A simple definition of Expository Preaching is preaching that exposes the meaning of a particular passage. Or in other words, the meaning of the text is the meaning of the sermon. A pastor's duty isn't to come up with something witty to say every week... Pastors aren't that smart, haha. A Pastor's calling is to explain what God has already said in His Word. People don't need bad theatre or a comedy hour, they need to understand what is in the Word of God. At Waleska, our aim every Sunday is to teach straight from God's Word. We believe that gathering together to hear the Word of God preached is the most important hour of our week.
We like to walk through books of the Bible during our Sunday service time, but will occasionally take time to focus on an important theological topic or theme.
Our people desire to hear the Word of God preached!
A disciple is someone who follows Jesus. Discipleship is the process of making disciples. This happens when the Church helps people mature in their relationship, understanding, and devotion to Jesus in their lives. All throughout the New Testament, Christians are encouraged to grow in their knowledge of Jesus and His Word. The Church does discipleship when they facilitate and encourage that growth.
At Waleska, our aim is to help every believer grow deeper in their biblical and theological understanding. We believe this can transform a life, a family, a marriage, a country... and even a Church!
Our People desire to grow deeper in their knowledge of who God is!
One of the purposes of discipleship is to equip the Christian to be a better witness for Jesus. At Waleska, we are a Church that is concerned about the people and families in our community. It is out of our heartfelt concern that we desire to share Jesus with anyone ... anywhere!
We are active in our community because we love Waleska... but we are also active in our community because we are eager for opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
We are a people that love to share Jesus as we go!
Biblical Fidelity simply means that we strive to be unwaveringly faithful to God's Word. Many churches and people down throughout Church history have drifted away from the Bible. One of the ways we protect ourselves from potential drift is by being a church that has a clear statement of faith.
We are a church that confesses openly what we believe. We want you to know where we stand now, and by God's grace and protection till Christ returns.
We are also a community of faith that is willing to confess our sins to one another. Sadly, confessing sin in many churches is rarely done. There is a fear of how the church will respond. Waleska strives hard to be a place where confessing and repenting of sin is normal for our people. Confession of sin is accepted and encouraged here.
Our people desire to confess openly our beliefs and our sinful struggles to one another.
(Click here to see our Statement of Faith - The Baptist Faith and Message 2000)
(We are also very friendly towards the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith - Click to read it.)
One of the most important lessons found in the Bible is that we, are NOT in charge. God has ordered and designed His world to run a certain way. The Bible helps us understand authority and our need to submit to God's good plan for this world. But many in our world do not like authority... People like to be their own authority. God has called us to recognize and follow the Biblical leadership He has put into place.
For example, in Colossians 1:18, the Apostle Paul calls Jesus the "Head of the Church." This means that at Waleska, we will submit to Christ and allow Him to build His Church... His way. (Matthew 16:18) Jesus tells us of His desires for His Church in His Word. God's Word is Waleska's final authority.
God's good design for this world extends to our relationship with government (Romans 13:1:7), one another in Church (Ephesians 5:21), marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33), and even church leaders (Hebrews 13:17).
Submitting to Biblical leadership and Authority was modeled by Jesus Himself when He willingly submitted Himself to God the Father: John 5:30, John 6:38, Philippians 2:5-8.
Our people desire to follow the example of Christ and submit to Godly Biblical leadership!
What is worship? Psalm 29:2 tells us to "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name." In short, worship is celebrating God for all that He is, with all that we are.
We gather together to worship every Sunday morning. Together we sing wonderful songs about the glory of our God. We sing songs that teach us who He is and why He alone is worthy of our praise. This is a very important time for any Church. We encourage each other every week by singing songs to our Savior.
Worship is not just something that happens in a Church. Romans 12:1 tells us that the way we live is an act of worship. We worship God by the kind of employee we are, the way we treat our spouse, and by how we interact with the waiter at a restaurant.
We are a people that desire to worship and celebrate God by the way we live!
Joining a Church is not like joining a gym or a country club. Joining a Church is willingly committing to a local group of believers, so that you can fulfill your purpose as a Christian. Christians are not meant to be alone. The metaphores the Bible uses are powerful: a body (1 Corinthians 12:12-31), building stones (1 Peter 2:5-7), family (2 corinthians 6:18), and others... All these metaphores reveal to us that we are not meant to be alone, but live our Christian life within a community of believers. Not only do you need to be encouraged in your walk, but you are called to encourage others.
Church membership also holds us accountable to God's will for our lives. Submitting to one another means that we are willing to let others challenge us and push us to living Godly lives.
Shopping for a Church can be difficult. Can I encourage you to not look for a church that has everything you want... Shop for a church that has everything you need spiritually. At Waleska, we certainly havent arrived, but we are working at becoming a healthy Church where you and your family can thrive.
We are very open about our need to have new people join us. Waleska needs Christian families to come find their place here. We need Christian men that are willing to join the mission and embrace the vision we have for this Church. We need people like you to unite with us in Church membership and help us "Strengthen Christ's Church by Celebrating God's Word."
We desire to be a unified people!
This is the last essential element on this list. This last essential element will be unique for each local Church. The basic question is this: What has God called Waleska FBC to look like? What is our unique identity in Christ?
In Acts 17 (Acts 17:25-27), we read that God has made each person, for specific place, for a certain time. This means that every Church will have a God given identity to fulfill given the time and culture in which they live.
Waleska FBC is not called to look like another church down the road. We are not called to do things just like everyone else. We may not have the resources or the man power to pull off the programs that other Churches might. That's ok, because God has a plan for our Church, right where He planted us almost 90 years ago. Our job is not to strive to be something we are not. Our job is to be the authentic and faithful Church God is calling us to be. God gives each local Church the people and the gifts they need to be who He calls them to be.
God has made it clear that right now Waleska exists to "Strengthen Christ's Church by Celebrating God's Word." That has been made clear to us because the people of Waleska deserve a strong and healthy Church. We are actively working on becoming healthier, so that eventually we can help other local Churches in need.
We ask that you consider embracing this vision with us and helping us strengthen the Church and celebrate our beautiful creator with us! We can definitely use your help!
Our desire is to embrace our unique identity in Christ and be an authentic Church for the glory of God!
Come embrace the mission with us!