COVENANT
We are united in striving to know the will of God as taught in the Holy Scripture, and in our purpose to walk in the ways of the Lord, made known or to be made known to us.
We hold it to be the mission of this, Christ's church, to proclaim the Gospel to all the world, exalting the worship of the one true God and laboring for the progress of knowledge, the promotion of justice, and the reign of peace. We seek the continued guidance and revelation of the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.
We work and pray for the coming of Christ's kingdom, and we look with faith for the triumph of righteousness and for life everlasting.
MISSION OF Ione Community Church
The purpose of this church is to advance faith in Christ through this local church, and meet the spiritual needs of the community of Ione specifically, Lexington and Heppner as well.
MISSION OF Ione Community Church over the next fifty years
The church will be flexible enough to adjust when the community changes, so as to continue to meet spiritual needs as those needs arise, and at the same time be strong enough to adhere to historic Christianity and withstand the forces attempting to secularize the world around us.
GOALS
1. Worship Jesus Christ
Christ is central to all plans and projects, as well as relationships. Our purpose, both individually and as a Church, is to worship God. Styles of worship vary with trends, cultural shifts, and demographics. The Church is always seeking creative and authentic ways to worship, such as through a traditional worship service, an emergent church service, special services, and other means of individual and corporate worship. (Deacons and the Worship Team work with the Pastor on this.)
2. Learn from the Bible
Study of the Bible is central to the Christian Education program, which includes Sunday School, a Youth Group, and Adult Bible Studies. (Deacons and Christian Education work with the Pastor on this.)
3. Grow spiritually
Recognizing that growth and development are integral to human life, members of the Church look for ways to foster the spiritual aspect of life, using a lifespan approach, beginning with infants, continuing through confirmation, church membership, and covenant renewal. Prayer, ministry, worship services, baptism, confirmation, and communion are the primary vehicles used so far. (Deacons and Christian Education work with the Pastor on this.)
4. Serve God and each other
As a Congregational church, we believe each person has been gifted by the Holy Spirit to minister to the church. A Nominating Committee considers the giftedness of each person, consults with that person, and makes recommendations to the Church, which elects officers, board and committee members, in January. Other appointments are made throughout the year. (The Nominating Committee and Church Council work with the Pastor on this.)
5. Care about those in need
Jesus said, "While going to all peoples everywhere, make them my disciples." (Matthew 28:19) Mission and outreach are central values of this Church. We believe mission involves time, talent, and treasure. We reach out to those in need in lone, and participate in the South Morrow County Clergy Association, which ministers to those in Lexington and Heppner as well as Ione. Our church building is available for community events, including those not related to the Church. We have participated in missions throughout the State of Oregon, the United States, and throughout the world, especially through disaster relief. (The Mission and Outreach Committee works with the Pastor in providing for those in need.)
6. Friendship in Community
We enjoy getting together just to be with each other! We host many different activities, especially during holidays and important milestones such as birthdays, showers, weddings, and even funerals. Our favorite get-together is The Auction. Relationships are at the heart of a small church and community like ours. (The Hospitality Committee provides many delicious opportunities to gather for friendship and fellowship around food!)
Our fellowship reaches to other churches in the region and nation through our membership in three associations: the Disciples of Christ, the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, and the United Church of Christ. These associations do not define us or in any way dictate who we are, but provide external resources used in our local ministry. As such we are members of each.
Statement of Faith: Our Faith
A Statement of Faith from our By-laws summarizes what we believe:
We believe in -
--God, the Creator, infinite in wisdom, goodness, and love;
-- Jesus Christ, God's Son, our Lord and Savior, who for us and our salvation lived and died and rose again;
-- the Holy Spirit, who renews, comforts, and inspires our souls.
We look to the Bible to guide us in what we believe and how we live. We seek to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. We respect and accept differences of understanding of Truth as revealed in God's inspired, sacred, and holy Word. Each person is expected to follow the Word of God according to his or her own regenerated conscience and conviction.
We join together as followers of Jesus Christ who share in the worship of God, and seek to follow God's will. The mission of the church in our community is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, to worship the one true God, to accept God's love, to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, to form a loving faith community where we are known for our love of each other, and to love our neighbors as ourselves, our neighbors being anyone who is in need.
We look forward to seeing you at church and in the community!
