In spite of great advancements society has achieved in our modern world, it is sad to know that we are moving toward a world without absolutes. What is right and wrong becomes blurred in this age of great deception, religious cults and humanistic philosophies.
We often hear the statement that “it doesn’t matter what I believe as long as I am sincere.” This statement is contrary to what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that the doctrines (teachings) we hold on to are very important. They form and shape our value system and our relationship with God.
Just what kind of church is Christian Faith Church? The answer, in part, is found in our doctrinal beliefs. The following summarizes our statement of belief.

1. We believe that the Bible is divinely inspired by God. It is faultless and it is the sole and final authority for all matters of our lives. (2 Tim. 3:16, Heb. 4:12, 2 Peter 1:21)
2. We believe in the eternal Godhead who has revealed Himself as one God existing in three persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Matt. 28:19, 2 Cor. 13:14)
3. We believe that man by nature is sinful and unholy. He is unable to attain God’s righteousness apart from regeneration through the Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:8–10)
4. We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of all men, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary. He is totally God and yet, totally man. (Luke 1:26–35; John 1:14–18; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, 7)
5. We believe Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day. (1 Cor. 15:1– 4)
6. We believe in the bodily ascension of Jesus to heaven and that He is coming again a second time for His Church. (John 14:2–3, 1 Thess. 4:13–18, Heb. 9:28)
7. We believe in the salvation of sinners by grace, through repentance and faith in the work of the cross. (Ephes. 2:8–9, Heb. 9:12, 22) CFC WKCAW Booklet 4/3/03 5:47 PM Page 3
8. We believe that water baptism by total immersion, in the name of the eternal Godhead, is necessary in order to fulfill the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Matt. 28:19, Acts 2:38, 19:1– 6)
9. We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a real experience at or after salvation. Believers can then speak in tongues as the Spirit gives them utterance. (Acts 2:1– 4, 8:14–17, 10:44–46)
10.We believe in the operation of the gifts and the ministry of the Spirit. (1 Cor. 12–14 and Ephes. 4)
11.We believe in the Spirit-filled life, a life of separation from the world and holiness in the fear of God. (Ephes. 5:18, 2 Cor. 6:14, 7:1)
12.We believe that miraculous physical healing and deliverance in the name of Jesus is still for us today. (Mark 16:17, Acts 4:30, Rom. 8:11, 1 Cor. 12:9, James 5:14)
13.We believe in the taking of Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, for all born-again believers. (Matt. 26:26–28, 1 Cor. 11:28–32)
14.We believe that the Devil is a real spiritual being who will eventually be judged with his angles and cast into the Lake of Fire. (Matt. 25:41, Rev. 20:14–15)
15.We believe in eternal life for believers (John 3:16, 5:24) and eternal punishment for the unbelievers. (Mark 9:43–48, 2 Thess. 1:9. Rev. 20:10–15)
16.We believe that there is one true Church that is made up of genuine believers with Jesus as the head. However, this one Church is composed of many local churches in different locations. (Matt. 16:18, Acts 9:31, Ephes. 5:23)

WE BELIEVE THAT EVERY PERSON NEEDS TO BE “BORN AGAIN”
Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
 “You must be born again!”
These were the words Jesus spoke to one of the most religious men of His day. Nicodemus had come to Jesus one night to inquire about His new doctrine. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. He believed in God, he prayed, fasted, tithed, attended worship services, read the Scriptures, and tried to keep high moral standards. Yet, with all these credentials, Jesus told him he had to be born again in order to enter the kingdom of God. To understand why we have to be born again, we need to understand what is commonly known as the “Four Spiritual Laws.” Just as there are physical laws that govern the physical universe, so there are spiritual laws which govern your relationship with God.

LAW#1—God Loves You and Offers a Wonderful Plan for Your Life.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) The thief does not come except to steal, and kill, and to destroy. I have come that they have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

LAW #2—Man is Sinful and Separated from God. Therefore, He Cannot Know and Experience God’s Love and Plan for His Life.
For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 6:23)

LAW #3—Jesus Christ is God’s Only Provision for Man’s Sin. Through Him You Can Know and Experience God’s Love and Plan for Your Life.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8) Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)

LAW #4—We Must Individually Receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Then We Can Know and Experience God’s Love and Plan for Our Lives.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. (John 1:12) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. (Ephes. 2:8–9) When we receive Jesus Christ into our lives, we experience a new birth. This is the “born-again” experience we Christians believe all must have!

You Can Receive Jesus Christ Now by Faith through Prayer.
Prayer is talking with God. The following is a suggested prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Amen.”

WE URGE BELIEVERS TO BE WATER BAPTIZED AS SOON AS THEY CAN
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 28:19) Jesus commanded all those who believe in Him to be baptized in water. To be baptized means to be “totally immersed.” When a person repents from his sin and believes that Jesus died for Him, he must be baptized before many witnesses. In other words, the believers are to be taken to water, immersed and brought up again. Why would Jesus command that His believers do such a strange thing?

UNDERSTANDING WATER BAPTISM
Understanding what water baptism is all about is the key to a victorious and liberated life. The act of going under the water and rising up from it again is a picture demonstrating what has happened to the Christian believer.

“I WAS BAPTIZED WHEN I WAS A BABY, IS THAT THE SAME?”
Infant baptism is not mentioned in the Scriptures. What the Word of God does mention instead is parents bring their children to be blessed and dedicated to God in the temple. Here at Christian Faith Church parents can bring their babies to the church for a similar blessing. However, this is in no way the same as water baptism. Infant baptism is a decision made by the parents. Water baptism, on the other hand, is a conscious decision made by a believer who has decided to follow Jesus Christ based on his or her own free will.

1. He Died . . . I Died With Him. Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? (Rom. 6:3)
2. He Was Buried . . . I was buried with Him. Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Rom. 6:4)
3. He Rose . . . I Rose With Him. . . . that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.(Rom. 6:4–5) In water baptism we declare that we are no longer part of the kingdom of darkness; we are now a new creation in the kingdom of God.

WE ENCOURAGE EVERY CHRISTIAN TO BE BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
When we invite Jesus Christ into our hearts to forgive our sins and to be our Savior, the Holy Spirit does a wonderful work of regeneration within us. He comes into our lives and gives us a new spiritual life within. We call it the born-again experience. At that moment, we become His temple (1 Cor. 3:16), as He dwells within us. A character transformation begins to take place on the inside and it slowly becomes evident that a very real change has happened to us. We are now Christians! But the Holy Spirit does not just come to give us the character of God. He also wants to cover us with God’s power. That is why five books in the Bible—Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts—reiterate the “Promise of the Father” over and over again. What is that promise? And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which, He said, you heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. (Acts 1:4–5) Jesus instructed His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit to come to give them the power they needed to do the work of the kingdom. They had already received the Holy Spirit after the resurrection of Jesus. When Jesus appeared to them 50 days before the Day of Pentecost, He gave them the Holy Spirit. And when He said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22) Did they receive the Holy Spirit within them when Jesus breathed on them? Of course they did! Strictly speaking, the disciples were born again there and then. Jesus died on the cross for their sins and then He gave them the Holy Spirit. But just having the Holy Spirit within them was not enough. Jesus wanted them to be covered fully by the Spirit. The term He used was “baptized with the Spirit.” (Acts 1:4–5) That was the Promise of the Father. The word “baptism“ means to be totally covered on the outside, just as you are totally covered by water when you go through water baptism. The difference this time is that your Baptizer is Jesus Christ Himself (not a pastor), and He wants to immerse you totally in the Holy Spirit. The purpose of this Spirit baptism is to fill you with God’s supernatural, miracle-working power. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:18) The regeneration work of the Holy Spirit as salvation is to make your inner man alive to God—to be born again. In the process, your character within you will be transformed and the fruit of the Spirit will become evident. However, the second work of the Holy Spirit is to totally cover you with God’s power. When this happens the supernatural gifts of the Spirit start to manifest through you. It is like wearing a spiritual armor of authority. You can now be God’s powerful witness and do the works Jesus did in the Bible; healing the sick, casting out devils, walking in the power of the Spirit. It is so exiting! The baptism of the Spirit is the Promise of the Father. In other words, you can have it—for sure (Luke 11:9–13). Well, the 120 believers in the Upper Room were baptized all at once (Acts 2). The Samaritan Christians experienced it when Peter and John laid hands on them (Acts 8). The entire household of Cornelius received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10). The disciples at Ephesus received it too when Paul met them on one of his trips (Acts 19).This is a second work of the Holy Spirit after the bornagain miracle. It is for the endowment of power. It is real and it is for you!

HOW DO YOU RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM?

1. You must have genuine repentance.
Then Peter said to them, Repent . . . and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

2. Ask God for it in faith.
. . . how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! (Luke 11:13)

3. You may like other Spirit-baptized believers to lay hands on you.
. . . they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit . . . Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14–17)

4. Take a step of faith and start speaking in a supernatural tongue.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4)

WE BELIEVE AND PRACTICE THE SUPERNATURAL GIFTS AND WORKS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all; for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.(1 Cor. 12:4–11) But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8) Many people believe that the Holy Spirit stopped working in mighty signs and wonders after the book of Acts. We, however, believe that He is still working today in and through believers in the same mighty power and force we see demonstrated in the Bible. The Holy Spirit has not changed His nature or His workings as the centuries have rolled by. He is eternally the same—yesterday, today and forever! (Heb. 13:8) The spiritual gifts, listed above, are still the divine, supernatural works of God that He has given the church to help us succeed and to do His will. Because they are supernatural, though, they are not always understood with the natural mind. Also, the Holy Spirit is the anointing and sometimes He will manifest the presence of God to bless people in a way that traditional churchgoers may not understand, or have never seen before.

WE GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT FREEDOM
We, here at Christian Faith Church, want the Holy Spirit to have freedom to speak, heal, deliver, and bring power and revelation any way He desires. Of course, this will always be in line with God’s Word. But it also means that sometimes special things occur in our services as divine events that are designed by God to bless and help people. They may be different than what we have seen before in church or understood with our minds. We may be different than what you have seen before in church or understood with your mind. We will always lift up Jesus. We want the Holy Spirit to be unhindered and the anointing to destroy yokes of bondage in people’s lives and in our territory.

WE BELIEVE IN TRAINING GOD’S PEOPLE TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD AND TO ACTIVELY RESIST SIN, THE FLESH, AND THE DEVIL
But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:15–16) The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate. (Prov. 8:13) Today society has lost all senses of morality and holiness, and teaches that mankind can do whatever it wants without boundaries or measure. We believe that one of the reasons this has come about is because the body of Christ has allowed worldliness, sin, rebellion, and liberal thinking into the Church. We want to see a change in society, and we teach that the change begins with each individual person. The Bible teaches respect and reverence for God’s laws and His ways without compromise. It teaches that there are values and actions that are right and wrong. It teaches grace and forgiveness, but it also teaches a Christian lifestyle of repentance, a crucified life, dying to the flesh, deliverance, freedom from sin, humility, and discipline. We teach that it is possible to live a holy, clean, and pure life before God in the power of the Holy Spirit. God wants His people to pursue holiness, so we encourage a disciplined life. We are not afraid to confront issues and sin on any level of society, because we know that Jesus wants us to live in truth. The truth sets us free! The freedom and glory from this lifestyle is beyond explanation.
We know that people make mistakes and fall, but the grace of God to a willing heart is big enough to lift us out, restore us, and teach us to say “no ” so we do not have to fall again. This pleases God—and that is what we want to do. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Prov. 1:7)

WE PRAY IN TONGUES A GREAT DEAL
I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all. (1 Cor. 14:18)

1. You are speaking directly to God.
For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him, however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. (1 Cor. 14:2)

2. You build up your own spirit man.
He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. (1 Cor. 14:4)

3. You edify others when you couple it with interpretation.
I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification. (1 Cor. 14:5)

4. You can pray in tongues to express your thanksgiving to God.
What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding. Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? For you indeed give thanks well . . . (1 Cor. 14:15–17)

5. You are allowing the Holy Spirit to make deep intercession through you.
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weakness. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered. (Rom. 8:26)

6. You refresh yourself and enter into a rest in God.
For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, to whom He said, This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest, And, This is the refreshing . . . (Isaiah 28:11–12)

7. You build up your faith when you pray in tongues.
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. (Jude 20)

WE BELIEVE IN BUILDING A VERY STRONG PRAYER LIFE AMONG OUR PEOPLE
Then He taught, saying to them, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations? (Mark 11:17) Prayer is one of the most important aspects of church life that Christian Faith Church seeks to cultivate. This church was birthed in the midst of some very fervent prayers by its founding members. As such, we teach and train Christians to pray strong, bold prayers, unapologetically.

WE PRAY BOLDLY IN THE NAME OF JESUS
Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:24)

WE PRAY BOLDLY BELIEVING GOD TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS
For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (Mark 11:23–24)

WE PRAY SPIRIT-LED PRAYERS AND INTERSESSIONS
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Rom. 8:26)

WE PRAY BOLDLY FOR GOD’S WILL TO BE DONE IN THE NATIONS
If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (1 Chron. 7:14)

WE PRAY IN TONGUES A GREAT DEAL TO BUILD UP OUR SPIRIT MAN
But you, beloved building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. (Jude 20)

WE PRAY VERY LOUD AND STRONG IN CHURCH PRAYER MEETINGS
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:31) The Lord also will roar from Zion (the Church), and utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the Lord will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel. (Joel 3:16)

WE EMPRACE LOUD AND VIBRANT PRAISE
When you step into our church services, you will find that we sing aloud, clap our hands, and dance for joy with all our might! This is not a ritual that we Christians keep religiously every Sunday; it is a natural overflow of the praise and thanksgiving we have for what God has done in our lives throughout the week. Most churches call their Sunday meetings “Celebration Services” and that is exactly what we are doing…celebrating the goodness of our God publicly! You will also notice that we are very expressive in our praise and singing. Again this is not because Christian Faith Church is a “modern” church or a “youth” church; rather, this is simply because the Scriptures instruct Christians everywhere on how to praise and sing. We express ourselves in the following biblical ways:

We use all kinds of instruments to make good music.
Praise Him with the sound of the TRUMPET; praise Him with the LUTE and HARP! Praise Him with the TIMBREL and dance; praise Him with STRINGED INSTRUMENTS and FLUTES! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. (Psalm 150:3–6)

We stand as a sign of respect to God.
The Solomon STOOD before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven. (1 Kings 8:22) Behold, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who by night STAND in the house of the Lord! (Psalm 134:1)

We sing with a loud voice.
Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Kohathites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel WITH VOICES LOUD AND HIGH. (2 Chron. 20:19) SING ALOUD to God our strength; Make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob. (Psalm 81:1)

We clap our hands.
Oh, CLAP YOUR HANDS, all you peoples! Shout to God with a voice of triumph! (Psalm 47:1) For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, all the trees of the field shall CLAP THEIR HANDS. (Isaiah 55:12)

We dance for joy.
Let them praise His name with the DANCE; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp. Praise Him with the timbrel and DANCE . . . (Psalm 150:4)

We shout as loud as we can.
But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever SHOUT FOR JOY, because You defend them; Let those who love Your name be joyful in You. (Psalm 5:11) Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; And SHOUT FOR JOY, all you upright in heart! (Psalm 32:11)

We enter into the holy worship of God.
Jesus tells us that God desires worshippers. He is searching the world over for those who will worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23–24). Although He desires that our whole life be an act of worship rendered unto Him, He also wants us to humble ourselves and bow down before Him in a specific act of adoration. For this reason, worship is an extremely important expression and attitude in the life of every believer.

We like to lift up our hands to God.
Thus I will bless you while I live; I will LIFT UP MY HANDS in Your name. (Psalm 63:4) LIFT UP YOUR HANDS in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. (Psalm 134:2) I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, LIFTING UP HOLY HANDS, without wrath and doubting. (1 Tim. 2:8)

Sometimes we will bow before the Lord.
I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW, every tongue shall take an oath. (Isaiah 45:23) Oh come, let us worship and BOW DOWN; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. (Psalm 95:6)

We also kneel down in worship.
Oh come let us worship and bow down; let us KNEEL before the Lord our Maker. (Psalm 95:6) And when he had said these things, he KNELT DOWN and prayed with them all. (Acts 20:36)

We love to sing in tongues (our heavenly language).
What is the result then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will SING WITH THE SPIRIT, and I will also sing with the understanding. (1 Cor. 14:15)

Often we will quiet down and wait for a prophecy.
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may PROPHESY. (1 Cor. 14:1) But he who PROPHESIES speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. (1 Cor. 14:3)

If there is a message for the church given in an unknown tongue, we will all wait for the interpretation.
How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a TONGUE, has a revelation, has an INTERPRETATION. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a TONGUE, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one INTERPRET. (1 Cor. 14:26–27)

WE LOVE STRONG PREACHING AND TEACHING FROM THE BIBLE
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship… (Acts 2:42) Every activity Christian Faith Church undertakes must have its foundation in the Bible. Only God’s Word has the power to change and build up our lives. That is why when Paul left the local church at one town called Ephesus, he charged them… So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32) He entrusted them to God to build them up through His Word.

JUST HOW POWERFUL IS THE WORD OF GOD?
1. God’s Word produces faith. (Rom. 10:17)
2. God’s Word produces the new birth. (1 Peter 1:23)
3. God’s Word is spiritual food for the inner man. (Matt. 4:4)
4. God’s Word brings physical health and healing. (Psalm 107:17–20)
5. God’s Word brings light and understanding to our mind. (Psalm 119:130)
6. God’s Word ensures victory over sin and Satan. (Psalm 17:14; 119:11)7. God’s Word cleanses us and makes us holy. (Ephes. 5:25–26)
So the most important portion of any church service is the preaching of the Bible. We would like you to attend every session regularly and bring along three very essential tools that will help you to grow in the Word:
• Your own Bible.
• A pen or pencil.
• A note pad to take down notes.

Because many people make a lot of effort to attend the services, you can help avoid distractions during the service by the following:
• Do not talk among yourselves, especially during announcements and offerings.
• Do not walk around during the service; ease yourself before the meeting starts!
• Switch your pager to memory mode or vibration mode.
• Switch off the hourly chime on your watch.
• Check with the ushers for assistance at all times.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

WE TEACH GIVING OF FINANCES AS PART OF OUR WORSHIP
God is interested in your giving.
Where we spend our money is an indication of where our hearts are. If we love the things of God, our giving pattern will show it. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matt. 6:21)

God wants you to give out of a heart of love.
Giving is not a compulsory religious act. God desires people to respond to Him out of hearts of love. He never wants to pressure any of us against our own free will. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Cor. 9:7)

God wants you to give your best to Him.
Some Christians just give their leftovers to the Lord. If they have any money left they have paid all their bills (which is very rare), they give that to the Lord. God is not interested in that type of offering—He wants the best part. He wants the first part. When this is given to the Lord, He promises to stretch the rest of our finances to meet our needs. Honor the Lord by giving Him the first part of all your income, and He will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with the finest wines. (Prov. 3:9–10 TLB)

God is interested in the quality of your giving.
Mark 12 has an interesting story of Jesus standing over the treasury watching how people cast their money into the offering box. Of all the givers there that day, His commendation went to a poor window who did not have much at all, but she gave everything she had. She gave 100 percent to the house of God. For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. (Mark 12:44 KJV)

God wants you to give to the local church to which you belong.
The Word of God is very clear as to where we are to give our offerings. We are to bring them to the storehouse, the local church, in which we worship. By faithfully bringing our gifts before the Lord, we are actually telling the Lord that we put our confidence in the leadership that He has given to us in the church. And we communicate our trust in their wisdom to dispense the money according to God’s ways. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this, says the Lord of Hosts, If I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there will not be room enough to contain it. (Mal. 3:10)

WE TEACH FOUR DIFFERENT KINDS OF GIVING THE TITHE—10 percent of your gross income or allowance.
The word “tithe” itself simply means “one-tenth.” The Word of God teaches us that whenever we receive our income, the first 10 percent of the gross should immediately be set apart for the local church. All members of Christian Faith Church give tithes during regular church services. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this, says the Lord of Hosts, If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. (Mal. 3:10)

OFFERINGS—Free will offering.
Malachi 3:8–10 teaches us that apart from the tithe, we should also be giving offerings to the church. But this is not a pre-set percentage like the former; instead, it is any amount we choose to give based on our own free will. Offerings can be given during Sunday services and special seminars.

NORMAL PLEDGES—A fixed amount you commit to give.
A pledge is a commitment that you have made. We encourage every member to make a pledge to give a certain amount to support the vision of the church every month. The church uses the money to pay the hall rentals, evangelistic outreaches, mission work, church planting, Bible seminars, and training. Let us say after you have given your tithes and paid your bills, you may feel that you can still give another amount every month. You then make a pledge to fulfill that commitment knowing that God will honor you as you step out in obedience. My praises shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. (Psalm 22:25) I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people. (Psalm 116:18)

FAITH PLEDGES—An amount that requires faith on your part.
At various times, the church may launch a special faith project, like buying equipment or property or hosting a major international conference. In situations like these, special faith is needed by the entire congregation to raise the funds.
As you seek the Lord He may impress you to pledge an amount that requires you to cut back significantly on your normal monthly expenses. You may have to sacrifice buying certain new designer clothes, brand leather shoes, or eating at expensive restaurants for a few months. Sometimes, even with the sacrifices you have made, you still need to have faith in God to get through the month. Yet you know your giving is in obedience to what He has instructed you. So you turn your faith loose and expect God to be your provider and to meet all your needs. This kind of obedience to step out in faith always pleases the Lord. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Heb. 11:6) And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19)

WE BELIEVE IN CHURCH MEMBERSHIP
Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. (Psalm 92:13)

BLESSINGS AND BENEFITS OF BEING COMMITED TO A LOCAL CHURCH
1. The church is committed to provide the security of being in the family of God. Everyone needs a sense of security.
2. The church is committed to provide fellowship and to give members a sense of belonging.
3. The church is committed to protect confirmed members from demonic or worldly deception by being a spiritual covering. (Heb. 13:17)
4. The church is committed to provide nourishment from the Word of God through sound preaching and teaching conducted by maturing leadership.
5. The church is committed to minister life, healing and health through pastoral counseling, prayer and deliverance ministry.
6. The church is committed to love, care and show concern to members in a practical way (e.g., tuition, financial assistance, etc.).
7. The church is committed to disciple, correct and motivate members to go on in the Lord.
8. The church is committed to activate members into church ministry and leadership roles.

MEMBERSHIP AT CHRISTIAN FAITH CHURCH
All members must be born again (John 3:3) and Spiritfilled as evidenced by speaking in tongues (Acts 2:4; 1 Cor. 14:2). All members must be able to testify of both and provide scriptural support for their experience. In addition, all members must be able to lead others into salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. All born-again believers who desire membership shall be water baptized (Acts 2:38). Baptism follows God’s simple divine order for sinners who repent and believe. Baptism shall be by immersion. Believers who have been baptized in such manner and order need not be rebaptized at Christian Faith Church.
All members at Christian Faith Church shall be faithful in their financial giving (Mal. 3:10 –12). All members are expected to tithe and are encouraged to sow additional money into the church. Such support is essential if we are to fulfill our divine call. The reward for such giving is biblically clear.
Members are expected to be “doers” (James 1:22). Ministry is work, and all members are expected to participate in the work of the church. To be a part of the family is to share in carrying the load and to share in receiving the blessings. Faithful attendance, prayer support, and involvement in the work of this church are essential attributes of each member. Adults and children must exercise this faithfulness. Membership does not equate to ownership. Membership is a covenant partnership. The church is not a democratic organization whose members have a voting right. Our head is Christ, our leader is our pastor, our loyalty is ultimately to God, and our standard of operation is the Word. Members are to be supportive and loyal to God’s mandate for Christian Faith Church and His leaders.
While we know that many shall come and go during the course of life at Christian Faith Church, we recognize the importance that such movement be done accurately and with integrity. Not all will agree with every ministry decision or operation. Our desire is for unity and harmony to prevail within the church. Should a member decide to leave Christian Faith Church, we trust that such a move will be done decently and in order. It is imperative that one leave the church with the right heart, with peace, and with understanding. Every effort will be made by the leadership to ensure that this standard is upheld. In like manner, entry is to be out of a right heart and pure motives. Members will be screened to unsure that those entering the church have been properly released by their former churches.
As a member of Christian Faith Church, one can expect to be spiritually fed through the anointed teaching of the Word of God (Ezek. 34:14). Members should also expect to enjoy spiritual peace and security as a member of the flock at Christian Faith Church (Ezek. 34:25). Counseling and assistance will be provided through the pastoral office as a service to the membership. Every effort will be made to maintain a social and spiritual atmosphere conducive to growth and maturity. Members will be given opportunity to work in ministry areas such as nursery, children’s ministry, youth ministry, and community outreach.

KEEPING MEMBERSHIP RECORDS?
It may be asked: “Is it scriptural to have church records at all?“ The answer is Yes! The Old and New Testaments refer to books where the names of God’s people were kept for records. It is impossible to fully take care of God’s sheep if no one knows where they are or if they are really belong to a local church. Just belonging to the Church universally is abstract and vague.
Even God Himself keeps records! God keeps the names and numbers of the saints in His list. If God Himself does this, then there should be no problem when human beings who are finite do likewise. God knows who is in His book and who is not (Rev. 3:5). He will not blot the names out of His book of those who stay passionate to Him with overcoming faith. In God’s book, every member (different part) of the natural body was recorded (Psalm 139:13–17). How much more should the members of the body of Christ be recorded?
Besides, legal requirements stipulate that proper records of membership must be kept in relation to church, holding of property, tax matters, etc. This cannot be just unreal, unseen, and mystical method of recording keeping! We must render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar in these matters (Matt. 22:21).

WE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE IN A SPIRITUAL BATTLE AND THAT GOD’S PEOPLE SHOULD FIGHT TO WIN
But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (1 Peter 4:13–14)
In the book of Acts there are clearly at least eight instances of some kind of persecution against the church. The early believers followed God in unreserved obedience and proclaimed a powerful gospel with signs and wonders—and not everyone liked them or agreed with them. As a matter of fact, there were vicious attacks and strong resistance against the church and the gospel.
The Bible teaches that those who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution, adversity, and opposition. With that in mind, we have decided that we are not going to strive to be moderate and go along with society just to get along. Naturally, the Bible speaks of love, peace, and gentleness; but it also speaks of these other things as well. For the average American Christian, persecution or hardship is unthinkable. Yet Jesus did not please everyone and neither did the New Testament church. If they didn’t, we shouldn’t. We believe that our strategy should be to obey God instead of trying to do what we can to be accepted on all fronts. Actually, the Bible teaches that some persecution is going to get worse in the end times, but that the Church can and will prevail.
Persecution has never stopped a move of God in history. Although it has created difficulties, dangerous situations, and very hard times, in the end, persecution has always enhanced the work of God. Actually, a true New Testament church will arouse opposition. There were no free victories in the Bible, and we will not get any free victories for the gospel either. Jesus said that we are blessed when we are persecuted for righteousness sake, and that the glory of God is upon us when we are reproached for the name of Christ.
We believe that hard times will come, but that we can overcome everything in Christ. We believe that in these modern times when the gospel is under attack and being a Christian is not popular, we should boldly go forward in God and follow the Holy Spirit. Then we will win in God, and for God. The Devil wants a fight and the Church is to fight aggressively and charge the gates of hell. Let God and His people arise and His enemies be scattered!