Note: This church is in the planning stage. Contact us!
Welcome to the official web site of Homeward Bound Cell Church! As you will see, the way we do things is a little different from what you may be used to. We hope you will take the time to find out who we are and why we have taken this exciting path. This site is intended to make known in one place our vision, values, doctrine and structure in a user-friendly and to-the-point format while also making it possible to dig deeper into the reasons behind all that we do by presenting a few more in-depth teachings. Let us begin our journey together with some questions and answers.
What kind of church are you? In short, we are a Spirit-filled, Bible-believing, non-denominational cell church. Click here for more on what each of those terms mean to us and here for a summary of the key values that set us apart as a church. One thing we do like to make abundantly clear is that we do not look down on, criticize or tear down other true Christians and leaders who do things differently than us or hold to different doctrinal interpretations that are not fundamental to faith in Christ. There are far more beneficial ways to use our time and energy!
What is the vision statement of your church? Our vision is: "To build, by the Holy Spirit, a body of believers where deeply caring relationships are cultivated in Christ and the power of God is fervently sought by all members for ministry to the body and to the world." Click here for an elaboration of this statement.
When are your services and how do I find you to visit the church? Being a cell church, you will find we depart from the traditional church structure of having a weekly Sunday morning service plus various programs to that of a more "organic" church life where meeting in homes is the weekly focus. Click here for more info about what goes on in the home meetings. In addition to our cells, we still will have times of congregational worship and teaching, but these will typically be a bit less often and less scheduled than is traditional. To check us out, please simply visit one of our home group meetings! You are welcome to visit as many as you like. Click here for a map and schedule. If you would like to meet the pastor click here.
What style of worship do you use? We like to point out that music style is not a matter of hard doctrine, so we do not judge what other churches or individuals listen to or use for worship. However, we do have certain convictions that we follow as a church when it comes to choosing our music. In times dedicated to worship, we seek to please God with every aspect of what we do. He is our audience, after all! Further, we see that music is spiritual. As such, we will generally prefer music styles that are not closely aligned with those that have originated from the world. Certain selections in the style of "Contemporary praise and worship" may best describe what you will find us using. As for other expressions of worship we will freely use and encourage all forms of praise and worship found in the book of Psalms in the Bible. Please follow this link for more on our philosophy of worship.
What is your approach to interpreting the Bible? First, the Bible is completely true and without error in the original text. In short, we look carefully at the context of passages and also seek to find the whole council of the Bible regarding a matter. We regard clear commandments in the New Testament that are directed to a general audience to be the definitive guide for Christian life today and we lovingly hold people to this standard. The New Testament's accounts of the early church also provide us a blueprint that that helps us decide, in conjunction with the leading of the Holy Spirit, how we will structure church life today. The Old Testament provides invaluable principles that help us develop our own personal convictions. It also gives us a "shadow" of New Testament realities that helps us more accurately understand them. It provides a true and literal history of the ancient Earth and of the nation of Israel as well as amazing prophecies of things that have already happened and have yet to come to pass. Click for more details.
How legalistic are you? We endeavor to avoid erring in the direction of failing to identify true sin as wrong as well as in the direction of bringing condemnation on people for things that are not even clearly stated as being wrong in the Bible. We think the understanding of how this plays out in relationships is critical to truly loving others. You will hear us use the term "personal convictions" frequently. The bottom line is, where violations of clear New Testament commands are concerned, we speak the truth in love and will not rule out using "church discipline" as Jesus and Paul described. However, concerning a variety of people's personal convictions about proper behavior and lifestyle based man's thinking or private revelations from God, we believe we are not to look down on others or make them feel judged. This principle is vital to creating a safe atmosphere for developing loving relationships. Please click here for more on this.
What do you teach about money and giving? First, we in no way expect visitors to our cell groups to feel that they must give money. In fact, our intent is to refrain from any sort of pressure or manipulation of any kind regarding giving. It is ultimately between you and God! As far as our teaching, We see a pattern in the New Testament of need-based giving. We ask our people to give to cover the cost of church operation, which is kept as low as possible (salaries, supplies, and the cost of renting facilities for congregational worship). We make known to the entire congregation when a true financial need has arisen in the life of a brother in Christ, so that an offering may be taken for that need. Beyond that, we encourage people to seek God for the needs in our world that He would place on their heart to give to (helping the poor, widows, orphans, missionaries, etc as well as other special needs). A principle which we present to people, but only as a matter of personal conviction, is the principle of the tithe, which means setting aside about a tenth of one's income to give to the aforementioned causes. We also would like to note that we do not teach that giving is a way to get money or that every believer can or should become rich. We go into this here and provide our scriptural foundation.
Where do you stand on important Christian doctrines? This is a big question and we hope you will click here for a much more detailed answer. If you are a Christian with strong opinions on doctrinal issues and you are looking for a church, this is especially important for you to investigate. We want to give you the ability to discover quickly and definitively whether the beliefs and ministry of this church are such that you could give your wholehearted support to them or not. If, after reading this site, you believe the answer is no, we pray that God would lead you to the congregation where you will be the most fruitful for His kingdom and hope that you will pray that we would achieve all that God has for us. We will say up front that we believe the following important statements of the faith:
What is the role of children in your church? Children are included in church life as much as possible. In our cell groups and in larger congregational gatherings, children are nearly always included with adults in worship and prayer times. They are also welcome to stay with adults during discussions or teachings, or they may take part in activities during those times which will be provided especially for them. We are particularly devoted to making sure your children are safe at all times in the environments provided by our church. Please follow this link for more on children.
How do you see the role of leaders in the church? Please click here.
What is your position about the church's involvement in civic and political matters? Please click here.
Where do you stand regarding evolution and creation? Please click here.
I am not a believer in Christ. What is that really all about anyway? We are glad you asked. The foundational message of Christ - the Gospel - is the best news for mankind that has ever been told anywhere at anytime. Depending where you are in your journey to faith in Christ, there is much to tell about who God is, who man is, and how Jesus fits into history. Click here for more of the full story. We can sum up this powerful message though, by simply saying that what Jesus did was to offer every person a second chance at life.
Many people hope that, when they die, they will have enough "goodness" to allow them to get into heaven or whatever comes next. They live this life wondering if "religion" really has any relevance to them and, for a variety of reasons, feel it probably does not. However, it is an undeniable reality that when you die you will stand before God your Maker and, in that moment, you will totally be at a loss. You will have a life stained with mistakes, imperfections and problems as the only case for your "goodness" and you will be too ashamed in the presence of His glorious light to even present a defense before this Just Judge. You will discover there is a real Heaven and Hell and that your lifetime of consoling yourself with thoughts of "God surely must be loving enough to overlook the mistakes I've made" or "A loving God surely would not have made a place as awful as Hell" were tragically lacking in understanding.
Thank God, though, that He has loved us enough to make a Way. When Jesus came to earth, he lived a perfect life worthy before God of the highest praise. But God allowed Jesus, His Son, to be punished and murdered on a cross for your crimes and mine. He took our place. Now when we die, each of us who believes in and loves Jesus and His ways and teachings can stand before God and have Christ's blood - His sacrifice - to plead our case before God. We will be saved from Hell, cleansed and allowed to enter his presence in Heaven for all eternity. These realities are plainly revealed for all who are not willingly covering their eyes. We plead with you to call out to Jesus today. Ask Him to cover your sins with His blood and reveal Himself and His ways to you so that you may follow Him. You can begin a new life with that simple step - a life where Jesus will be close to you, your best friend, and you will know that you will live forever in heaven with God. We would love to know if you have taken this step today, if you renewed your commitment to Christ or if you have any questions about this important matter. Please contact us.