"Reformed in Doctrine, Charismatic in Ministry, Evangelical in Mis­sion "These three phrases are emblazoned across the top of our Sunday bulletins. But what do they mean? How do they affect the way we live and serve as a local church? Why do we believe that all three must be championed in our day? The following article attempts to explain. For many years the Bible has been treated like a deck of cards. De­nominations behave like players in some doctrinal card game where each church holds only a few cards in its hand as it com­petes with other churches for new members.

"And let our people learn to de­vote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful." (TITUS 3:14)

We all have projects hanging over us that need to be tackled. At Entheos, instead of doing these jobs alone and on our own, we encourage our members to work together with one another. In the spirit of the old fashioned barn raising, we do yard work, spring clean­ing, painting, preparing and planting a garden, remodeling a room, small building projects, landscaping, moving parties, and etc.. It can all be accomplished much faster together.

“... They were taking their meals together with gladness.” (ACTS 2:46). Our Shared Meal (Please! Don't call it a "pot luck!”) is much more than merely a social activity. It is an offering we bring to God that is then shared with one another in Jesus name. It is what the Bible calls a “Love Feast,” a time to make new friends and begin sharing our lives with one another.

We intend to spend our Shared Meal and fellowship times in “age-in­tegrated” activities. This is when we can learn how to discuss a profound sermon with children.

Membership in a local church is a matter of relationships, not just lists. It shows up in our participation, sup­port, and cooperation.

But being on a list can help all that good stuff happen more consistently. Being listed in our Fellow­ship Directory may not make anyone a member, but it sure helps those who are living as members enter into deeper levels of fellowship.

Taking up our cross daily, which is in fact following Him and being made conformed to His death, is the voluntary act of embracing the negative, often painful, consequences of walking in the obedience of faith in His command to love. Taking up your cross is not a random experience of suffering, but rather it is an intentional, strategic embrace of Christ’s one commandment, which is now the single law of Christ and the only law within the kingdom of God.