Our Mission Statement:
Our Mission is to nurture believers in their personal relationships with Jesus Christ (to fulfill the Great Commandment—Mark 12:28-30) and to equip them to serve God in our church, in our community, and in the world (to fulfill the Great Commission—Matthew 28:18-20).
Our Value System:
We value Biblical Truth. We will seek to understand the Scriptures in a manner that emphasizes both accuracy and relevancy. We desire to be true to the original intent of the Scriptures while highlighting their relevancy to contemporary living. Our goal is to let our private and public study of the Word of God lead to dynamic application.
We value Growth. We will consistently challenge people to a lifestyle of personal growth in respect to their knowledge, practical ministry skills, personal character, Biblical priorities, and heartfelt vision. We will value congregational growth and continually evaluate our church’s effectiveness—pursuing innovative change whenever necessary.
We value the Family. We will have a strong commitment to nurturing and honoring the Biblical role of the family. We believe the church should be a place of encouragement and equipping for the family, especially in regard to its relationships and responsibilities. We will also be a vehicle to love the abandoned, to rebuild the broken, to forgive the sinner, and to support those forced into non-traditional roles.
We value Community. We will pursue genuine relationships with each other that will produce intimacy, encouragement, accountability, and support. We believe that the whole world will know that we are His disciples by the love we have for one another.
We value Missions and Outreach. We will be committed to being effective in our outreach, socially responsible in our community, and strategically involved in world evangelization. Our desire is to be used by God to reach the unchurched with the gospel.
We value Worship. We will have a vibrant commitment to the practice of personal and corporate worship. Christ will be the focus of our worship and His glory shall be exalted in all our gatherings. We desire to have a form of worship that is contemporary. We also desire to have a style of worship that allows for a casual family atmosphere—without diminishing a reverence for God or a realization of His holiness.
We value Team Ministry. We will be committed to a team approach to leadership. We recognize Christ as the head of the church and that He has appointed a plurality of elders and pastors to give leadership and to equip believers for service and ministry. Our desire is to be staff friendly and to pursue longevity of service. We will also recruit and mentor a new generation of servant-leaders and send them to the world.
Doctrinal Statement
There is a saying popular throughout church history that states, “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, charity. In all things, Jesus Christ.” At Fellowship Bible Church Russellville, we believe that proper doctrine is crucial to building a vibrant and unified body. We seek agreement on the basic essentials for our Christian faith.
However, we also realize that we must allow for diversity in the non-essentials. Therefore, we will stay focused on that which unites us, rather than on that which has the potential to divide us.
The Bible:
2 Ti 3:16-17, 2 Pe 1:20-21, Heb 4:12
We believe that the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments are verbally inspired of God, error-free in the original writings and the supreme authority of faith and practice for the believer in Jesus Christ. We further believe in the historical-grammatical interpretation of Scripture. By this, we mean that we seek to use grammar, literature, history, and culture to unlock and understand the meaning God super-intended the original human writer to communicate to the original readers. We hold that meaning to be the correct understanding of any particular passage.
God:
Dt 6:4, Ge 1:1, Jn 1:1-3
We believe in one true and living God, who is the creator of all things. One in essence, He is infinitely perfect and eternally exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Though each person of the Godhead possesses the same nature, each functions differently in respect to God’s dealings with man.
God the Father:
Mt 6:9, Jn 5:19-24, Eph 1:3-6, Ge 1
The first person of the Trinity orders and directs all things according to His own purpose, pleasure and grace. He created the universe by His spoken word, apart from any pre-existing materials and without any means other than pure power. He has decreed all things that come to pass for His own Glory. He graciously involves Himself in the affairs of men, hears and answers prayer, and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
God the Son:
Jn 1:14-18, 1 Co 15, Heb 2:17-18, Ro 3:24-26, Rev 20:11-15, Col 2:9
The second person of the trinity, Jesus Christ, is both the eternal Son of God and the virgin-born Son of Man. Fully God and fully man, He led a sinless life and He satisfied the Father’s justice concerning sin through His death. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His physical ascension, and His visible imminent return to this earth to establish His Kingdom.
God the Holy Spirit:
1 Co 12, Eph 2:10, Jn 3:1-8, Jn 15:16, 16:4-15, Eph 1:13-14, Gal 5:1 6-2
The third person of the Trinity executes the will of God in our world. It is the Holy Spirit who applies the salvation Jesus Christ secured through his death on the cross. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
Satan:
Ge 3:1-15, Isa 14:12-17, Eze 28:12-15, 1 Jn 3:8, Eph 6:10-18, Rev 12:10-11, Rev 20:10
We acknowledge the existence of the Devil, Satan. Although created by God, he rebelled against Him and is now the archenemy of our Lord and all His creation, especially man. Satan and his demons can masquerade as angels of light, seek to deceive God’s people and distort God’s truths. However, the day will come when he and all those he has deceived will be eternally punished and cast into the lake of fire.
The Church:
Heb 10:24-25, Ac 2:41-47; 4:1-16, 1 Co 12-14, Mt 16:13-28; Mt 28:18-20, Eph 2:19-24
We believe that all those who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit belong to the one true church, the Body of Christ. Regenerated believers are directed by Scripture to associate in local churches, which are the only visible representation of Christ’s invisible church. The local church is autonomous in its relationship and selects its own members to the Biblical offices of Elder and Deacon. The Lord’s Supper and baptism are the two ordinances of the church, instituted by Christ as symbolic acts of faith and obedience. The church glorifies God by leading people to Christ, discipling them to maturity, and sending them out to make disciples of all the nations.
The Future:
Mt 24:36, 1 Th 4:15-16, Jn 14:1-3, Ac 2:9-11
We believe that the next great event of human history is the visible, imminent, personal return of Jesus Christ. This is the “blessed hope,” which all those who love Jesus Christ yearn for. The exact time of Christ’s return remains a mystery, known only to the Father Himself. We believe that it could happen at any time and is as certain as His first coming. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers the church to live a lifestyle pleasing to God. He endows each believer with special gifts that equip them to accomplish distinct ministries, planned beforehand by God the Father.
The Nature of Man:
Ge 1:26-27, 2:7; Ro 1:18-24, Ro 3:10-23, Ro 5:12, Eph 2:1-3
We believe that God created man in His image to enjoy His fellowship and to fulfill His will on this earth. Man fell into sin by a voluntary act of personal disobedience, and all people became spiritually dead. All are subject to the certainty of both physical and spiritual death apart from Jesus Christ. The fall of man was a once-for-all historical fact. Its spiritually deadening effect is passed on to each person. As a result, all are born with a sinful nature and sin habitually in thought, word and deed.
Salvation:
Jn 1:12; 3:16, Jn 5:24; 14:6, Tis 3:4-7, Ac 4:12, Ro 3:21-26, 1 Co 15:1-4, Eph 1:7, 2:8-9, Heb 10:10-12, 1 Jn 5:11-13, Gal 3:26
We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins as the only sufficient sacrifice. All who believe in Him are declared justified by the Father on the grounds of Jesus’ death and resurrection. All who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by grace through faith have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and baptized by Him into the Body of Christ. They are thereby the children of God forever and members in the one true church. This salvation results in righteous living and good works as the believer submits his behavior to the Word of God and the direction of the Holy Spirit.
The Ordinances:
The ordinances of the church (sometimes called sacraments) are a vital part of the worship and life of Fellowship Bible Church Russellville. The word “ordinance” signifies that Christ instituted Baptism and the Lord’s Supper as symbolic acts of faith and obedience.
Baptism:
1 Co 15:1-4, Mt 10:32, Ro 6:3-7, 10-11
Fellowship Bible Church Russellville upholds baptism as a sacred injunction of the Scriptures. It is an essential first step demonstrating a new order has come. By baptism we reveal that a coup has taken place in the secret recesses of our soul. The government of self has been overthrown; a new authority now reigns and rules – Christ, the living Lord!
Every believer who is serious about his or her faith should be serious about baptism. Baptism pictures Christ’s death and resurrection and serves public notice to the world of one’s death to sin and new life in Christ. Our preferred method of baptism is immersion. It was clearly the practice of the early church and followed the Jewish tradition of baptizing new proselytes. Baptism is a perfect expression of our salvation and a vibrant symbol of how it was accomplished.
The Lord’s Supper:
Mt 26:26-30, Mk 14:12-26, Lk 22:7-20, 1 Co 11:24-25, Ps 24:3-4, 1 Co 11:17-34
The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is the second ordinance we practice at Fellowship Bible Church Russellville. The meaning of the Lord’s Supper is primarily summed up in the command of Christ: “This do in remembrance of Me.”
The Lord’s Supper is first and foremost a memorial of Christ and His redemptive death. It also expresses our fellowship with one another and looks forward to His return. We do not believe that the “elements” actually become the body and blood of Christ (physically or spiritually) or that they themselves impart any benefit to the partaker. However, the act of taking communion may strengthen our walk with Christ and fortify our faith.
We practice “open communion.” The Lord’s Supper is available to all who know Jesus Christ personally as their Lord and Savior and are seeking to live a pure life. We share the Lord’s Supper in the Sunday Worship service approximately every one to two months. We also highly encourage its celebration in our Community Groups.