Open Heart Chapel

rt, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all you strength. Mark 12:3

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all
for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

2. Christ-Exalting
God has highly exalted Jesus, and given Him a name above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God our Father. Since God has exalted Jesus and made Him the head of the church, we should all exalt Christ in all things we do for the glory of God Himself. Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

…God has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2 9-11

Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ–this Jesus whom you crucified. Spirit-Empowered
Our ministries, and decisions made in fulfilling them, should be nurtured in prayer, seeking the direction and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God, in response to our requests, promises to direct us in carrying out ministry. His direction is in keeping with biblical principles. Therefore, we desire to be devoted in prayer to seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit. We desire to be directed by and live according to God’s will; intentionally doing all that we do to accomplish His objectives. We strive for His glory as we will someday give account in Christ. We are committed to excellence according to His riches. We are also committed to high standards; involving personal faith in Jesus Christ, believer’s baptism, participation in holiness growth opportunities, the stewardship of life (time, money, and gifts), purity in morals, and honesty in speech. These Spirit driven standards are accepted, not out of duty or obligation, but out of gratitude to God for His great gift of salvation. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name , will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Galatians 5:22

4. Bible-Based
We are committed to a strong teaching-preaching ministry, which recognizes the Bible as the authoritative Word of God for all Christian faith and practice. Since the Bible is authority for Christian faith, it serves as the source as to what we believe as truth; therefore, all experiences and activities should be evaluated by what the Scriptures state. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. II Timothy 3:16-17

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. II Timothy 4:2

5. Disciple-Making
We desire to grow through people deciding to follow Christ. We will not be content with quantitative growth without qualitative growth as well, which occurs as people become more like Jesus Christ. We are committed to continual personal growth as Christians. We are also committed to a model of ministry which emphasizes large group celebrations in Christ and small group connections in Christ. We believe a fully devoted disciple is involved in serving, like Christ, for the glory of God. We are convinced that mature disciples pass on the discipleship making process to others. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them, in the name
of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matt. 28:19

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

… until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Eph 4:13

6. People-Loving
Essentially, the church is not a building, an institution, an organization, or a program. The church is people: believers in Jesus Christ. All organizations and programs are only means to an end, namely, changed lives for Jesus Christ. We are a local body of believers where meeting needs of people through Jesus is more important than staging events. We will seek to be a people marked by grace, not legalism; a people who encourage reconciliation in Christ; a people who walk by faith in Christ. We will do so in an atmosphere of love, acceptance, and forgiveness which Christ so readily gives to us first. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16. This A new commandment I give to you that you love one another; that you love one another, even as I have loved you. John 13:14

If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. I John 4:20

7. Outreach-Focused
The salvation of the lost, the least and the lonely, from start to finish, is the work of God. We recognize that the Lord uses a variety of means, including fervent prayer, verbal witness, and humble service, to introduce people to Christ for salvation. We will seek ways to reach out to people with whom we have contacts: our immediate family, close friends, associates, and neighbors. It is our responsibility to not stop there. We are called to expand our contacts to strangers, to people with differing backgrounds, and to those from different cultures and countries. Our desire is to impact individuals and families in order to bring people to personal faith in Jesus Christ. We desire to see their values, goals, and life directions shaped according to biblical perspectives. We will seek to do this through a variety of evangelistic efforts locally and internationally. We long to meet people’s needs and create a hearing of the gospel. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matt. 28:19

In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. John 3:3

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. II Peter 2:11

8. Service-Practicing
Each person who is part of His body is considered a minister for Christ. Part of that role is to encourage and equip God’s people for works of ministry. We are to be equipped to know and defend the faith and to apply it to daily life; to lead Christ-lives in the marketplace; to build strong, Christ-exalting marriages and families; to be good stewards; to be effective witnesses to the gospel; and to engage in works of ministry based upon spiritual gifts and maturity. As ministers, we will be service-oriented, like Christ, creating and maintaining ministries based on spiritual gifts and the call of God in our lives. If you want to be great in God’s kingdom …learn to be the servant of all…
Matthew 20:28

When you did it to one of the least of these… you were doing it to me. Matthew 25:45

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. II Corinthians 9:12

9. Future-Looking
It is our desire to be relevant in our communication of the gospel and in our response to needs, to be willing to evaluate all ministries according to biblical objectives, and to make changes in order to become more effective for Christ. We will accept risks and take challenges in order to advance God’s Kingdom. We look forward to being a worshipping, belonging and serving body both now and in the future. Storing up treasures in heaven…where neither moth or rust corrupt
Matthew6:20

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:2

Press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14