FIRST ASSEMBLY
Core Values:
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THE MANIFEST PRESENCE OF GOD
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THE AUTHORITY OF THE WORD OF GOD
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PEOPLE MATTER
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TEAM MINISTRY
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A PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
Mission:
We believe God has placed Ellettsville First Assembly of God into this community for a specific mission: “Healing Hearts | Changing Lives” by the power of Jesus Christ. Our vision is meant to expand on the mission.
Beliefs:
EFA is grateful to have an ongoing connection with the Assemblies of God, with nearly 3 million members and 13,000 church in the USA alone. There is an estimated 85 million + adherents worldwide. Click the link above to learn more about the beliefs of the Assemblies of God.
Vision:
In this life, we all have hurts, pains, and are in need of healing and restoration. We believe God has positioned EFA to focus on those who are hurting and broken within our community in order to display the love of God. We choose to take responsibility and introduce them to a loving God who can change their life. He is the only One who can remove past, present, and future hurts and pains. The cross of Jesus Christ is where we find healing. His death and resurrection provided for healing in every area of our lives - spirit, soul, and body. As a church, we desire to be an extension of Christ to our community and the surrounding areas (Mt. 28:19-20) by loving and serving all ages and all people. We trust God will equip us to shape and mold those who are willing into the image of Christ as we pursue Him together.
In order to accomplish this mission, “Healing Hearts | Changing Lives”, we as a dedicated body of believers must:
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Seek the manifest presence of God in our daily lives,
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Give attention and authority to His word,
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Love people,
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Work together as a unified ministry team, and
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Pursue excellence in all we do.
There is a rich history in Ellettsville First Assembly of God of those who have loved, served, dreamed, given, and prayed to establish the present ministry of this church. But there are still people to be loved, ways to serve, dreams to be dreamed, sacrifices to be made, and prayers to be prayed. Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) states, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” At Ellettsville First Assembly of God, it is our desire that you catch the vision God has given us, and that you begin to visualize the invisible!
We dream of a church…
...where people are loved and accepted for who they are, yet their encounter with the manifest presence of God is life transforming, altering the course of their future.
…where salvation of souls is a regular occurrence; where those who come to know Christ follow His example in water baptism; where whole families believe in and live for Jesus because they have experienced the love of God; where people find joy, not just happiness.
…where God is worshiped with music and song, but more importantly, that He is worshiped by the daily life of the believer; where those who do not know Jesus as Savior can see a difference in the life of those who profess Jesus as Lord and be drawn toward Him; where the believer is equipped with the Baptism in the Holy Spirit which empowers the believer to be a witness of Jesus (Acts 1:8, 2:1-4).
…where the secret place with Jesus becomes the most important moment of every day; where the Word of God is invested into lives so that we might live for Him and know His voice; where prayer is more than just a thought, more than just a passing word, but an action vital to life.
…where people’s hearts are not solely focused on reaching the lost locally, but also around the world; where people give faithfully to support the church, but also to the missionaries who go where we cannot; where people are launched into ministry; where teams of short-term workers go out to minister across the world.
…where people find the gifts God has placed in them, seek after more, and put them to use; where serving in ministry to all ages is considered a privilege, not a burden.
…where children and youth come to know Jesus as Savior and are lifelong followers of Him; where lifelong relationships among adults, youth, and children form; where marriages that are broken receive healing; where parents’ hearts are turned toward their children, investing love, time, and the values of the Word of God into young hearts.
…where those who are mature in the faith mentor the young, propelling them forward to reach new heights in their life with Christ.
…where ministry methods may change, but the message remains the same.
Every part of the dream you have read, plus the short or long term practical goals that follow are subject to the will of God. As Moses said to God in Exodus 33:15, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” There is no desire to move, change, shift, or step without the Presence of the Lord.
We lean on three scriptures. Jesus said in Matthew 19:26 (NIV), “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” The Word of God states in Romans 4:17 (ESV) our God is the one “...who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.” Also, “…we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18, NIV).” As we continue from this foundation that was laid in 1941, we choose to press on. People are hurting and broken, but He is still in the business of “Healing Hearts | Changing Lives.” Lord use us for Your glory, we pray.