The Mission & Vision
Did you know that the biggest problem in the New Testament wasn't sin, or unforgiveness, or fear? In Luke 10:2, Jesus states that the main issue to overcome was a labor problem: "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few."
Our church believes in raising up kingdom workers by making and deepening disciples. We engage in relational evangelism centered on God's Word. We develop and deepen disciples through Bible study and mentoring. We serve West Long Beach and the greater Long Beach community.
FOL members agree to the following core commitments.
Deeper in Christ
1. Inner Life: Members will live by the Spirit and in the Word. We will commit to having strong personal lives of prayer. We will commit to having a working knowledge of the Bible. Those with the teaching gift will work to master the Bible. We commit to life in the Spirit and living in God’s Word until it lives in us.
2. Christian Community: We are committed to a spiritual community that helps us stay on the long and narrow path towards God’s Kingdom. Members will build Christian community by loving each other, praying for each other, and confessing sins to one another. We fight the devil and his attempts to tear down the church by living out Jesus’ teachings on conflict, gossip, and relational servanthood.
3. Wealth and Giving: Members will commit to joyful, faithful, and thoughtful giving. We follow the New Testament principle that “tithing is the floor and generosity is the ceiling.” Therefore, we are committed to a 10% tithe to FOL to build our church, and generosity with our resources (elsewhere), knowing that we pass our treasure on ahead of us.
4. Sacraments: Members will align themselves with the historical Church by embracing the doctrine and practice of baptism and communion.
Further in Mission
5. Giftedness: Members will strive to develop their giftedness (spiritual gifts, natural abilities and acquired skills) for the building up of the church and for the good of the city. We are committed to loving with our gifts, for servants serve.
6. Loving Under-Resourced People: Members will sacrificially serve those who are under resourced and love people across boundaries of class and culture. We are committed to practically and tangibly loving those who cannot pay us back.
7. Evangelism: Members will put evangelism on their calendar. We are committed to praying for, building trust with, and teaching the gospel to our non-Christian friends and family members. We emphasize a “parish mentality” to reach neighbors near the church.
Our church believes in raising up kingdom workers by making and deepening disciples. We engage in relational evangelism centered on God's Word. We develop and deepen disciples through Bible study and mentoring. We serve West Long Beach and the greater Long Beach community.
FOL members agree to the following core commitments.
Deeper in Christ
1. Inner Life: Members will live by the Spirit and in the Word. We will commit to having strong personal lives of prayer. We will commit to having a working knowledge of the Bible. Those with the teaching gift will work to master the Bible. We commit to life in the Spirit and living in God’s Word until it lives in us.
2. Christian Community: We are committed to a spiritual community that helps us stay on the long and narrow path towards God’s Kingdom. Members will build Christian community by loving each other, praying for each other, and confessing sins to one another. We fight the devil and his attempts to tear down the church by living out Jesus’ teachings on conflict, gossip, and relational servanthood.
3. Wealth and Giving: Members will commit to joyful, faithful, and thoughtful giving. We follow the New Testament principle that “tithing is the floor and generosity is the ceiling.” Therefore, we are committed to a 10% tithe to FOL to build our church, and generosity with our resources (elsewhere), knowing that we pass our treasure on ahead of us.
4. Sacraments: Members will align themselves with the historical Church by embracing the doctrine and practice of baptism and communion.
Further in Mission
5. Giftedness: Members will strive to develop their giftedness (spiritual gifts, natural abilities and acquired skills) for the building up of the church and for the good of the city. We are committed to loving with our gifts, for servants serve.
6. Loving Under-Resourced People: Members will sacrificially serve those who are under resourced and love people across boundaries of class and culture. We are committed to practically and tangibly loving those who cannot pay us back.
7. Evangelism: Members will put evangelism on their calendar. We are committed to praying for, building trust with, and teaching the gospel to our non-Christian friends and family members. We emphasize a “parish mentality” to reach neighbors near the church.
Covenant Affirmations
As a church we agree with the Covenant Church's core beliefs are summed up in six affirmations.
1. We affirm the centrality of the word of God.
2. We affirm the necessity of the new birth.
3. We affirm a conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit.
4. We affirm a commitment to the whole mission of the church.
5. We affirm the church as a fellowship of believers.
6. We affirm the reality of freedom in Christ.
Learn more about the Evangelical Covenant Church.
1. We affirm the centrality of the word of God.
2. We affirm the necessity of the new birth.
3. We affirm a conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit.
4. We affirm a commitment to the whole mission of the church.
5. We affirm the church as a fellowship of believers.
6. We affirm the reality of freedom in Christ.
Learn more about the Evangelical Covenant Church.