Strategy

Our ministry focus is simple. We strive to help people like you know God, grow spiritually, and go back into your world to make a difference in His name.

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." — Matthew 28:19

This is the Biblical mandate for every church. However, God gives liberty and freedom for each local body to determine its own approach (under the direction of the Holy Spirit) to accomplish this task. God planned it this way, because He knows that it takes all kinds of people. So even though there is great clarity about the general objective in ministry, there is also room for significant creativity in the methods we use to accomplish it.

Woodcrest Chapel exists to help connect people to God. That is our reason for being. In short, we are endeavoring to be faithful to the commission that Christ gave the church.

When Woodcrest began in 1987, the church determined to take a fresh approach to accomplishing the assignment God has given us. We believe the values and mission that govern the work here are Biblically sound, and consistent with the person and purposes of Christ. However, the practices and programming of this ministry are somewhat unconventional when compared to the approaches other churches have taken in accomplishing this same assignment.

We do not make any value judgments on other people's approaches, nor do we insist that what we do is better or more Biblical than others. In fact, we celebrate the rich diversity of approaches, which God inspires in the hearts and minds of other committed believers who are equally devoted to creating Biblically functioning communities of faith.

However, it is important as we incorporate new people into the work God has called us to accomplish here that each prospective participant understand and embrace Christ's teaching regarding ministry historically, while supporting and endorsing how this local church defines faithfulness to that call in this generation. We believe God is preparing and stirring the hearts of many people to serve together in the accomplishment of these purposes in this place.

Our Strategy

At Woodcrest we follow a three-part scripturally inspired strategy: Reach. Teach. Send.

Reach: From Hurting to Healing …

Longings
We all long to be known. At the core of our being we desire to be known and loved by someone. Each of us has tried 'our own way' meet this need, and every answer the world offers seems to come up short.

When we admit our longing for more and acknowledge that only God can truly fill our longing to be known we can begin the process of moving from hurting towards healing. With the help of spiritual mentors, we can begin to develop an accurate picture of who God longs for us to be.

Learning
As we continue on the path from hurting to healing, we begin to learn about the true character and nature of God. As we gain understanding about the true nature of God, we learn that God truly does know more than us. Not only does God know more than us, but He also has our best interests at heart. It’s because of this love that God sent his Son to pay the penalty for our sin. God invites us to accept His gift of grace and embrace a relationship with Him.

As we grasp this truth and accept grace, we can begin to learn to trust God with our lives and yield our personal rights and expectations to Him, trusting that God will be faithful in His promises.

Living
Having experienced the life-change that comes with admitting our longings and submitting our lives to God, we are filled with gratitude for what we have been given. We seek to live our lives as reflections of God's love and willingly share what we have been given with others.

Teach: From Healing to Spiritually Healthy

Communion
Our spiritual growth is contingent on the purposeful application of truth. We strive to develop and keep a teachable spirit and, as we place ourselves in environments with wise teachers, we can begin to experience the joy that comes from learning and living God's principles.

Community
Spiritual growth is best done in the context of community, where we can 'walk the path' together. In community we learn to apply the principles of Christ to our everyday lives. As we learn to trust those around us, we increasingly risk doing something meaningful and doing it together.

We pursue community, even in times of adversity, with those God has called us to serve and experience the joy of living a life loyal to those around us.

Church
The local church is the hope of the world. It is through this venue that God has chosen to communicate the life-giving message to Christ to a lost and dying world. As we grow spiritually, we 'buy into' the purpose, mission and values of Woodcrest and seek to find our unique place in it.

In full awareness of the responsibilities we take on, we commit our hearts to faithfully fulfilling our commitments in God's kingdom.

Send: From Spiritually Healthy to Helping

Service
As we grow into maturing leaders, we see the world around us as in need of our love and service. We begin to seek out opportunities to give to the basic needs of others, without any desire for personal gain. We are willing and ready to courageously and boldly share our lives as part of God's redemptive move in the world.

Spiritual Gifts
Each of us has been created unique, with a certain set of gifts and passions that only we possess. We seek to live our lives authentically and look for opportunities to share our faith in ways that are consistent with who we are.

As we become more fully who God created us to be, we seek to accomplish God's purposes with transparent motives and authentic relationships.

Stewardship
The world around us is in need of our compassion and sensitivity. As we commit to full-life stewardship, where our time, resources and life are completely committed to God's purposes, we work to limit our own freedoms in order to not offend those God has called us to serve.

We remain culturally aware and strive to use culturally relevant language to invite those around us to experience the life-giving message of Christ.