Bluegrass Community Church

The Gospel – This is our central passion, from which the others flow. Because the Gospel changes everything. "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel..." Romans 1:16

The Bible - Because the Bible is the source of our spirituality. "These are the scriptures that testify about me [Jesus]." John 5:39

The Church - Because the Church is God's new community, made possible by the Gospel. "The church of God, which he bought with his own blood..." Acts 20:28

Loving Lexington- Because the Gospel changes our attitude toward our city and our world. "The love of Christ compels us." 2 Corinthians 5:14

Humility - Because the Gospel gives us an honest view of ourselves and of God. "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5

Bold Love - Because we should love each other enough to talk face to face when we have issues.  We can talk about people rather than talk to them.  The gospel frees us to talk to one another rather than about one another.  “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault...” Matthew 18:15-20

Embracing Weakness - Because in God’s upside-down Kingdom, weakness comes before strength.  We want to celebrate those who live life out of their weakness.  “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10

Prayer - Because we must. "Lord, teach us to pray." Luke 11:1

Renewal - Because the Gospel renews our everyday lives (homes, jobs, neighborhoods, education, politics, media and the arts). "Whatever you do, work hard, as for the Lord and not for men." Colossians 3:23

THE SCRIPTURES - WE BELIEVE GOD WROTE THE BIBLE THROUGH MEN WITHOUT ERROR. The Old and New Testaments, in their entirety, constitute the written Word of God and are without error in the original manuscripts. They were written by men, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and are therefore fully authoritative in all matters for the follower of Christ.

THE TRIUNE GOD - WE BELIEVE THAT GOD EXISTS ETERNALLY IN TRINITY: FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT. There is one God, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, love, justice, goodness, and truth, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who desires that we should know Him intimately and live a life of fulfillment through the pursuit of His glory. Each Person is fully God.

CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD - WE BELIEVE THAT GOD HAS CREATED ALL HUMANS IN HIS IMAGE. HE HAS CREATED THEM UNIQUELY FEMALE AND MALE. All humans are created in God’s image; therefore, all human life is sacred. In creating humans as male and female, God communicated His image in harmonious interpersonal relationships, equality of personhood and importance and a distinction in role and authority.

THE FALL OF MAN - WE BELIEVE ALL HUMANS ARE SINFUL AND IN NEED OF SALVATION. SALVATION IS THE GIFT OF GOD BROUGHT TO HUMANS BY GRACE ALONE, AND RECEIVED BY PERSONAL FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. A TRUE CHRISTIAN WILL BE KEPT BY GOD’S POWER FOREVER. God has created every person in the image of God, but we have fallen into sin, and are therefore lost; only through the regeneration by the Holy Spirit can we obtain salvation and spiritual life. All humans are sinners and face the judgment of God. The shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only ground for justification and only those who place faith in Jesus Christ and initiate a relationship with God on the basis of the work of Christ are delivered from the wrath of God toward sin required by His holy character. Those who receive Jesus Christ by faith are said by Holy Scripture to be regenerated, justified, redeemed, and adopted into the divine family as co-heirs with Christ of all the blessings of the Godhead. We proclaim that all persons who desire to be saved must consciously repent of their sins and confess that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord.

THE WAY OF SALVATION - WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SECOND PERSON OF THE TRINITY WHO BECAME A MAN, LIVED A SINLESS LIFE, DIED ON A CROSS, WAS BURIED, AND ROSE BODILY FROM THE GRAVE TO REDEEM SINFUL HUMANITY. He is True God of True God, begotten, not made. He became human, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and made His dwelling among us, living a full life without sin. His perfect life and death on the cross provide the only atonement that satisfies the righteous requirements of God for the sinner. The death of Jesus Christ fully and finally paid for sin, and was redemptive, substitutionary, and efficacious. The historic fact of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead testifies powerfully to His deity, and is itself humanity’s ultimate hope. Jesus Christ will make a personal and imminent return to the earth; this return is a sanctifying “hope” having vital bearing on the life of every Christian.

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - WE BELIEVE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE SUPERNATURAL AGENT IN SALVATION, BAPTIZING ALL CHRISTIANS INTO THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH AT CONVERSION, INDWELLING AND SEALING THEM UNTIL THE DAY OF CHRIST’S RETURN. The Holy Spirit bears persuasive testimony to the realities of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the personal, divine third member of the Godhead. He convicts the world of sin and its consequences; He grants repentance and faith to the believer by grace; He indwells the believer with the radical life of Jesus Christ; He gives gifts to every believer for mutual service within the body of Christ; He unites each believer in the Body of Christ and seals them in that relationship; He bears the fruit of Christian character in the lives of every believer; He guides, instructs, and empowers the believer for godly living and service. He is worshiped with the Father and the Son.

THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH - WE BELIEVE THAT THE CHURCH IS A SPIRITUAL ORGANISM MADE UP OF ALL BELIEVERS EVERYWHERE FOR ALL TIME. All Christians in all times and in all places have been united into a single body by an operation of God. This resultant union is called the Body of Christ, the Universal Church.

THE LOCAL CHURCH AND THE SACRAMENTS - WE BELIEVE IN THE AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH AND RECOGNIZE BELIEVER’S BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER. Christ commanded that all Christians band together in assembly for instruction, worship, service, and fellowship. These assemblies are called local churches. As a local church, Bluegrass Community Church embraces the rich and vibrant traditions of the Universal Church. Only those who are members of the Universal Church shall be eligible for membership in the local church. Baptism of believers by immersion and the Lord’s Supper are the only two ordinances to be observed by the local church in the present age. These ordinances are not to be regarded as means of salvation. They are, however, signs for us of the reality of the gospel, and a means of grace by which God grows us.

THE WORLD TO COME - WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS WILL RETURN TO EARTH TO JUDGE ALL PEOPLE AND TO RULE AND REIGN WITH HIS SAINTS FOREVER. All people will be resurrected to give account for their lives before God. The believer in Christ will be resurrected to everlasting blessedness and joy in the presence of God. The unbeliever will be resurrected to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment.

The gospel, that is the good news that we can have life with God through the cross of Christ by God’s grace alone, drives our mission:

1) Love Jesus - Throughout the NT Christians are described as those who love Jesus (Rom 8:28; 1 Thess 1:2-3) while non-Christians are described as enemies of God who hate Jesus (Rom 1:30, 5:10; Jn3:19).  We can and should grow in our love for Jesus because God first loved us (1 Jn 4:10).

2) Cultivate Community - God does not save us to an individualistic faith, but God rescues us from our individualism and saves us into His family, the church (Gal 3:3-7).  We can and should cultivate community in our lives because Jesus died to create and secure the community of the church (Eph 2:11-16).

3) Live on Mission - Witnessing to the good news (gospel) of who Jesus is and what He has done described through the three aspects of God’s Kingdom, the cross of Christ and the free grace of God is every Christian’s privilege, joy and responsibility.  We can be missionaries because Jesus was the ultimate missionary sent by His Father from heaven to earth to bring us good news (Jn 20:21; Phil 2:3-11).

“When you make a vow to the Lord, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.  It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.” -Ecclesiastes 5:4-5

When anyone enters into a relationship with God by grace and through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ, they are entering into two covenants:

1. To journey with God for the rest of their lives and love Him fully.

2.  To journey with His other children in the local church community.

Your membership in a church is an official recognition of this. 

THE PURPOSE OF THE BLUEGRASS COMMUNITY CHURCH MEMBERSHIP COVENANT IS:

1. To join the Holy Spirit in forming an authentic church community that reflects the relationship between the Father, Son, and Spirit.

2. To clarify the ongoing blessings & responsibilities of each member.

3. To encourage consistency, accountability, and loving unity within the church family.

4. To accomplish God’s call for the Bluegrass church family. This agreement does not imply that you will never fall short of the goals but that your heart desires to fulfill each of the responsibilities stated to the best of your ability. We trust that your commitment will be a personal blessing to your journey in Christ, as well as a blessing to those around you.

THE FACTS OF MEMBERSHIP:

A numerical record was kept (Acts 2:37-47). Records were kept of widows (1 Timothy 5:3-16). Elections were conducted (Acts 6:1-6). Discipline was carried out (Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5; Galatians 6:1). Elders will be held accountable for members (Hebrews 13:17). There was an awareness of who was committed to the Church (Romans 16:1-16).

With the help of the Holy Spirit, the church leadership covenants the following:

1. We commit ourselves to lovingly care for you and seek your growth in Christ (Hebrews 13:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12).

2. We covenant to provide teaching, preaching and counsel from the Scriptures (Galatians 6:6; 1 Timothy 5:17-18).

3. We commit that this teaching will span the whole counsel of Godʼs Word (Acts 20:27-28).

4. We commit to helping you in times of need (Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-35, James 2:14-17).

5. We covenant that your elders and deacons (when they are recognized) will meet the criteria assigned to them in the Scriptures (1 Timothy 3:1-13 and 5:17-22; Titus 1:5-9, 1 Peter 5:1-4).

6. We covenant to pray for you regularly, particularly when you are sick (James 5:14).

7. We covenant to be on guard against false teachers (Acts 20:28-31).

8. We covenant to exercise church discipline when necessary (Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5; Galatians 6:1).

9. We covenant to help you become equipped to serve Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13).

10. We covenant to seek God’s will for our church community to the best of our ability as we study the Scriptures and follow the Spirit (Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:1-5).

11. We covenant to set an example and join you in fulfilling the duties of church membership (1 Corinthians 11.1; Philippians 3:17; 1 Timothy 4:12).

With the guiding help of the Holy Spirit, I, the undersigned, covenant the following:

1. I am a Christian who has been saved from my sins by the grace of Jesus Christ. I have been baptized to give testimony of my identification with the body of Christ and in obedience to the Scriptures.

2. I have read and understand Bluegrass’ confession of faith and have heard and understand Bluegrass’ By-Laws through membership class and agree to not be divisive to its teaching and content. I also understand the importance of submission to church leadership and will be diligent to preserve unity and peace (Hebrews 13:7, 17; Ephesians 4:1-3)

3. I will endeavor to maintain a close relationship with the Lord through regular personal Bible reading, prayer, fellowship and practice of the other spiritual disciplines. My journey in Christ will be evident through my regular participation in the corporate worship services, and involvement in a community group (Psalm 119:97, 105; Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:23-25).

4. I will strive to properly manage the resources God has given me, including my time, body, gifts, talents, attitudes, finances and possessions (Ephesians 5:15-18; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:1-16; Galatians 5:22-26; Proverbs 3:9-10). This includes regular giving to Bluegrass that is sacrificial, within my means, consistent and cheerful (2 Corinthians 8-9).

5. I commit myself to the Bluegrass church family and agree to aid in fulfilling its missional purpose to bring the gospel to Lexington, the Nation and World. I recognize that this will be accomplished by pursuing Bluegrass’ core values, vision, and mission.

6. I commit to using the spiritual gift(s) God has given me for the building up of the church, both as part of Bluegrass and universally (Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:7-31).

7. I covenant to practice humility with the sacrificial attitude of Christ by considering the needs of others (Philippians 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 13:4-5), not gossiping (Proverbs 16:28, Matthew 18: 15-17), and seeking spiritual friendships (Proverbs 17:17).

8. I covenant to follow the biblical procedures of church discipline and submit myself to informal discipline as I strive to live out the gospel in community and formal discipline if the need should ever arise (Matthew 18:15-17; Galatians 6:1-5). If I withdraw from membership while the subject of pending disciplinary action according to Matthew 18:15-17, I expressly consent and submit to the elders’ continuing authority to complete the disciplinary process set forth in our church by-laws.

9. I covenant to submit to the authority of the Scriptures as the final arbiter on all issues (Psalm 119; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). God enabling me, I will strive to consider my commitment to this Membership Covenant on a yearly basis. I understand that it is an evaluative tool, as well as an affirmation of my continuing conviction and purpose. My responsibility will be to notify Bluegrass’ leadership if at any time I can no longer commit to this covenant. If I have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding Bluegrass, I commit to talk to my pastors and will do everything within my power to not cause division.

MEMBERSHIP IN BLUEGRASS COMMUNITY CHURCH

The membership of this church will consist of persons who confess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior, who give evidence of regeneration by living consistent with their profession, who affirm and submit to the views of faith, doctrine, and practice of this church, who have been baptized by immersion, and who have been received to its membership according to the Bylaws of this Church.