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About The Rock : Standards and Values
 STATEMENT OF STANDARDS AND VALUES

1.   THE GOAL      

Our desire and intent is to be a fellowship of believers, committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, to each other, and to walk together to become the Body of Christ, expressing the image of Yahweh. The development of Christian character must of necessity be a corporate endeavor, requiring the ministry and support of others who are equally committed to the Kingdom of Yahweh.

2.   THE FAMILY OF YAHWEH      

The church is symbolized in the family which He ordained as the basic unit of society. Yahweh is the Father of us all, and we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are joined to each other by the family bond of the Holy Spirit, and are committed to one another s spiritual growth. We are all equally loved by our Father, and no one has natural preeminence by birth. Nevertheless, He does give leadership to His Family.

3.      SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP      

Christ gives his Family the gift of people as spiritual leaders. They are recognized by their example of loving loyalty and faithfulness to the Family. Just as in the natural family, loving submission to the authority of parent is Yahweh s ideal, so it is in the spiritual Family. He expects us to have loving submission to the spiritual parents Yahweh has provided in the five-fold eldership.

4.      STEWARDSHIP      

Yahweh has entrusted to us all - life, talents, heritage, time, skills, and money. He will expect an account from us when we stand before Him. Stewardship is the admission that all we have belongs to Him and that we must use it prayerfully under the guidance of Holy Spirit. The first tenth of everything belongs to Yahweh for the support of the local ministry eldership and the results of their labor among us. Only after this, do free-will offerings begin. By this we will prove that we are people whom He can entrust with His riches of time, talents and treasure.

5.      INTEGRITY      

Christians have a responsibility to be people of integrity in a world that has forgotten its meaning. A man should say what he means, and his word should be his bond. He should show moral courage, good citizenship, and honesty in all his dealings so as to attain  a good reputation even in the eyes of unbelievers.

6.   GIVING HONOR      

To honor is to show respect or esteem. It is an act of recognition that acknowledges the value of a person or thing. Because all honor belongs to Yahweh, it should be manifested in His kingdom in accordance with what He honors. We honor leaders, the aged, parents, marriage, and attitudes such as unselfishness, humility, mercy, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, self-control, etc.

7.   SERVING      

Our goal is to have the same attitude as Christ, who did not cling to His divine attributes, but emptied Himself and took the very nature of a servant. We are responsible for one another, and must learn to please the Lord by living unselfishly, putting others first and laying down our lives for one another, This creates an atmosphere which makes us able to overcome the self-centered ways that so often prevent Holy Spirit from conforming our lives to Christ.

8.      COMMUNITY      

Within the Body of Christ, Yahweh has made a community in which one member is able to supply what another lacks. But this is voluntary, for He loves a cheerful giver.

9.   LOYALTY      

Yahweh s love to us is unconditional, and His faithfulness to us is shown in His mercy, which is unchanged by our changeableness. In order for His people to be able to trust Him and learn to trust one another, we must show loyalty (unbroken faithfulness) to one another which is not conditional on man s perfection or agreeability. We actively seek such loyalty to one another.

10. THE HOME      

In the atmosphere of family in the church as well as our own individual homes, families are given meaning and enrichment. Parents and children are not only taught the values of family life, but are surrounded by their real expression. Parents are not alone in bringing up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, but have the example and help of other elders and parents in the Body. Much of our activity is built around the family and home life. We believe that much violence and destruction in our society is due to delinquent parents and bad family relationships. Therefore, we make family life a priority. We acknowledge that there are others who are single, or are one-parent families, some by choice, others of necessity; but we wish to make them an equal part of the wider Family of the Church, and extend to them what Yahweh intended through the family.

11.      MARRIAGE      

Marriage is ordained by Yahweh for the life-long companionship of a man and a woman so that they may mature spiritually and physically together and birth and bring up children in secure love. The foundation of marriage is the covenant that two people make before Yahweh who makes them one. Christ commands that we should not separate those whom Yahweh has joined together. We desire to support people in their marriages by education, counseling, and practical help.

12.      CURRENT SOCIAL CONCERNS      

There are many difficult problems facing people today- divorce, abortion, AIDS, homosexuality, chemical addictions, pornography, racial prejudice, etc. We see these usually as due to the sinful rebellion of many against Yahweh and His Laws for human life. Yet we distinguish between the sin and the sinner, and offer forgiveness on behalf of Yahweh and healing and deliverance through Christ.

13. UNITY      

The Body of Christ is only one Body. This is a fact, even though there are evident divisions in the visible Church. All Christians share the responsibility for the reconciliation that Yahweh desires between us. We desire to walk in peace and unity with all those who are part of the universal Body of Christ.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Out of growing relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, our mission is to establish a local church on the Southwest Coast of Florida, to glorify Yahweh by serving His purpose. Our desire is to see the glorious Church restored by the power and anointing of Holy Spirit in order to reach the nations as we anticipate the return of Jesus Christ and the consummation of all things under His rule and reign!

To accomplish this, THE ROCK OF SARASOTA, under the direction of the presbytery apostolic team, is committed to the establishing of faithful people who will take up the task of the proclamation and demonstration of Yahweh s Word through this spiritual House in order to become an expression of Yahweh s ultimate purpose in this earth. We also have, as an on-going purpose within the foundation of this House, to establish other local churches by raising up Yahweh-called and appointed leadership and sending them forth as the Lord directs.