OUR IDENTITY
Forgiven sinners set free to be God's people by experiencing Jesus Christ’s fierce, sacrificial love

• “Jesus Christ loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.” (Revelation 1:5)
• “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8)
• “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10)          

OUR PURPOSE
To fully express love for God and for people

• “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.’” (Matthew 22:37-40)
• “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love…We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:7-8, 19)                                    

OUR VISION
To become and make followers of Jesus Christ who grow to full expression of love for God and people.

• “Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20)

• “Since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.” (1 John 4:11-12)

• “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19)

OUR PATTERN
To become and make followers of Jesus Christ who grow to full expression of love for God and people through evangelism, worship, fellowship, discipleship, and service.

Acts 2:41-47 provides a historical description of Jesus’ followers, his Church. In it we see all five love desires powerful expressed, giving us a pattern for today:

Evangelism

• “Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.” (Acts 2:41)

• “and enjoying the goodwill of all the people” (Acts 2:47)

• “And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47)

Worship

• “[All the believers devoted themselves]...to sharing in meals, including the Lord’s Supper, and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)

• “A deep sense of awe came over them all” (Acts 2:43)

• “They worshiped together at the Temple each day [and] met in homes for the Lord’s Supper” (Acts 2:46)

• “all the while praising God” (Acts 2:47)

Fellowship

• “[All the believers devoted themselves]...to fellowship.” (Acts 2:42)

• “And all the believers met together in one place” (Acts 2:44)

• “[They] shared their meals with great joy and generosity” (Acts 2:46)

Discipleship

• “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42)

Service

• “The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.” (Acts 2:43)

• “[All the believers] shared everything they had.” (Acts 2:44)

• “They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.” (Acts 2:45)
  

We summarize our calling through the five “C’s”:

• Communicate in evangelism the message of God’s saving love to all people
• Celebrate in worship God’s presence with us at all times
• Connect in fellowship through authentic, dynamic friendships
• Cultivate discipleship through a transformed life of consistency to God’s Word
• Contribute in service by willingly giving what we have to meet the needs of others

Putting it all together then in a very long, run-on (but theologically rich) sentence...

BFCC exists to become and make followers of Jesus Christ--
forgiven sinners set free to be God's people by Jesus Christ’s sacrificial love--called by the Holy Spirit to grow to full expression in loving God and people by communicating in evangelism, celebrating in worship, connecting in fellowship, cultivating discipleship, and contributing in service.
All to the glory and honor of God Almighty!

OUR VALUES
Non-categorized statements that reveal what matters to us

• People, so there’s always room for one more

• A motivation of love empowering every activity--so we avoid doing the "right things" for the wrong reasons

• Creative excellence with integrity

• Ministry that transforms lives into Christ-likeness

• Caring for one another—all people, no matter what stage of life they are in, or what level of abilities they have, deserve to be ministered to

• Being vision-powered not opportunity-driven (do what fits our vision, not whatever comes along)

• Church health, as well as church growth

• Equipping leaders, not creating events

• Generosity and stewarding well all that God has entrusted to us

• Accountable servant-leadership  (we lead as servants rather than serve as leaders)

• Truth and Grace--a commitment to God’s character and holy standards communicated through loving relationships that recognize our common sinfulness and complete dependence on God’s mercy

• Form follows function, therefore Biblical functions have priority over cultural forms

• Jesus gets all the credit

• The Bible as our completely reliable guidebook for knowing and doing God's will

OUR AFFIRMATIONS OF FAITH
A purposively short list...so we don't get side-tracked from following Jesus by getting wrapped up in just talking about following Jesus

• We affirm that Jesus Christ is the risen and living Lord, the Son of God (Matthew 16:16).  We affirm Jesus as the only way to God and to eternal life (John 14:6) for there is salvation in no one else (Acts 4:12). 
• We affirm the Bible is the inspired Word of God (2 Peter 1:20-21).  We affirm the Bible as our completely reliable guide in all manners of faith, and for living out the Christian life (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 
• We affirm the Church is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12), with Jesus Christ as the only true Head (Colossians 1:18).    
• We hold these affirmations as central to our shared life.  We have no creed and recognize the freedom and responsibility each Christian has to interpret the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.