christ.
Colossians 1:9-11, “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.”
Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Our core values describe how God is directing The Oaks Fellowship to do ministry in our own local setting in light of the five biblical purposes of the church.
These are the areas that define the uniqueness of who we are and how we choose to live and function as a fellowship of believers.
- Spirit Led - We are determined to hear God’s voice. We want His will and His leading in everything that we do. Therefore, we make it a practice to pray about every decision that is made. We know that if we live in obedience to God’s will, we can expect God’s provision, protection, and power.
- All Together - We understand that our strength is realized when we all work together in unity under the direction of Christ. We handle our relationships with Godly character. We speak the truth to each other, in love, even to the last ten percent. We expect each believer to demonstrate an attitude of optimism concerning others and the future.
- Equipping Leaders - We have been called to raise up those who have been given the spiritual gift of leadership. We will identify, encourage, and equip them to reach their full leadership potential in Christ.
- Next Generation - We are committed to reach and equip children, students, and young adults through creative and relevant ministries. We believe that God wants us to empower the next generation to expand the Kingdom of God in greater ways and with greater power.
- Reaching People - We plan every service with the understanding that there will be those in attendance who do not know Christ. We also recognize that there are those in attendance who desire to rekindle their relationship with Christ. It is our desire for people to have opportunity to accept Christ as Savior or renew their relationship with Him.
- Life-changing Experience - We will offer worship experiences that are creative, relevant, inspiring, intimate, genuine, and done with excellence. We plan and present special events with the ultimate goal of life change. Transformation, not just information, is the basis of a successful ministry.
- Biblical Truth - We believe the Bible is God’s holy, inspired Word. We recognize that the Bible is true, and that its teaching is the catalyst for transformation.
