Mission & Vision
Matthew 7:13-14
The Narrow Way
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
Vision
The vision from the Lord for The Narrow Way Church is to see people love Jesus deeply and passionately so that they can effectively carry out the Great Commission of reaching our world for Him!
While we may have partnership or be networked with other like-minded churches and organizations, we do not belong to a particular denomination. We believe that a genuine, transformative salvation experience invites the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit’s power working in that person and through the process of being made more like Jesus, the believer will long more and more to love Jesus and to live like Him according to His Word laid out for us in the Holy Bible. The Holy Scriptures are the foundation for the believer, and God will not act contrary to His Word already spoken, although He may bring additional revelation and conviction that aligns with His Word. This “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17), as they grow in their faith and with other believers, will strive to fulfill the Great Commission of sharing the Gospel with those here and around the world who do not have a relationship with Jesus.
Hallmarks
Jesus-Focused
We want Jesus to be seen, known, loved, and worshipped. Our aim is not impressing you; it’s to lead you into the presence of the Lord…that is our greatest resource. If you’re looking for appeal or comfort, that’s not our main goal, so this might not be for you. We’re trying to get you to look to the One who will transform you. Us trying to impress you won’t accomplish that.
This is not your average church service in today’s world. We carve out a space for believers who are serious about loving Jesus and finding the way He said to go. It’s a place to worship, to grow in your faith, to discover the teaching of Christ, and let it be transformative to you. We’re geared to people who want to take up their cross. We might not do some of the things that you might expect in a typical American church setting. We are not hiding the fact that we long to be a place that is centered in a biblical format of worship.
Colossians 1:15-23 gives us even greater insight into the Lord Jesus Christ:
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through Him and for Him.
He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together.
Christ is also the head of the church, which is His body.
He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So He is first in everything.
For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ,
and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
This includes you who were once far away from God.
You were his enemies, separated from Him by your evil thoughts and actions.
Yet now He has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ in His physical body.
As a result, He has brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault.
But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it.
Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.
The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.”
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is our leader, worship planner, and power source. (Acts 20:28)
Worship
We will lead others to engage in worship that is passionate, expressive, and glorifies Jesus. (Psalms 63:1-5)
Obedient
We long for an environment of simple obedience to God’s Word for our daily lives, and we look also to His Word for our instructions on the functions and directives of the church. (1 John 2:5-6)
The Bible
The Bible, complete and inerrant, is our foundation for all teaching and spiritual growth. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Prayer
Prayer is an essential activity, personally and corporately. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Gather
We are not set out to draw a crowd, but simply to gather the family of God. A crowd may gather to enjoy a performance, but the family of God is looking to engage with each other and with the Lord. (Hebrews 10:23-25)
Bible-Carrying
We are Bible-carrying believers. This intention is not legalism, but rather to arm ourselves with the Word of God. People who are regularly in the Word will have it readily available.
Cross-Bearing
We long to be a culture that picks up our cross, embracing a life of lowliness, personal sacrifice, and humility. (1 Peter 4:1-2, 12-16)
Seek the Lost
We will intentionally seek out lost people through relationship, outreach, and evangelism. (Luke 19:10)
Discipleship
We will be a community of disciples discipling disciples through mentoring, accountability, and small group life. (Proverbs 27:17)
Community
We are a church that gathers, worships, and fellowships together, keeping Holy Communion as a central activity. In other words, we do life together. (Acts 2:40-45)
Team-Led
A team environment is essential to leadership with accountability at all levels. We are staff-led and elder-advised. The elders will be selected and appointed based on biblical requirements found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. The elders will be the advisors for the pastors and staff and will be heavily involved in the church and leadership.
Serve Each Other
We are a church who serves one another by using our spiritual gifts, talents, and resources. (1 Peter 4:10-11)
Generous
We are generous to others with all that we have, and we are faithful to obey God with our tithe. (1 John 3:16-18, Malachi 3:10-12)
Healing & Deliverance
It is an environment where healing and spiritual deliverance are common and sought after. (Matthew 10:8)
This is not an exhaustive list of hallmarks, but these do give an overall picture of the mission and vision of The Narrow Way Church.