OUR VISION IS TO BE LIKE CHRIST. 

Advancing the Gospel for the good of others and the glory of God.

• Our Vision is to be “in Christ” (Romans 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17) To be “in Christ” means that we have taken that initial step of repentance and faith, responding in godly sorrow to the merciful offer of God’s love in Christ. This is the most important step of those listed here. We cannot be “like Christ”, “for Christ”, or “with Christ” unless we first be “in Christ.” Being “in Christ” makes all those other things possible. Being “outside of Christ” makes all those other things impossible. 
  
  
• Our Vision is to be “like Christ” (Galatians 5:19) To be “like Christ” means that we have begun that transformation journey from our old way of life to a new one, empowered by God’s Spirit. It is not possible to be “like Christ” without first being “in Christ”. Jesus’ life and death did not serve merely as an example for us to follow. His life and death were an atonement for our sinful rebellion.
  
  
• Our Vision is to be “for Christ” (Philippians 1:12-14) There are profiles in passion scattered throughout the Bible: Peter, John, Stephen, Paul. These were all people who took no shame in being “for Christ”. Likewise, our world today needs believers who bear no shame in being passionate witnesses for Him. 
  
  
• Our Vision is to be “with Christ” (Revelation 21:3-4) As we stated before, our ultimate desire is to be “with Christ” personally and physically. That day will come when He returns or we go to be with Him. But being “with Christ” will not happen unless we are “in Christ.” 

Our desire as The Church at Trace Crossing is to be completely captivated by the person of Jesus Christ. We believe that it is only in Christ that we can experience the life God intends for all of us to live. Christ is the focal point of all Scripture. The Old Testament looks forward to his arrival and prepared Israel for that moment. The Gospels lift him up as the Son of God, the blueprint of God’s divine design for all humanity. The rest of the New Testament tells the story and teaches the truths that marked his life and made it so powerful. In essence, Christ is the center of God’s Word and God’s Will. As such, he should be the center of our work and our witness as a church.

THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH AT TRACE CROSSING

Matthew 28:18-20 makes the mission of the Church abundantly clear. The Great Commission compels us and commands us to “make disciples.”

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

One of the driving passions behind our faith family is the desire to be a church that is globally active, locally active, and personally active in making disciples. As a church, we know that it is our responsibility as Christians to take the good news of Christ to our neighbors and to the nations. As a church in the United States, we know that is our incredible opportunity to use the resources God has blessed us with to spread a passion for God as far and wide as possible. That's why we seek to be involved in God's Mission of redeeming mankind: Globally, Locally, Personally. 

The Great Commission gives us three clear responsibilities: 

We are Personally Responsible for this Mission

The Great Commission is an individual command, not an institutional command. Christ never intended the outsourcing of our missional responsibilities to a church staff or to a missions organization. He intended that all of us be actively engaged in this disciple-making process. We cannot say that we fulfill the Great Commission because we contribute financially to an organization that fulfills the Great Commission. We must be actively engaged ourselves. 

We are Locally Responsible for this Mission

In Acts 1:8 Jesus instructed his disciples to be his witnesses “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” If we are going to take seriously the command to make disciples, it must begin within our local context. We must share Christ’s love and show Christ love to our neighbors. Every relationship we have from family members to friendships to co-workers must become an opportunity to spread the gospel. 

We are Globally Responsible for this Mission

It is our earnest desire to be a faith family that takes the gospel to the ends of the earth.

The following is a brief look at the beliefs that form the foundation of our faith family. Our beliefs are from the Holy Bible, the inspired, authoritative record of God's plan and purpose for us. We understand these beliefs more fully as we study life and teaching of Jesus Christ. If you would like a more complete description of our beliefs, please refer to the link at the bottom of this page.

What We Believe About God

The Trinity. There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent spiritual and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver and Ruler of the universe. To Him, we owe the highest love, reverence and obedience. The eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence or being.

God, The Father. God the Father is the Giver and Sustainer of life, the seen and unseen. He is all-loving, all-just, all-wise and all-powerful. He is the true God and the One who judges righteously and tests the heart and mind. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ; however, He is fatherly toward all men. God, The Son. 

God the Son is the perfect representation for the Father in human form. He is fully human and fully divine. He is equal with God the Father but humbled himself by taking on the form of a servant and became obedient to a death on a cross. He knew that only through the shedding of His blood would the sinless Lamb of God be able to secure forgiveness and remission of sins. He arose on the third day following his death as He declared and now lives and reigns with the Father in glory awaiting His final triumphant return. He lives in all believers as the living, ever-present Lord.

God, The Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin and righteousness, works in the life of each believer to produce godly character qualities and demonstrates Himself, in the life of the church, through special abilities given to each believer to carry out the work of the church. He is Comforter, Teacher, Wisdom and Counselor.

What We Believe About the Bible

The Bible is the historical record of God's activity written by men but inspired by God's Spirit and contains no error. It is truth provided for the believer as a tool to know the heart of God. It reveals the plan, purposes and will of God for all time.

What We Believe About Humanity

Man was created by a special work of God, in His image and is the finest of the creation - God said, "It is very good!" Man was created innocent but with a free choice whereby he sinned against God and fell from his original state. Because Christ died for all, every person is worthy of respect and Christian love.

Salvation is the gift of God for all humanity and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. It was obtained by the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross. He shed His own blood for our sin that we might be rightly related to God.

Grace is the unmerited favor of God and shows us His goodness. All who have accepted Christ and are set apart will never fall from grace but will endure the end. Believers may sin and grieve the Holy Spirit, but they will be kept by the power of God. When one becomes a believer, he is free from sin's penalty of death but not from sin's power. A battle rages within the believer between the carnal and spiritual natures. When the believer confesses sin, Christ forgives and cleanses from sin. Sinning grieves the Holy Spirit, brings shame on the cause of Christ, hinders a believer's relationship with God and others and causes the believer to endure the consequences of sin.

What We Believe About the Church

The church is a group of believers brought together by the Spirit of God to carry out the Great Commandment by practicing the Great Commission and observing the two ordinances of the church-baptism and the Lord's Supper. Each church is an autonomous body operating under the leadership for Christ as the Head of the Church.

Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change that has occurred in the life of the believer. It is an identification with Christ by picturing his death, burial and resurrection. It is the first commandment a new Christian is given from the Lord Jesus. 

Communion is an opportunity for personal examination and reflection as we observe the "Lord's death until He comes." The bread and cup are symbols of His body and blood which were broken and spilled out for our salvation and is done in "remembrance" of Him until He comes again. 

Worship is both adoration and service. Reverential adoration and committed service are both prominent expressions of the biblical concept of worship. True worship involves a willingness to serve and genuine service to God must be accompanied by a sense of reverence and adoration. 

Additional Information 

The Church at Trace Crossing a Southern Baptist Church by doctrine and denominational affiliation. The following link will take you to a site that communicates what Baptists' believe as a people of faith.

The Baptist Faith and Message