Our Vision Is to grow Christians and establish churches. By magnifying Jesus Christ, we desire to help people discover a personal relationship with Jesus, to grow deep in that relationship, and then to impact the spread of the gospel in our region and around the world through missions.
Our Purpose Line Baptist Church is united behind a biblical purpose! Jesus said to His followers: “…All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:18–20). Jesus' directive is our highest priority; every facet of church activity, in some way, relates to our biblical purpose.
Just as the New Testament church in the book of Acts was focused on making disciples, so are we! Acts 5:42 records of the Jerusalem church: “…daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” This young church was constantly engaged in communicating the gospel and helping people become devoted followers of Jesus.
At Line Baptist Church, our purpose is to…
Love God This begins in the heart, with a personal relationship with Jesus. This love grows as we gather together in worship and to hear the teaching and preaching of the Bible. “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30)
Grow Together We grow together through the Word and through fellowship. Through the community and fellowship we enjoy as Christians. The Word is the truth of the Bible as it’s taught in services, Sunday schools, and youth programs and one-on-one discipleship. “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)
Serve Others Jesus adds people to His church, and gifts them to serve by His grace. We desire to help every member of our church family to discover and use their gifts to serve others in the church and in the community around them through witnessing, missions, and loving our neighbors. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13
Love God, grow together, serve others— that’s our biblical purpose. As a church family we are focused on gospel-centered ministry communicated in love and with grace.
Our Process The New Testament also gives a pattern for changed lives and discipleship. It’s quite simple. This is how we break down our “next steps.”
Step 1—Believing in Jesus Salvation from sin is a moment of faith. God says, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,…” (Acts 16:31) This belief is more than a head belief. It’s a heart trust. It means to fully trust Jesus Christ as the only Saviour—the only way to God, the only hope of rescue from separation from God. This is what Jesus called being “born again” in John chapter three. The first step of our process in developing devoted followers of Jesus is to help them place their faith—their belief in Jesus alone as Saviour. This is biblical salvation. To read more about this decision, please click here.
Step 2—Following in Baptism The second step in our process is baptism. Baptism doesn’t make someone a Christian. It doesn’t wash away sin. It simply publicly professes and identifies me with Jesus Christ, as a believer. Jesus was our example in baptism, and he commanded us to be baptized—to publicly show forth our heart decision and faith. Baptism pictures His death, burial, and resurrection. It also pictures my new life in Jesus Christ. In the first century, baptism was a death-warrant—for new believers were persecuted and often put to death. Baptism is one of the first, easiest, and best ways to witness to others of your faith in Jesus Christ, and to publicly declare you are not ashamed of Him.
Step 3—Connecting with Believers In Acts 2, those who believed were baptized, and then they were added to the church. Once someone has believed in Jesus, the third step in the process is to connect with the family of believers at Line Baptist Church. Through these relationships, a new Christian can grow and mature in the faith and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is our goal for every new believer to be baptized, and then to be connected with friends and others in the church body who can help you mature and grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.