We are a local church with a global vision. We are committed to the doctrine, pattern, and practice established in the New Testament church by Christ and His Apostles as witnessed in the 27 books of the New Testament.

As such we seek to be:

• • Disciple Making - We seek to make disciples (learners) of Christ who are committed to all Christ’s teachings as Jesus said, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Mt. 28:20). Success is measured by the making of disciples.
• • Saint Equipping – Our teaching is focused on “equipping the saints for the work of the ministry” (Eph. 4:12).
• • Gospel Preaching – Everyone needs to hear the gospel in “all the world… and… every creature” (Mk. 16:15). The gospel presents the only way of salvation – Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 1:16, 10:13-15).
• • Going or Sending – Go local and go or send global. The Great Commission is accomplished through the church. It is the Lord’s command for us to reap the harvest of souls, the harvest will not reap itself (Mt. 9:37-38, 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-18).
• • Fervent in Prayer – Prayer is as essential to the life and health of the church as sound doctrine (Acts 6:4; Eph. 6:18; 1 Tim. 2:1-3; Jas. 5:16).
• • Faithful in Fellowship – We are strengthened and encouraged to live out the truth through our bond with one another in Christ (Lk. 22:31-32; Jn. 17:20-23; Acts 2:42). Even Jesus sent out the disciples “two by two” (Mk. 6:7).
• • Servants in Leadership – We believe in serving not lording over others (1 Pet. 5:3), as Jesus Himself taught, “he who is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Mt. 23:11).
• • Looking for Jesus’ Return – Jesus is coming soon; His imminent return is what creates a sense of urgency within us to live our lives in godliness while fulfilling the mission He left for us to do (Acts 1:11; 1 Cor. 16:22; Tit. 2:13; 1 Jn. 3:2-3; Rev. 22:20).

Primary Issues:

At East Friesland New Covenant Church, we believe that the Word of God is central to all that we do. Therefore, we believe that the Bible is the sufficient guide for our corporate worship, as well as our individual lives. This has sometimes been called, “the regulative principle of worship,” that is, the Bible alone regulates our worship of God, not books of church order or worship/liturgical forms created by people. The basic assumption, derived from Scripture, is that God alone determines how He ought to be worshiped.

What this means in practice is that we seek to do in worship only that which is warranted in God’s Word, recognizing the fundamental difference between the essentials of worship and the circumstances of worship. As a result, we believe in the beauty and simplicity of New Covenant worship (Jn. 4:21-24; Phil. 3:3). Our worship services are comprised of the reading and preaching of God’s Word (2 Tim. 4:1-4), the singing of God’s praises (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), congregational prayer and supplication (1 Tim. 2:1-3,8; Acts 4:23-31). We also observe the Lord’s Supper and water baptism for believers in Christ, as ordinances which have been given to the church by our Lord Jesus Christ (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15-16; 1 Cor. 11:23-32).

Secondary Issues:

We believe that the dichotomy today between “traditional” and “contemporary” worship is a false and unhelpful one. All hymns from Martin Luther to Isaac Watts to the Wesley brothers were contemporary worship music at one time. The real issues are whether the lyrics to the songs are God-centered and exalting as opposed to human centric, doctrinally sound, and are generally edifying to the congregation. Just as there are bad choruses, there are bad hymns. The regulative principle does not compel us to adopt one “style” over another; rather it compels us to judge all things by the Word of God.

We understand that many brethren apply the regulative principle differently than us, according to conscience. Our plea is that we would recognize in each other a genuine attempt to be biblical in our worship and demonstrate charity and brotherly love, knowing that to our own Master we stand or fall (Rom. 14).

Things people ask about:

• Our church services usually last about an hour and fifteen minutes.
• We have a nursery for newborns through 2 years of age.
• Every 2nd and 4th Sunday we offer Children’s Church for ages 3-5, during the sermon.
• Dress is casual or formal attire depending on your preference.
• Our worship style is considered blended – traditional hymns with some modern worship songs as well.
• The preaching is expository in style, seeking to understand the meaning of the text of Scripture as originally stated. Our pastor often says, “a good sermon begins with the Bible, continues with the Bible, and ends with the Bible.” Thus, our sermon is the Biblical text, not a series of stories or illustrations, nor is a Bible passage a jumping off point for some ideological or traditional perspective.