Since we are a family, it makes sense we would have some "house rules". That is, these are the things we highly value most in our church family. Our goal is that all who are part of the BCC family would come to value them, as well.
In this house...
• We share the load… SERVICE
In every family, there is work to be done. The church family is no different. And, if we all do our part, the load is much lighter, and we all get to experience the joy of serving God and one another. The Bible tells us in 1 Cor. 12 and Rom. 12 that everyone who is a Christian has been given the Spirit of God who in turn gives each person a spiritual gift(s) to bless the rest of the church and the world. At Bailey we not only believe the church grows healthy as we each serve, but we also believe that every individual who serves grows in his or her own relationship with God when we learn to serve one another.
• We grow up… MATURITY
Every parent’s hope is that their child will grow up healthy and strong. God, as our Father, wants the same thing for His children. At Bailey we expect people to mature as Christians. We think this is the natural progression for a healthy believer. This maturity is reflected not only in how much a person learns about the Bible, but also in how they treat their family, friends, co-workers, fellow Christians and even enemies.
• We get along… COMMUNITY/UNITY
We understand that we all bring different perspectives on life and preferences in many different areas. We don’t think unity as a church means that we all agree on everything, but we do believe that we must be unified around core beliefs and a common vision for reaching our community. When it comes to dealing with differences, or even hurt feelings, our goal is to work through these issues with love, grace and patience.
• We get real… AUTHENTICITY
Many people who have attended church in the past have come to assume that church people often fake it. That is, there can be a culture in some churches that encourages people to pretend to be doing better than they really are. But if we are saved by God’s grace (Eph. 2:8,9), we don’t have to pretend any longer that we have it all figured out. At Bailey, we believe authenticity allows people to let down their guard, be real with others and find that God loves them…even in the midst of their messy lives.
• We watch out for our younger brothers & sisters… YOUTH MINISTRY
We take seriously our responsibility to pass the faith along to the next generation. We believe that if a church is not growing younger, it is dying. So, we put time and money and energy into reaching out to the next generation with the love of Jesus. Our goal is to raise up change agents for God from our youth who will go on to have a profound impact in the world, both as young people and later as adults.
• We respect our elders… GODLY LEADERSHIP
As John Maxwell puts it, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” As a result, we believe the church family has a right to expect that the church is led by godly men. And, we expect that the church family will in turn encourage, support and follow the leaders. This doesn't mean people can’t question leadership. Far from it! But it does mean trusting those God has entrusted to lead and going where they believe God wants the church to go in line with God’s word.
• We pass these values on to others… REPRODUCIBILITY
Just as parents have dreams of one day becoming grandparents, we hope to see new believers (children of God) and even churches (families of God) being raised up from those within our church family. In fact, this is the very mission Jesus gave to His followers in Matthew 28:18-20. At Bailey, we believe that everyone can play a role in passing the faith along to friends, family and co-workers. And we look forward to the time when God allows us to start other communities of faith in new area!
