Why Do We Exist?
(Our Purpose)
“Our church exists to help people come to Jesus, connect with His people, commune with His Father, conform to His likeness, and commit to serving in His kingdom."
What Are We Trying To Accomplish?
(Our Vision)
We seek to bring people in the greater Duanesburg area, the capital district, and the rest of the world as we have opportunity, into an encounter with the Kingdom of God by blending care for the faithful with intentional pursuit of the lost. This includes a multi-faceted ministry that is Biblically informed and culturally relevant, which leads people into a deeper experience of Christ's grace and love, utilizing every member's gifts in sounding forth the good news of Jesus Christ in word and deed and planting like minded PCA churches throughout the Capital Region.
How Do We Plan to Accomplish our Vision?
(Our Mission)
1. By making mature and equipped disciples of Jesus who reproduce in kind.
2. By helping each other discover our spiritual gifts and evangelism style and utilize them in body life and outreach.
3. By building culturally relevant, strategic bridges between our church and the communities in which we live, work and play, and
4. By planting new churches and partnering with other PCA churches in the NYS Pres. To do the same.
What is Most Important to Us
(Our Core Values)
Gospel focused:
At the core of who we are, what we do and how we do it is the positive, life transforming gospel of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, ascension and session at the Father’s right hand. His gospel is still, “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”
Grace conscious:
We believe that the foundation for all that we do must be the gospel of grace -- our absolute confidence in God's acceptance provided through his redemptive work as the supreme motivation and enablement for love and holiness. This Biblical truth is woven through our purpose, vision, mission and core values.
Christ Centered:
We seek to learn experientially what it means to belong to the One who loved us and gave Himself for us and to give Him back everything we are out of thankfulness for who he is and what He has done for us. We want to experience first hand the joy of losing our lives for Jesus and his gospel sake. We want to truly be a people who "seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness."
Prayer Permeated:
The practice of prayer, individually and corporately is the essential ‘secret' of our power in worship, witness, fellowship, discipleship and ministry. Prayer is not an option!
Gift Directed:
The church member's role and commitment is to grow as a disciple, to be equipped to use his/her gifts, and to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to directly do the work of ministry. For a church to grow, gifted individuals must be creative, proactive, sensitive, and sacrificial in their approach to God's work.
Love Motivated:
In all we do, whether its caring for one another or intentionally seeking the lost it is our desire to do it all for love. The gifts of the Spirit are always to be regulated by the fruit of the Spirit.
Missions Minded:
We are committed to doing our part in fulfilling our Lord’s Great Commission. Reaching the un-churched is a high priority, and we are committed to facilitating the penetration of all socio-economic, ethnic groups with the Gospel. Missions is both domestic and foreign.
How Are We Structured?
(Our Structure)
The Session
The Deaconate
5 Ministry Teams chaired by elders and gifted lay leaders
Elder Care Groups
Who is Responsible For What?
(Our job descriptions)
Ruling Elders:
In keeping with the Scriptural teaching on the office of elder, the elders of DRPC are called “to watch diligently over the flock committed to their charge, that no corruption of doctrine or of morals enter therein” (BCC 8:3).
Their main duties include:
1. Exercising government and discipline, and taking oversight not only of the spiritual interests of the particular church, but also the Church generally when called thereunto.
2. Visiting the people under their care in their homes, especially the sick. They should instruct the ignorant, comfort the mourner, nourish and guard the children of the church.
3. Setting a worthy example to the flock entrusted to their care by their zeal to evangelize the unconverted and make disciples.
5. Praying with and for the people, being careful and diligent in seeking the fruit of the preached Word among the flock.
6. Cultivating zealously their own aptness to teach the Bible and improving every opportunity of doing so. (BCO 8-9).
7. Carrying out the oversight and administrative tasks delineated in BCO 12-5
8. Chair (or co-chair) at least a ministry teams in the area that best fits their divine design.
9. Receive the equipping of the TE and in turn teach/disciple others (2 Tim. 2:1-2).
10. Counsel members they’re equipped to counsel when appropriate.
Scriptural support: Exodus 18:13-27, Ezek. 34, Matt. 28:18-20, Acts 20:28, 1 Tim. 3:2, 2 Tim. 2:2, Titus 1:8-9, 1 Peter 5:1-4.
Teaching Elder:
1. In addition to those functions he shares with all other elders, the teacher elder is called to feed the flock by reading, expounding and preaching the Word of God and to administer the Sacraments. (BCO 8-5).
2. Equip the congregation for works of service, especially the carrying out of the great commission.
3. Disciple reliable men who will be able to disciple others.
Scriptural support: Matt. 28:18-20, Eph. 4:11ff, 1 Tim. 5:17, 2 Tim. 2:2, 2 Tim. 4:5,
Deacons:
(From the BCO 9:1-2).
1. To minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress.
2. To develop the grace of liberality in the members of the church
3. To devise effective methods of collecting the gifts of the people, and to distribute these gifts among the objects to which they are contributed.
4. They shall have the care of the property of the congregation, both real and personal, and shall keep in proper repair the church edifice and other buildings belonging to the congregation
Scriptural support: Acts 6, 1 Tim. 3
Members:
Four primary responsibilities ought to be included in a Biblically oriented job description for the lay persons in the church.
1. To discover and develop their spiritual gifts
2. To view themselves as the primary ministers in the church
3. To spend the time needed to be equipped adequately to use their spiritual gifts
4. To commit the time necessary to use their gifts in ministry
The cost:
1. To allow the pastor and staff to be equippers
2. To readjust fellowship and leisure habits
3. To follow God ordained leadership with an attitude of trust
Scriptural support: Eph. 2:10, 4:12ff, Romans 12, 1 Cor. 12, Titus 2:11-14, 1 Pet. 4:10, Heb. 10:23-24, 13:17, Acts 8:1, 4, 11:19-21
What are our yearly, qualitative, measurable goals?
(Our well-documented Goals)
Each ministry team will be responsible for setting yearly, qualitative, measurable goals which will be reviewed quarterly.
