DISCOVER
REFUGE

Refuge Church exists to respond to the gospel by seeing the Lost Saved, the Saved Transformed and the Transformed Sent in our                community, city and world.

GOD

God is the creator and ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equals with God.

The Father: God the Father reigns with providential care over His universe. He is all-powerful, all knowing, all loving and all wise.

The Son: Jesus Christ is the only Son of God. He is fully God and fully man. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless human life, and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death, and ascended into heaven where he sits at the right hand of God.

The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is present in the world to make people aware of their needs for Jesus Christ. He lives in all Christians from the moment of salvation, providing them with power for living and guidance in doing what is right.

John 6:7-13, Galatians 5:22-25, John 4:24, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Philippians 2:5-11, Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 6:4

SCRIPTURE (the Bible)

The Bible is God’s Word to us. Human authors wrote the Bible under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because of its divine inspiration, the Bible is the supreme source of truth fo all people. We believe that every word of the Bible is inspired and that in its original form, the Bible has no error. We also believe that the Bible plays an indispensable role for the follower of Christ. It builds up, transforms, encourages, corrects and protects the Christian as he or she studies and applies it.

Psalm 19:11, Acts 20:32, Ephesians 5:26; 6:17, Exodus 24:4, Psalm 40:8, 2 Timothy 3:15-17, Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:105, 1 Corinthians 2:7-15, John 16:12-15

MAN

Man is the special creation of God, made is His own image. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his own creator with freedom of choice. By his choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Man’s decision to sin caused a division between Creator and creation leaving man in need of a Savior.

Genesis 1:26-30, 2:5, 7, 18-22, 9:6, Psalms 1, 8:3-6, 32:1-5, 51:5, Isaiah 6:5, Jeremiah 17:5, Matthew 16:26, Acts 17:26-31, Romans 1:19-32, 3:10-18, 23, 5:6, 12, 19, 6:6, 7:14—25, 8:14-18, 29, 1 Corinthians 1:21-31, 15:19, 21-22, Ephesians 2:1-22, Colossians 1:21-22, 3:9-11

SALVATION

Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

1. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It s a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Savior.

2. Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal, upon principles of His righteousness, of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer into a relationship of peace and favor with God.

3. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in Him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.

4. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.

Genesis 3:15, Exodus 3:14-17, 6:2-8, Matthew 1:21, 4:17, 16:21-26, 27:22-28:6, Luke 1: 68-69, 2:28-32, John 1:11-14, 29, 3:3-21, 36, 5:24, 10:9, 28-29, 15:1-16, 17:17, Acts 2:21, 4:12, 15:11, 16:30-31, 17:30-31, 20:32, Romans 1:16-18, 2:4, 3:23-25, 4:3, 5:8-10, 6:21-23, 8:1-18, 29-39, 10: 9-10, 13:11-14

EVANGELISM AND CHURCH PLANTING

It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ, and every church of the Lord Jesus Christ, to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. We believe that disciples are most effectively made in the context of the local church. Therefore, church planting and missions are of utmost importance. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching the Gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every Christian to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ.

Genesis 12:1-3, Exodus 19:5-6, Isaiah 6:1-8, Matthew 9:37-38, 10:5-15, 13:18-30, 37-43, 16:19, 22:9-10, 24:14, 28:18-20 Luke 10:1-18, 24:46-53, John 14:11-12, 15:7-8, 16, 17:15, 20:21, Acts 1:8, 2, 8:26-40, 10:42-48, 13:2-3, Romans 10:13-15, Ephesians 3:1-11, 1 Thessalonians 1:8, 2 Timothy 4:5, Hebrews 2:1-3, 11:39-12:2, 1 Peter 2:4-10, Revelation 22:17

ORDINANCES

There are two ordinances for the New Testament Church. The first, baptism, is the immersion of a believer in water. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. Second, the Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby followers memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

Matthew 3:3-17, 26:26-30, 28:19-20, Mark 1:9-11, 14:22-26, Luke 3:21-22, 22:19-20, John 3:23, Acts 2:41-42, 8:35-39, 16:30-33, 20:7, Romans 6:3-5, 1 Corinthians 10:16, 21, 11:23-29, Colossians 2:12

CHURCH LEADERSHIP

• Elder/Pastor/Overseer (all the same in scripture)
• Refuge Church is governed by a plurality of Elders.
  • Rev. Josh Glymph, Alex Thorpe, Paul Conrad, Donnie Parvin, Matt Boyer
  • By plurality we mean shared unified leadership, shared unified ministry weight, and unified accountability.
  • Rev. Josh Glymph is the lead pastor and leads the Elders, Leadership team and the congregation in the Word and in vision.

Refuge is lead, overseen and governed by a plurality of Elders. These elders are a group of men who are faithful to their God, their spouse, their family and their church; they have been identified by their church leadership to assist in shepherding the Church. These men fit the description laid out in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. These men have been tested and have been found faithful.

Qualifications of Elders

1. They desire to be an elder.
2. They exemplify Godly character.
3. They can teach the Bible.
4. They lead their family well.
5. They are male.
6. They are an established believer.

Expectations of Elders

1. Pray for the flock.
2. Lead the Church, model maturity.
3. Implement Church Discipline when needed.
4. Counsel those in the church.
5. Preach at Refuge.
6. Be accountable to God for the Church.
7. Protect the teaching of the Church
8. Oversee members and membership.
9. Help fulfill the Mission of Refuge Church.

Each member/member family is assigned an Elder to shepherd/oversee them. All members will be assigned an Elder.

Covenants are vows members make to God, the Church and one another. It shouldn't be a scary word, but it does indicate more than a simple commitment. Ours are as follows:

• Having been brought by God’s grace to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we now, depending upon the Holy Spirit, establish this convening with one another.
• In all we do, we will aim to glorify and enjoy the God of our salvation, from who and through whom and to whom are all things: to Him be all glory forever! (1 Corinthians 10:31, Romans 11:36)
• We will eagerly maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace by walking together in love and in the Spirit and by putting away all bitterness, anger and injurious speech. (Ephesians 4:3, Galatians 5:16, 25, Ephesians 4:29, 31)
• With humility and gentleness, patience and love, we will be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God, for Christ’s sake, has forgive us. (Ephesians 4:1-2, Luke 17:3, Colossians 3:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 1 Peter 1:22)
• We will carry each other’s burdens, rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep. (Galatians 6:2, Romans 12:15)
• We will train our children in the instruction of the Lord, seeking to walk in a way that adorns the Gospel of Christ before our family, friends and neighbors. (Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4, 1 Peter 3:1)
• We will strive to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, as we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Galatians 5:22-24, Titus 2:12, 1 Peter 1:14)
• We will not neglect to gather together, but will support and treasure the biblical preaching of the whole counsel of God, the faithful observance of baptism and the Lord’s supper, and the loving exercise of church discipline. (Hebrews 10:25, 2 Timothy 4:2, Acts 2:38, 1 Corinthians 11:26, Matthew 18:17, 1 Corinthians 5:13)
• We will, when we move from this place, unite as soon as possible with some other church where we can carry out of the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.

In all these things, we rely on our God who has made a new and everlasting covenant with us, saying:

“They shall be my people and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them… I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good… with all my heart and all my soul.” (Jeremiah 32:38-41)

In and because of Jesus we pray, Amen.