Online Community Login











Gary Taylor--

During my 20's and 30's, I had to prove to everyone that I had total control of my...

Read More


 

Mission and Vision

Mission

To make fully transformed (morphed) disciples of Jesus Christ.


Vision

To transform the State of Illinois by transforming (morphing) its heart in Springfield.




The Five G.R.E.A.T. Values


1. Gift-Based Ministry

We are all full-time pastors. Therefore, each of us has the opportunity to minister in accordance with our God given gifts, temperaments and passions following the example of Christ.

2. Relational Connections
 
Relationships provide the environment through which spiritual growth occurs. We strongly encourage believers to be part of a small group to serve with others in ministry as part of their transformation. Relationships also provide the environment through which new life occurs. Though not all believers are gifted to be evangelists, every believer is called to reach out to lost people.

3. Excellence 

We will seek excellence in all that we do. We believe that God is worthy of the best we can offer. Therefore, we are committed to improving areas of weakness and maximize areas of strength.

4. Authenticity 

We will seek to live authentically in all that we do. Our desire as a church is to live out the biblical principle of truth-telling. Therefore, our leaders will set the pace in their walk with Christ, while being honest about sin and the process of growth, so that our congregation sees principles of spiritual growth lived out.

5. Truth with Creativity and Relevance
 
Biblical truth will be presented to people of all ages with contemporary relevance, variety and creativity.




Our Denomination


The Evangelical Free Church is an Association of over 1,200 autonomous churches united by a mutual commitment to serve our Lord Jesus Christ with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and obedience to the Word of God. We are committed to cooperate with one another in ministry and fellowship as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission which Christ has entrusted to His Church. The growing ministry of the Evangelical Free Church of America currently extends to some 30 nations of the world; encompassing nearly 1,300 additional congregations.

"Evangelical" refers to our commitment to the authority of Scripture as being without error in the original manuscripts and the only safe and sufficient guide to faith and practice.

"Free" refers to our form of church government as being congregational. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of the Church, and that every local church has the right under Christ to decide and govern its own affairs.




Ten Article Statement of Faith


The Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of autonomous churches united around these theological convictions:

                          God

1. We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.

                          The Bible

2. We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.

                          The Human Condition

3. We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.

                          Jesus Christ

4. We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus-Israel’s promised Messiah-was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.

                          The Work of Christ

5. We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.

                          The Holy Spirit

6. We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.

                          The Church

7. We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.

                          Christian Living

8. We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.

                          Christ’s Return

9. We believe in the personal, bodily and premillennial return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.

                          Response and Eternal Destiny

10. We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.


 

  Online Giving

Have you ever thought of contributing to Hope Church by the way of "electronic giving?"  There are several ways this can be done, all of which are easy and safe.

Just click on the link below to get started

Online Giving
    Food for the Journey

Hope is a place for people willing to embark on a spiritual journey, from those just investigating whether there is a God, to those who have made following Christ the priority of their life.  This is a safe place for everyone.  But safe doesn’t mean serenity.  The Bible presents a dangerous message of life change.  We don’t assume everyone believes, or even knows the Bible, but we do assume everyone who comes through our doors is open to exploring it. We believe the Bible is God’s inerrant truth and it is foundational to everything we do.

The Daily Devotional
Food for the Journey.


 

   
A Cybernautic Design Portfolio Website