First, one truth needs to be made clear. Church is not about a building or location. The bible teaches that the church is about people. Peter's confession that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, as recorded in Matthew 16, teaches that the church is made of people who have confessed with their mouths and believed in their hearts that Jesus Christ is their personal Savior and Lord. So wherever the church meets, such as a house, a building, a park, at the beach, in a school, a restaurant, or anywhere else, is irrelevant to who the church is. This philosophy is why Pathfinders Church meets in different locations and for different reasons. Dress, location, and time are not factors in the church, just the hearts of the people.
Second, the church was never intended to live two separate lifestyles. This means that it was never God's plan for the people of the church to live a holy life on Sundays, go "to church" once or twice a week, and live like the world the rest of the time. The bible teaches to live holy lives while living in the world. In other words, the church is to be a source of hope that is witnessed by the world. The church should not be influenced by the world but the church is to influence the world. The church does this by living every day of their lives in obedience to God's path for them. More Christian activity should take place in the marketplace and in the community that does when Christians gather together. This philosophy leads Pathfinders Church to create less opportunities for taking the church out of their circles of influence and creating more opportunities to do ministry within their circles of influence. This is why we ask for only seven hours of commitment from our members and volunteers. Our desire is to see the church serving God where they work and where they live.
Third, it is our hope to empower the church to start new churches all across the state of Virginia, our nation, and around the entire world as part of a church-planting movement. Nothing would give us more happiness than to send out individuals to begin new churches, pastor existing churches, and create new relevant ministries. The bible teaches that every individual who makes up the church, no matter age, race, or sex, is considered by God to be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Pathfinders Church does not believe in pew sitters but in every individual of the church being active in their walk with God. This philosophy leads Pathfinders Church to give the ministry away and allow individuals to follow the path God has set before them.
Fourth, team ministry is crucial for the success of our mission. The bible teaches of team ministry in all of it's structure, from the creation of new ministries to the oversight of existing ministries. This philosophy leads Pathfinders Church to have a plurality of pastors instead of the tradional senior pastor model.
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