Southern Crescent Church:
Who We Are, What We Believe, What We Do, &  How We Live

Who We Are

We exist to worship God the Father, win people to Jesus Christ the Son, and walk by the power of the Holy Spirit. We only wear the name of "Christian" as this fully defines to whom we belong.

Our Mission

Our mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ by living lives of holiness, humility, and honor.

Our Core Purpose

• Promoting a deep intimacy with God  
• Strengthening our bond with other believers  
• Reaching people with the Good News of Jesus

Our Core Beliefs

We believe that there is one true and living God, the Creator of heaven and earth, who exists in the past, the present and forever as three in one: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We believe that the Bible, including Old and New Testament, is God's inspired word to humanity and is the final authority for Christian faith and life.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God and that through His death on the cross and His resurrection humanity can receive forgiveness of sins, triumph over death and have eternal life by accepting Him in faith.

We believe that Jesus Christ will one day return to earth to take His people to eternal rest and victory with God in heaven.

We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts humanity of sin and leads us to salvation in Christ; that the Holy Spirit dwells in every true believer to transform his or her life to become more and more like Jesus by comforting, strengthening, guiding and equipping God's people with spiritual gifts.

We believe that humanity was created in the image of God and that since the first sin of Adam and Eve all people fall short of God's glory as sinners and cannot attain salvation by their own efforts. Salvation is only by God's grace; rests entirely on the finished work of Christ; and is a gift which must be received by faith. Those who confess their faith in Jesus, repent of their sins and are baptized receive God's gift of salvation.

We believe that the church is Christ's body here on earth, and that Christ is head of that church.  We believe Christ desires that his disciples attempt to find unity so that the world will know that Jesus is Christ and that God loves them.  Therefore, we seek to find and develop unity with other Christians.  We recognize Christian fellowship with those who have received Jesus by faith and are obedient to His teachings.  We believe that local church families are autonomous and independent assemblies of believers who are called by Christ to share the good news of Jesus with the world and to build up fellow believers in the faith in order that God may bless the world through the church.

Our Faith and Worship Practices

We practice the baptism of believers by immersion for the forgiveness of sin. Through baptism, believers share in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ in order to be born into a new life and a new relationship with God.

We observe the Lord's Supper, as instituted by Christ during His last Passover meal here on earth, and practice open communion inviting all believers present in our corporate worship to join with us in celebrating and proclaiming the Lord's death until He comes again.

We are a body of believers that has its roots in the American Restoration Movement. We believe there are many strengths in that tradition of faith; among them are an emphasis on God's word, the rightful place of Christian baptism, the weekly observance of the Lord's Supper and unaccompanied (a cappella) music in our worship assemblies. We believe that God has given some latitude in our worship styles and methods with the ultimate goals always being to glorify God, to edify the church and to reach the lost. Our primary practice will be to utilize a cappella music in our Sunday morning assemblies.  We are a pilgrim people who are led by the Spirit of God. Therefore our methods and practices may change over time as we continue to become "all things to all people so that we may win some for Christ."

As to our organization, we believe that Christ is the only head of the church and that every member is under His authority and also in submission to one another. We understand every member to be a minister of Christ- called to minister and serve in His name. We recognize that there are different gifts and functions within the body of Christ, but do not believe there is any hierarchy in which one member or ministry is more important than another; we believe that every member of our church family is accountable to Christ and to one another. We believe the Bible teaches that our local church family is to be organized as a flock under the loving and watchful care of shepherds (men who are also called (elders, bishops, presbyters) and the ministry of the church is to be entrusted to spiritual men and women who serve as ministry leaders.

What is Expected of Members at Southern Crescent?

We will protect the unity of this church family by acting in love toward other members, by being mutually submissive to each other and by settling our differences according to the teachings of Christ.

We will share in the responsibility of this church family to spread the gospel by praying for its growth, by inviting others to be a part of our family's life, by worshiping together and by warmly welcoming those who are our guests.

We will share in the work and ministry of this church family by giving our time and talent to at least one ministry of this church. We encourage all to discover their spiritual gifts and abilities, to be equipped for works of service, and then to work in the ministry to which God has called them. Every member is a minister and every minister is encouraged to have a ministry.

We will support the testimony and work of this church by attending regularly, by living a godly life, by sharing our time and talents with others and by our financial gifts of tithes and offerings.

We believe the way to grow a church is by making it smaller. Every member is encouraged to be an active member of a small group. The purpose of these groups is to provide fellowship and encouragement, to allow shepherding and accountability to occur in an atmosphere of love and acceptance, and to provide an opportunity to invite others to experience the life of our church family.

We will seek individual spiritual maturity through our own personal devotion to Christ, exercising and growing our faith through spiritual disciplines including prayer, Bible study and fasting.