Core Values of HopeSpring

1.      Proclaiming Truth Faithfully

“I hope in your word” (Psalm 119:81)

The message of hope that we seek to spread is found in one place, God’s Word. As Jesus said, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Truth is relevant. Timeless truth is always relevant. So we unashamedly proclaim the truth of Scripture for the gospel is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). God's Word penetrates to the deepest parts of our being (Hebrews 4:12). The Bible alone is a “lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

It is through God’s Word that we carry out our mission. We believe in God-centered, Christ-exalting, Spirit-empowered, expositional preaching. We take seriously the charge to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). This is the only way to edify the saints and evangelize the lost.

At HopeSpring, we believe the preacher is commissioned to preach the whole counsel of God with authority and honesty. Preaching is not to be a “nice talk” filled with funny stories and feel-good suggestions. We believe, rather, that preaching is the faithful proclamation of God’s Word with power and authority by a preacher who has diligently studied the text with humble reliance upon the Holy Spirit so that the correct meaning and application of the Word is clearly presented to the hearers. Faithful preaching is so important because through God’s Word we find “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).

Yet, even though we are committed to proclaiming the truth boldly, we do so in a spirit of humility. We are all sinners (including the preacher). We rely fully upon God's grace to continue on in our Christian lives. We desire, then, to always be “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).

2.      Worshipping God Passionately

“Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 13:28)

God is great and God is good. He commands us to have a passion for Him (Mark 12:30). He created us to stand in awe of Him and be amazed at all that He is and all that He does (Psalm 145). That is worship - to ascribe to God all glory and honor and praise because He alone is worthy. We believe worship is done in two ways: individually and corporately.

Individual worship is the act of the believer in living his life for the glory of God. His life is now dedicated to the Lord “as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). We believe every aspect of our lives - our thoughts and actions - should be devoted to magnifying the Lord Jesus Christ. This worship should be our passion every moment of our lives.

Corporate worship is the act of the church gathered together (Acts 2:47). Acts of worship in the worship service include singing, praying, giving, reading of Scripture, and the preaching of and listening to God’s Word. We desire to have worship services that approach God appropriately and affectionately. All that we do must be grounded in truth. Our singing, praying, and preaching must all communicate biblical truth.

Our worship services do not just involve the “head,” but also the “heart”. We believe the whole being (mind, will, and emotions) should be involved in worship. We should be passionate about our awesome God. Therefore, we seek to “go hard after God” by engaging in worship services that kindle the affections with the greatness and goodness of God.

We will use songs from today and yesterday that communicate God-centered, Christ-exalting truths. We will utilize music that stirs the affections and enhances the expression of truth in a God-honoring way. We are committed to unbroken worship services - that nothing should distract from praising God and exalting the name of Christ during the time we are gathered together to worship Him.

3.      Loving Others Biblically

“Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34)

Love for others is the hallmark of a follower of Jesus Christ. But biblical love is not the same as what the world calls love. Biblical love “is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). At HopeSpring, we strive to love all others as Scripture commands.

We express love to each other in two main ways: fellowship and ministry.  We devote ourselves to fellowship (Acts 2:42) by sharing our lives with one another and encouraging each other in the faith. We believe in transparent, authentic relationships within the church. We desire to be genuine and honest with each other, without pretense or hidden agendas. We believe there is accountability to one another in the church so that we can pray for, encourage, and bear the burdens of each other (Galatians 6:1-3).

We also believe in loving ministry to one another. The church is represented in Scripture as a body (1 Corinthians 12) with members who are to use their spiritual gifts for the good of each other. Love characterizes ministry within the body: “We are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16). We believe in Spirit-motivated, gift-based ministry; that is, members are led by the Spirit to serve in ministries they are gifted for and new ministries will be started as people are burdened by the Spirit to do so. It is the responsibility of the pastors to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12).