Woodward Park Baptist Church
Transforming lives into loving Christians who REACH their world
Dr. Ed Huffman
Senior Pastor
David Peugh Mike Lacaze Amber Tidwell
Associate Pastor Student Pastor Children’s Minister
Teresa Watts Christine Nourian
Worship Minister Preschool Minister
1801 E. Teague
Fresno, CA 93720
559-298-7087 Office
559-298-4260 Fax
Our Vision . . . .
Transforming lives into loving Christians who REACH their world
Transforming Lives
“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them . . . and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28: 19
With Evangelism, Discipleship, and Fellowship, three of the five purposes of a church, we strive to lead as many people as possible to a saving knowledge of and personal relationship with Jesus Christ (evangelism). When then strive to educate and grow Christians into maturity (discipleship). Growing people into mature Christians requires that they are connected to other believers within the church (fellowship).
Our strategy to offer outreach oriented ministries to our community which both meet needs and offer opportunities for participants to accept the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Aside from annual events such as Light Your Christmas and Upward Basketball, it is our strategy to use Connection Classes as a primary means for life transformation. Connection Classes organize the church into smaller groups, offering prayer, Bible study, encouragement, and practical assistance to care for the periodic needs of people as they allow Christ to transform their lives.
Loving Christians
One of the teachers of the
law . . . asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the
Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no
commandment greater than these.”
The Christian life is simple: love God and love others! We love God though our Worship, a fourth purpose
of the church. Consequently, our church offers weekly encounters with God that are designed for today's
contemporary believer. These creativity worship experiences are designed to inspire, refresh, and motivate
worshippers to then live their lives to honor Jesus Christ. Our strategy is to offer worship with contemporary music, practical preaching, and creative and performing arts and to provide opportunity for worshippers to be transformed by faith in Jesus Christ. We embrace technology to communicate to today's culture, and strive for excellence in all public services so as to express our wholehearted passion for Jesus Christ.
In addition to loving God, our church exists to teach people how to love others. We are to love others just as
Jesus loved us. Jesus sacrificed His life for us! Jesus also modeled a servant lifestyle, an example that
demonstrates love for others.
REACH their World
“Go and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them . . . and teaching them to obey everything I
have commanded you.”
To make disciples for Christ, what the church calls Missions, is the fifth purpose of the church. It is God’s
mandate to all Christians to make more Christians! It is God’s will for every Christian life to reach their
world, whether it be their world at work, home, or in another nation.
One way to REACH your world is to SERVE your community. SERVE stands for Share faith, Equip saints,
Release others to minister to others, Value relationships, and Encourage all people in our church. To
simplify, we use the word REACH with the same meanings, which you will see in the next pages.
Our Vision . . . .
At the heart of our vision is a circle or wheel. In other words, transforming a life and developing loving Christians takes an ongoing process that doesn’t stop nor does it end. While we are living on earth, there is no time when a Christian is complete. The most mature of Christian continues around this circle or wheel until the day comes when he/she arrives in heaven.
Our Values . . . .
ΠWe believe that the church should be culturally relevant while remaining
doctrinally pure.
We believe that the church should celebrate God’s character and His works
through regular worship because God desires and deserves it.
Ž We believe that biblical teaching is essential for transformation in
individuals’ lives and in the church.
We believe that prayer moves God into action and is the primary catalyst for
personal and corporate growth.
We believe that the church should operate as a unified community of
servants stewarding their spiritual gifts.
‘ We believe that life-change happens best in the context of Christ-centered,
loving relationships.
’ We believe that lost people are highly valued by God, and therefore, ought
to be highly valued by the church and that evangelism is primarily a
process.
“ We believe that excellence honors God, reflects His perfect character, and
inspires people and that full devotion to Christ is the norm for every
believer.
” We believe in covenant marriage and those marriages, families, youth and
children should be held in high esteem and assisted in their growth
process.
• We believe that the church should be a safe place where people are able to
share their personal needs, feelings, ideas, and problems in an environment of
trust and safety.
Our Strategy . . . .
We encourage all Christians and church members to REACH others by . . . .
Relate Faith
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. Matthew 28:19
God calls us to relate our experiences of faith with others for the purpose of leading them to faith in Christ.
It is our strategy to tell others through . . .
§Contemporary Believer worship services designed to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
§Ministries which attract the unchurched community, such as Upwards, LIFE, musicals, etc.
§Small groups that intentionally and deliberately tell others of Jesus.
Equip Saints
Make disciples . . . teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Matt. 28:19
It is our responsibility to teach (disciple or equip) believers on how to live a Christian life.
It is our strategy to equip others through . . .
§Small groups that provides Bible study, prayer, and opportunity to develop meaningful friendships.
§Seminars that provide Biblical tools which allow a person to mature regarding such areas as prayer, Bible
study, money management, parenting, blending a family, and many others.
§Specialized training that equips a person for fulfilling ministry.
Activate Ministers
Equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of
the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the
fullness of Christ. Eph. 4:12-13
It is our responsibility to train disciples who then serve the church and community.
It is our strategy to active ministers by . . .
§Educating members concerning their spiritual gifts and their use in ministry within the church.
§Assisting in the creation and supervision of new ministries, whereby every member is a minister.
§Support missionaries who share Jesus throughout the US and across the world.
Cherish Relationships
Love one another. As I have loved you. John 13:34 niv
It is our responsibility to practice our mug logo: “We love, accept, and support you.”
It is our strategy to cherish others of our church through . . .
§Need specific ministries, such as Preschool, Children, Youth, Men, and Women Ministries.
§Provide for direct care of all members through Connection Classes
§Provide Care Ministers who are directly involved in people's lives.
Honor God
Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. Ps 34:3
It is our responsibility to lead disciples to reverence God through worship.
It is our strategy to honor God through a contemporary believer worship experience.
§Sunday morning worship which targets the contemporary believer.
§Periodic worship experiences which focus on a specific purpose such as prayer, missions, etc.