Following are statements which summarize the purpose, vision and doctrine of our church. Questions about the beliefs or practices of Southside Christian Center Church may be directed to Pastor Gene.

OUR MISSION

To Passionately Discover, Declare and Demonstrate the heart of God.

OUR VISION

Southside Christian Center plans to excel in honoring God and His Son, Jesus Christ, by (1) building a leadership-developing, multi-cell church through (2) relevant, life-changing Bible teaching that is (3) sensitive to those desiring to find Jesus, and (4) contemporary.  The result will be a Christian community enthusiastically reaching out to people in the Boise area to meet their deepest needs through the love of Jesus Christ.

OUR FAITH STATEMENT

We Believe...

	the Bible is the inspired and only infallible and authoritative written Word of God.
	there is one God, eternally existent in three persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
	in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His personal future return this earth in power and glory to rule a thousand years.
	in the Blessed Hope the rapture of the Church at Christ's coming.
	the only means of being cleansed from sin is through repentance and faith in the precious blood of Christ.
	regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for personal salvation.
	the redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides healing of the human body in answer to believing prayer.
	the baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to Acts 2:4, is given to believers who ask for it.
	in the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a holy life.
	in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, the one to everlasting life and the other to everlasting damnation.

OUR CORE VALUES STATEMENT

	Christ's Headship - We acknowledge Christ as the head of the church and submit ourselves to His will and good pleasure (Eph. 1:22-23).
	Biblical Teaching - The Word of God will be taught with integrity and authority so that seekers find Christ and believers mature in Him (2 Tim. 3:16).
	Worship - We desire to acknowledge God's supreme value and worth in our personal lives and in the corporate body, by contemporary worship in our church (Rom. 12:1-2).
	Prayer - Prayer will be the source of inspiration for planning and execution of all ministries and activities of Southside.  Ministries & activities (Purpose-driven) will be intentional, useful & purposeful.
	Sense of Community - We ask all the people of Southside to commit to and fully participate in biblically functioning small groups where they may reach the lost, exercise their gifts, be cared for, and thus grow in Christ likeness (Acts 2:44-46).
	Family - We support the spiritual nurture of the family as one of God's means to perpetuate the Christian faith (2 Tim. 1:5).
	Grace Orientation - We encourage our people to serve Christ from hearts of love and gratitude rather than guilt and condemnation. (Rom. 6:14).
	Creativity and Innovation - We will constantly evaluate our forms and methods, seeking cultural relevance and maximum ministry effectiveness for Christ (1 Chron. 12:32).
	Lost People - We value unchurched, people and will use every available Christ-honoring means to pursue, win, and disciple them. (Luke 19:10).
	Mobilized Congregation - We seek to equip all our uniquely designed and gifted people to effectively accomplish the work of our ministry (Eph. 4:11-13).
	Ministry Excellence - Since God gave his best (the Savior), we seek to honor Him by maintaining a high standard of excellence in all our ministries and activities (Col. 3:23-24).

OUR STRATEGY

Our strategy is for equipped and growing believers to lovingly serve their unchurched friends, family members, associates and neighbors.  This service leads to sharing the gospel either individually or bringing them to a seeker-friendly service or other point of contact with other genuine Christians.

We believe that the typical non-believer in the Boise area has various incorrect stereotypes about Christianity and church, and that they need to see genuine Christianity lived out before them before they will be ready to commit their lives to Christ.  This makes our Sunday seeker-friendly services so important.  It is here that they can observe and relate to Christians; in a non-threatening atmosphere they can hear the message of the gospel.

OUR LIFE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS TO HELP YOU GROW

The ministry of the church is equipping the members of the church to effectively minister to one another and those in the world.  This equipping should result in the members not only reaching those in our community, but in the building up of one another as well.  Members are equipped to voluntarily love, accept, and serve their fellow man in practical ways.  Members are equipped to love one another as defined in the 27 one another commands of the New Testament (honor, encourage, teach, practice hospitality, greet, serve, pray for, etc.)

We believe this equipping is best done in the context of both relationships and service opportunities.  The primary vehicle for relationships is a small group system, and our primary vehicle for service is our various ministry teams.

Character change is the goal of life with the Body of Christ.  Character is more caught than taught.  People change when they relate to changed people in a consistent and meaningful way.

Skills are developed when we do things.  They are best developed when we do things with those who do things more effectively than we do.  Too often people incorrectly believe that character and skills are only developed through the teaching of the Bible.  God can zap someone and change him or her through a Biblical teaching, but generally teaching provides knowledge. Changed character and skill developmen comes as we are with those who are a step ahead of us in these areas of life.

We believe that two meetings per week are needed for the majority of Southside attendees.  First, a Sunday morning seeker-friendly service that includes worship and a message geared to the practical issues that face all people; Christians and non-Christians alike.  Second, a small group where close supportive relationships are developed through prayer, sharing and the application of Biblical truth discussed.

Those who desire additional worship and/or teaching may attend one of the other discipleship groups that will meet as the development of Southside takes place.  There will also be some prayer and worship support groups we would like to see developed in the near future.