LifePoint Church

Click on the links below to hear audio recordings from leadership training sessions.

Community Group Leader Meeting | 13 January 2012

Chris Bryant | Community Pastor | LifePoint Church
Shepherding

Click on the links below to hear the audio recording of each session

Ozarks Church Planting Network | 8-9 November 2010

OCPN | 8 November 2011

Scott Perry | Senior Pastor | Temple Baptist Church, Sullivan MO
Finishing Strong: Running the Race to Win the Prize

Joshua Hedger | Lead Pastor | Freshwater Church, Bolivar MO
Pitfalls to Church Planting

A place for training resources offered and hosted by LifePoint Church.

Ozarks Church Planting Network

Meets quarterly at LifePoint Church and hosts guests speakers throughout the year. 

For questions, email OCPN.

Its easy to get plugged into a Community Group.  The first thing I would encourage you to do is pray.  Not for weeks or months, but just pray as you choose.  It is God's will for you to be in Community.  That's not the prayer.  The prayer is for where?  "Who needs help Lord?  Who can I commit to build and encourage in the gospel?  Where can I learn to better die to myself that I might live for Christ, more and more?"

Second, you don't have to commit to a group just because you visit it.  You are free to visit as many groups as you would like.  

Finally, we encourage you to choose a group not based upon who's most like you (making your choice centered around you), but based upon who you can live out the gospel most faithfully with (making your choice centered around Jesus).  The gospel is more than Sunday morning church.  Its meant to permeate and transform every area of life.  Because of that, we believe you should choose a group of people that you can share all of life with.  So think about schedules, geography, and stages of life.  A community group is like a gospel family.  Whatever group you join, commit with all your heart to love, encourage, build, serve and engage in the mission of God with the people of God. 

Said simply; pray, pursue and commit.

To view available groups, click HERE, or you can see available groups by logging onto The City, our online gathering site.  If you're not yet a member of The City, its easy.  All you need is a name and an email address.  Click HERE to join The City.  

Motivation and Message

“Motivation and Message” remains the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we “contend for the faith,” the Gospel is our only power. People must hear it in order to believe. To experience it in community is not only to better understand, but to be encouraged to remain faithful.

Focus on Disciple Making

Leading people to be real Christ-followers in life...together.  As disciples we seek to transform the heart as Worshipers and the head as Disciples, while engaging the hands as Servants and the feet as Missioners. A disciple needs community to be made. Of all the external indicators that validate a church in our culture, we must remain focused on growing people up in the power of God’s grace, seeing them transform into the image of Jesus, and learning to live surrendered to him in every way.

Equip and Empower God's People

The work of mission is the labor of every Chris- tian. As church leaders, this is our focus. Resources serve to multiply, not to fortify. Mission through community is the work of every covenant member. God calls you not just to what you can do, but what he has for you to do. His call always includes quali- fication, equipping, and empowering.

Intentional Mission in Life Rhythms

Community is not the mission.  Community is how we do mission, and intentionality is the key to living missionaly. The culture of Christianese has made mission the “vacation of Christianity” something you do once or twice a year. Simply stated, this means we live less where we do church and do more church where we live. Less of life revolves around church activity and more of “church” (identity) permeates everyday life; everything you do in the rhythms of life is centered around the Gospel—everything.

Organize to Decentralize

We labor to nurture a movement of God’s Spirit among his people, not an institution fortified by God’s people. Catalytic points help us determine when to launch a new of community of Christians into the world. Leaders are constantly identified, enlisted, equipped, and empowered to lead as the mission multiplies.

It is God's design for Creation

God created us in His image; an image of relationship reflected in the trinity.

In Genesis 1, we read the very words of God proclaiming “let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”  Thus God created man in his image, after his likeness, and he placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.  After creating the world and all that fills it, God looked upon the man whom he created in his own image, and said “it is not good that the man should be alone.”  This was not a product of sin.  Essentially, the work God had started in creating man in his image was not yet complete.   God has always been in relational community with the Son and the Holy Spirit, what we call the trinity, and until man could live mirroring this relational community, it would not be a completed image of the triune God.

It was after God created woman to dwell with man that he looked over all he had created and said “it was very good.”  Thus, the value of relationship was set forth for all of mankind.  Live in relational community.  It is God’s design for creation.

To know and be known

God created us to know and be known by Him.  He also created us to know and be known by one another.

God knows us.  In the book of Jeremiah, God claimed “I knew you before you were even born”, and in the Psalms, “I knit you together in the womb.” It was Jesus who said that God knows every hair on your head.3  We shouldn’t think that God simply likes to keep track of these things.  He knows us this intimately because he loves us this intimately.  He created us to live in deep, loving relationship with him.

Knowing God and His glory should be our greatest desire.  God created us to know him and when we seek to know him above all else, we glorify Him by making Him supreme and by reflecting His glorious image to the world.  Sin caused us to instead hide from God and it broke relationship with God.  Instead of bearing the image of God, we chose the image of Satan and tried to make ourselves God.  But through Jesus we are restored to right relationship with God and our fight, as new creations, is to want to know God and seek him above all.  Paul counted everything loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus and he was willing to give up anything in exchange for it. 4 Jesus said a profound statement when he claimed that to know God is eternal life.5  He also said that not everyone who calls him Lord will enter the his kingdom.  Why?  He says without apology, “Because I never knew you.”  This is not to say that he did not know us but that we never cared to truly know him.  You can spend a lifetime knowing your favorite ball team or your spouse or work or anything else in this world.  Without knowing God, we do not have eternal life and we have no way of living as an image bearer of him and thus he will send us away eternally.  Above all pursuits, we must seek to know God and live in relationship with him.

When sin entered the picture, not only was our relationship with God unraveled, but so were our relationships to one another.  In sin, we don’t just try to hide from God, but we hide from each other and live in pretense (trying to be who we’re not).  Thus, the entire fabric of creation was unraveled.  But when God reconciled us to himself by the blood of Christ, we were not only reconciled to him and made new creations with new affections, but our reconciliation was also to one another.  God is weaving the whole of creation back together as he reconciles us to himself and to each other.  As we seek to live as image bearers of God, we must not seek to simply live right with God (as a single thread), but with one another (the whole fabric) because it was the original picture that he gave us in creation.

It is in knowing one another that we are able to seek the restoration of one another.  The writer of Hebrews says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”  You cannot stir who you do not know.  We must spend time together and seek to know one another and be known as we reflect a people who are made new in the image of Christ, reconciled to God, and to one another.   As Christians, we must seek to know and be known, by God, and by each another.

Love one another

To love one another, we must enter into each other’s lives.  Only together can we bear burdens, share trials, encourage, exhort, and forgive one another.

Jesus commanded us to love one another (John 15).  He said that our love for one another would be the distinguishing mark for those who are truly his (Jn 13:35, 1 Jn 4:7).

John shows us the source of our love when he says that love comes from God and that we love because he first loved us.  (1 Jn 4)  It is his love for us that compels and controls us to love one another (2 Cor 5:14).  He is our source.

He gave us a model of how we are to love one another when he said that we are to love one another just as he loved us (Jn 13:34).  He is our example.

He gives us the measure for how far our love should go when he says that there is no greater love than laying down your life for one another, the very thing he did for us, and scripture calls us to do the same.  (Jn 15:13,  1 Jn 3:16)

What God has done in our lives and is doing in our lives is made most evident by our faithfulness to love one another in all of life.  Scripture gives numerous examples on how we are to love one another.  Some of the “one anothers” that scripture gives are; serve, wash feet, be devoted, accept, instruct, agree, be patient, humble, gentle, and kind to one another, bear burdens, submit, encourage, stir, have compassion, don’t slander, do confess sin, look out for, forgive, and above all.  These can all be summed us in this; love one another.

To love someone you must enter into their life.   Sharing joys, burdens, trials and stories; this is the calling of the Christian.  In Community, we gather around and celebrate the love of God, and we seek to love one another sacrificially and wholeheartedly.  By this, all will know that we are His.

For our sanctification

Growth requires conflict and nothing brings conflict like other people.  We are sinful people and God uses our relationships to show us that sin, and to sanctify us unto Christlikeness.

God’s will for us is our sanctification.

His word is his greatest instrument for our sanctification.  Community is the greatest context for sanctification because in Community, conflict happens.  We walk all over each other’s idols and our sin is brought to the surface.  Too often, we run from conflict because we pass blame or simply don’t want to deal with our sin.  However, when conflict arises and sin is brought to the surface, it is an opportunity for our sanctification as we hold our lives over the sculpting truth of God’s perfect word.  Sins emerge, we repent of the idols we’ve clung to, and by faith we look to Christ and his word to be transformed unto the likeness of Him…together.

Sin is never an isolated issue that affects only the offender.  Because all Christians are members of the body of Christ, sin, no matter how private, always has an impeding affect on the growth of the whole body.  If a foot were to become broken, the whole body is affected and has to make up for the lack.  In Community, we desire sanctification not only for ourselves, but for one another because we desire to see the whole body live faithfully as the bride of Christ unto God’s glory.

Together, we seek to confess our sin, repent of our sin, and rebuke one another in love so that we all might be sanctified and united in our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.   In Community, we seek each other’s sanctification.

God's plan for carrying out redemption

We are God’s ambassadors, sent on a mission by the authority of Christ to proclaim the gospel to the world.  In Community, we not only proclaim our reconciliation to God, but to one another.

Once you were not a people.  Now you are a people, God’s people; and when God saves you, he sends you.  Jesus was sent to reconcile all things to himself. (Col 1:20).  Those whom he reconciles through Jesus, he entrusts with the message of reconciliation, that he might make his appeal through them as their words and lives bear fruit as a new creations who have been reconciled to God and to one another.

Right before his crucifixion, Jesus was praying to the father, “as you sent me, I will send them”.  After being crucified and raised from the dead, he appeared to his disciples and gave them the command that he prayed to God, “as the father has sent me, so am I sending you.”

God is gathering his people, that he might send them out.  In Community, we organize to be the sent with the gospel of Jesus Christ on our tongues.  We have been given the power, authority, and presence of Jesus to carry out the Great Commission that he has given us to go and make disciples in all the earth.

What is available for my children?

Children are a blessing from the Lord. LifePoint Church desires to love and lead children in becoming real Christ followers! KidLife is where we teach the truths of God’s Word in age specific ways. KidLife is available during services. KidLife teachers are loving and dedicated adults who are trained and have had background checks.

Register your children under the “Powertown” sign in the lobby prior to the service.

• Infant to 3 years old - drop off prior to the service.
• 4 years old to 6th grade - check in upon arrival, but attend the musical worship time with adults then meet teachers to go to KidLife classes at approximately 15 minutes into the service.

On the first Sunday of the month 5th and 6th graders will stay in the main service for the entire service.

Find out more about KidLife here.

Students grades 7-12 participate in Sunday services as adults.

Find out more about Youth here.
 

The Great Commission is recorded in every Gospel account and the book of Acts. It is a powerful commission for Jesus’ followers in the world. The Apostles and early church also reveal that, immediately after Pentecost, Christians were intentional in their personal engagement. Sent is the expression of community to live under Jesus’ commission, for all who are saved are sent. Jesus commissions with his authority and empowers by his Spirit for his people to reflect God’s missionary nature—to live, share, and serve the Gospel among the world. God has always chosen a people for his missional purpose—to declare the glory of his name and call the nations to worship him. The day-by-day rhythm of Acts reveals the priority of corporate worship and mission through community. Sent is not just an activity in which we engage; it is an expression of identity as the people of God. Christians are called to live in a manner true to our identity. In worship we exegete the Word of God to explain, understand, and obey. Worship fills our lives and fuels our mission. In mission we exegete culture to incarnate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the world. Two words help clarify mis- sional exegesis: contend and contextualize. We contend for the faith while contextualizing the Gospel.

Missional Labor

Mission is culturally-driven, meaning that Christians engage culture to share the Gospel. Intentional practices help engage missionally to contend and contextualize. First, building margin into life prepares a person (schedule, finances, energy, and focus) to be able to intentionally pursue others to build relationships and share the Gospel. Second, bringing the Gospel to the center of all life rhythms—normal activities that all people engage in—displays the beauty, glory, and power of God in life. Third, learning to identify cultural idols helps prepare one to share the Gospel by addressing common barriers. Fourth, identifying points of impact in the culture where people gather and frequent those places helps us to connect and pursue new relationships. Fifth, engaging the issues of culture to demonstrate the transformational power of the Gospel means we receive some things that are from God and to be enjoyed, reject other things in humility and love that are not compatible with the Gospel, and redeem by the power of the Gospel those things that culture has perverted (money, sex, job, home, family, and relationships). Christians are to look similar, but live distinctly in the world. This means that while Christians grow in Christ-likeness and this will distinguish them from the world in many ways, we never pursue outward distinctions only for the sake of being different. Our distinction is to Christ, not to different outward signs. Sixth, learning to articulate and speak the Gospel to people in the culture by speak-ing it with their terms, not on their terms. We do not mean that we are to dishonor or degrade the Gospel in any manner, but that we learn to faithfully communicate the Gospel in ways that people will be able to understand. Seventh, living in community demonstrates what it means to value the Gospel above all by transferring ultimate value from my identity as an individual and what I’ve done, to being about our identity as the people of God and what he has done.

Missional Messiness

Mission has always been dangerous and messy because when engaged, darkness is intentionally entered in order to be light. Christians should always be aware of this, but should never forsake intentionality in missional labor out of fear. Consider some of the dangers that lead to messiness. When you identify and address idols of culture, you inevitably wrestle with your own heart idols and must learn to repent. When you live in community, conflict arises. One author states, “One of the great things about living as part of a community is that in community people walk all over your idols.” This can be very challenging but is a great opportunity to demonstrate the reconciling power of the Gospel. Before calling for repentance, you must first learn to practice it, not just before God, but between you and God’s people. This kind of vulnerability feels riskier than many want to wager, but it reveals that our ultimate hope and identity is in Christ and not in how others perceive us.

The movement of mission will de-stabilize some, because while they don’t necessarily like the “institutional church,” it’s either all they know or they trust the entrenchment of it more than the movement of it. We must learn to trust the Spirit of God together as he leads us. Mission through community demonstrates that the Gospel has the power to redeem and reconcile and shows how it works among people and with God. The church sent is a community of people entering into the redeeming and reconciling work of God through the Gospel as they live to demonstrate that power among them. The greatest argument for life transformation is a life being transformed by the Gospel. The best place to see, experience, and authenticate life transformation is in community.

LifePoint Church Organizing Structuring Mission

“The focus of a transformational church is on moving the mission forward, as opposed to coddling immature believers.” Some would argue that the church is to be distinct from culture, therefore we should avoid it altogether. We disagree. Being distinctly set apart to God does not infer being cut-off or disconnected from culture. If so, then every artist, athlete, and businessman would have to stop and start over. Jesus left Christians in the world not to be of it, but to impact it. That means we exist in a place from which we are not sourced. Our ultimate joy, hope, and life is not to be grounded in this world. The way Christians relate in and experience this world should be distinct not to the world, but to Christ. God would not leave us where his grace was not sufficient to cover us. He remains to empower us by Holy Spirit.

Five principles of sent guide LifePoint Church as we labor to nurture a Gospel movement:

1. “Motivation and Message” remains the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we “contend for the faith,” the Gospel is our only power. People must hear it in order to believe. To experience it in community is not only to better understand, but to be encouraged to remain faithful.
2. Focus on disciple-making: leading people to be real Christ-followers in life...together as Worshipers, Servants, Disciples, and Missioners. A disciple needs com- munity to be made. Of all the external indicators that validate a church in our culture, we must remain focused on growing people up in the power of God’s grace, seeing them transform into the image of Jesus, and learning to live surrendered to him in every way.
3. Equip and empower God’s people. The work of mission is the labor of every Christian. As church leaders, this is our focus. Resources serve to multiply, not to fortify. Mission through community is the work of every covenant member. God calls you not just to what you can do, but what he has for you to do. His call always includes qualification, equipping, and empowering.
4. Intentional mission in life rhythms. Intentionality is the key to mission. The culture of Christianese has made mission the “vacation of Christianity” something you do once or twice a year. Simply stated, this means we live less where we do church and do more church where we live. Less of life revolves around church activity and more of “church” (identity) permeates everyday life; everything you do in the rhythms of life is centered around the Gospel—everything.
5. Organize to decentralize. We labor to nurture a movement of God’s Spirit among his people, not an institution fortified by God’s people. Catalytic points help us determine when to launch a new of community of Christians into the world. Leaders are constantly identified, enlisted, equipped, and empowered to lead as the mission multiplies.

“Heaven appears on earth in God’s assembly, the church.” The Church gathered is the primary worship expression of the local church, the highest love and devotion set forth as the congregation is gathered. As a corporate expression of the Great Commandment, the church grows together in its expression of love for God as it grows its worship. The Great Commandment is not so much about how much one loves God. Rather, it is about how one loves God. There is a way to love God faithfully.

Until we know God’s character and nature, any expression of love or response we make is both inadequate and unworthy of God. It does not matter how much you love God. What matters is how much God has loved you in Christ. Then, in response to his love for us, we are to love him as He has commanded us to—our how in faithful response to his how much. Loving God is not about what we want, but what He has commanded. Our first concern in worship must always be that God is loved in appropriate ways that reflect him completely as the Great Commandment instructs. The Gospel shapes our worship to grow the Great Commandment in our life—to love God as he commanded.

When the church is gathered in corporate worship, God—who is wholly beyond us in every way—wants to show up among us and do what only he can do because of what he has already done in the Gospel: bring his people into his presence and be with us. The goal of our worship: God truly worshipped, believers being transformed, and unbelievers convinced “God is really among you.”

Transcendence and Immanence/Revelation and Response

In gathered worship, the congregation experiences God’s presence. This is an amazing, glorious reality. The Creator and Sustainer of all, God comes and dwells among us. Transcendence and immanence—God that is beyond us comes and visits us. We gather to enter his presence because he has made a way for us and with us he reveals himself that we might know him in greater understanding and with deeper intimacy. Revelation and response—God reveals himself that we might know him and respond in faithful worship. Revelation is the means by which God makes himself known. True worship that God alone is worthy of cannot occur without revelation. Response is what we, his people, do in faithfulness to acknowledge his glory, majesty, and holiness through surrender, worship, and faith. True worship is not complete until we have responded to God faithfully. This rhythm of revelation and response is essential to faithfulness as we experience the presence and work of God among us to transform us into his image, both individually and congregationally.

The church gathered expresses who God is—worthy of worship, who we are—people called by His Name, and the enjoyment of covenant relationship with him. Five terms describe congregational worship and help us talk about our understanding of the church gathered:

1. Relationally-driven. This means that we understand our gathering to be a faithful expression of covenant relationship with God and to be the principle discipline that grows relationship with him.
2. Spirit and truth. Jesus teaches that worship of the true God is in spirit and truth. The relationship of the Word and Holy Spirit also reveals how we are to personally engage in worship. The Word exalts Christ and defines the content of our worship with au- thority while the Holy Spirit as the presence of God empowers our understanding and expression of worship. As God’s people, we are to engage our mind and our spirits to worship him faithfully.
3. Gospel-centered. The content of the message proclaimed as well as the overall flow of a service structure is determined by the Gospel; as we worship in spirit and truth, the Gospel enables and emboldens us to come before God’s throne.
4. World-colliding. When God’s congregation worships, eternity impacts today. God, who is eternal in being and existence, visits us within our world of the present to love, strengthen, build us up, and express his favor for and ultimately his glory among us.
5. Life-transformational. The transformation of life occurs in moments of time, over the course of time for the full consummation of time in all eternity. Every time the congrega- tion worships in Spirit and Truth, God works with transforming power among his peo- ple. It is the mission of LifePoint Church to display in the city the glorious presence of our eternal, holy, triune God through the faithful gathered expression of his people.

Elders

Lane Harrison - Lead Pastor 
 

Chris Bryant - Community Pastor

Tyler Greene- Director of Worship Ministry

Al Webb - Director of Connections

Blake Souter - Director of Stewardship    

Dallas Gilion  

Jon Goings    

Jeff Taylor

Ministry Directors

Erika Solidum - KidLife Director Pre-K     

Debbie Holden - KidLife Director K-6th    

Matt Brown - Youth Director     

At LifePoint, we encourage all Christ-followers to express their love for God by using their unique combination of abilities, talents, experiences, and gifts in service to LPC.  To see a list of servant opportunities, create an account on The City, and click on Growth, then service opportunities.  You can also vew opportunities by clicking HERE to download the servant team sheet.  

In May 2005, LifePoint began the process of growing the leadership when Pastor Lane taught on biblical eldership. Several men entered a year-long process of discerning God’s will for their lives and for LifePoint; after ten months of prayer, study, and private and public examination, five more men were installed as elders during a service of worship, prayer, preaching of the Word, foot-washing, and the laying on of hands.

God blessed LifePoint and they paid the original $100,000 loan for remodeling within five months. Little did they know that God had more provisions just around the corner. First, they purchased their present building exactly one year to the day after signing its lease and, because they had predetermined a purchase price at the lease signing one year earlier, there was zero out-of-pocket expenses. Second, they leased a modular unit in October 2005 to increase space for the ever-growing children’s ministry. Third, a new plot of real estate went on the market in November 2005. Pastor Lane had eyed it since April 2003 but knew the owners had no interest in selling it. Even so, he often took a few close friends there to dream and pray, “Lord, if there is one place you would give to plant this church, make it this hillside.”

Two-and-a-half years later, a for-sale sign appeared on the property and God once again answered prayers. In March 2006, LifePoint purchased 17 acres for future site development and for establishing LifePoint’s missional headquarters.

For two years the church worked to pay the debt of the land with special offerings and regular committed giving. During this time, they were able to pay over two-thirds of the total purchase amount of the land. As growth continued in the old facility, the Elders sensed the time to move forward with relocation plans to the new site. They called the church to pray and several meetings were held to discuss next steps. The summer of 2008 was spent preparing for LifePoint’s first capital campaign. Choosing not to hire professionals to come in, a select group of elders were trained to organize the campaign utilizing the people of the church. In the fall of 2008 the first capital campaign, City on a Hill, was held through focused prayer devotionals, vision meetings with all members and regular attenders, and the church discussing what this next step would require. The church had always been faithful to give generously, but a new level of commitment was being sought from everyone.

A celebration was held on the new site to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the church and to culminate the campaign with worship, baptisms, testimony, and a catered meal. The next Sunday, October 12, was commitment day when all pledges were to be submitted. One significant factor that helps to understand the context of all that was going on is that on Thursday, October 9, the stock market fell its greatest amount since the Great Depression. The economy was not moving in the right direction, but God was. Over $480,000 above regular tithes and offerings were committed toward the campaign with $100,000 being given in a first-fruit offering.

Following the campaign, the process of relocation began. Creative Ink Architects was contracted to lead the initial part of the project and design the facility. Larry Snyder Company, Inc., was contracted to be the General Contractor and lead the site excavation and building process. These two companies proved to be invaluable for the church as this project was very large. The total project was over $2 million dollars, including the infill for the new facility. Tests were done to prepare the land throughout the spring and in May of 2009 construction began.

While construction revealed more outward signs of growth for LifePoint—along with a continued numerical growth—God was not slowing with the spiritual growth of his people. People continued to show signs of spiritual growth including salvation of adults and children, a greater level of sacrifice in serving to meet the demands of a growing congregation, a continued desire to serve in the city, a developing leadership and a spirit of humility, unity, and peace among the people.

As 2009 drew to a close, plans to relocate continued to culminate, waiting for moving day. Beset by weather and scheduling issues, the first day in the new facility remained on hold. The year 2010 was shaping up to be the most significant year in the life of this young church.

As 2010 dawned, the Elders were poised to lead the church in steps of faith as they believed the Lord was revealing. Plans were made to add a third full-time pastoral staff. One from among their own had wrestled with the call for several years and sensed it was the right time in his heart. The elders agreed. In February the Elders presented Christ Bryant to the church body as the new Community Pastor. This was no small step for LifePoint. Budget demands were looming with the new facility and adding another full-time staff person meant an even greater demand. But the spiritual life of the church was flourishing and this step was not perceived as a burden, but rather an act of faithful obedience. There was a great spirit of unity among the people as well as an excitement in experiencing God grow the church spiritually.

By March of 2010, plans to move were in place. Leadership meetings were held in the new facility to give people a thorough introduction to the new space. It would prove to be a larger shift than anyone first anticipated. Acclimating to a larger space required more of everything: people, time, resources, and energy. The first Sunday in the new facility was March 28. There was no shortage of problems to address, but what an incredible day. The very next week was Easter, which saw an attendance that was 25% higher than our highest attendance ever in the life of the church. The spring continued to be a great season for LifePoint as the Lord continued to grow his church in every way.

In the last six years, Ozark has ignited with a holy resonation of God’s glory. John 21:25 says, “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” Amen! This is certainly true of LifePoint’s story; the best is yet to come!

God has strongly established LifePoint and now he is leading her to build a city on a hill. The light of God’s glory will not be hidden as the power of Christ’s gospel radically changes lives.

Both confident that God was calling them to plant a church, Pastor Lane and Christin started recruiting leaders and core group members.

During the winter of 2003, Pastor Lane and Christin moved forward in planning, organizing, and meeting people. While working with his current church, he held vision meetings so people could learn more about this church plant, and in March 2004 Pastor Lane began holding weekly meetings for those interested in launching LifePoint Church. During those meetings, Pastor Lane taught, cast vision, and prayed with them as God drew in more people, revealed their strengths, and positioned them in strategic roles. As the core group grew, so did the excitement of all God was doing. While the core group met weekly, LifePoint’s leaders continued their search for a facility, which proved to be an ever-increasing challenge. They identified a potential building, but its owner was only interested in selling—not leasing—and LifePoint did not have the money to make the purchase. But a few weeks later, the owner contacted Pastor Lane and offered to lease the facility with the future option to buy—important details only God could have provided.

In mid-June 2004, they signed the lease on the 8,000+ square-foot facility, and on July 3, 40-plus volunteers began remodeling by gutting the building of everything except the exterior walls (and the signature Swiss cottage in the community room that eventually served as the office and prayer room).

Remodeling a facility at this stage in a church plant is insane, which is probably why many church plants don’t begin with such projects. But God was leading, and soon their $100,000 remodeling project (plus a new parking lot) was underway. Money was coming in from fundraising efforts and core group participants, but not of this magnitude. Faith was the active decision maker every day. After interviews with eight other bank loan officers, they received a $100,000 loan from the ninth officer five minutes into the interview. In August, they received a three-week stop-work order from the city, so the launch date was moved back one month to October. After the initial building inspection, $30,000 of costs were added to the project for safety and they were allowed three weeks of temporary occupancy for their first services.

LifePoint’s first service—fondly known as Launch Day—was October 3, 2004, and two hundred attended that first service: 197 people plus God the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. Initial attendance dropped as expected, but not for long. LifePoint experienced a 43% increase in attendance over the first eighteen months and 20%+ over the following two years.

After the first service, contagious excitement and warm hospitality fused to create a magnetic fellowship of people who shared the gospel with others; invited their friends, family, and co-workers to LifePoint; and continued to be faithful to God’s work there. The gospel was working in powerful ways among his people and LifePoint was blessed immeasurably! Radical changes were taking place in people’s lives, marriages, and families.

LifePoint was birthed within the heart of Pastor Lane nearly ten years before it was planted. Lane and Christin had only been married for 14 months when they moved to Fort Worth, Texas and heard about church planting, but God began calling him to this work even then. Little did he know at that time that church planting was only a seed that would take years to mature.

In March 2003 while serving on a church staff, God began stirring Pastor Lane’s heart to pray once again about planting a church. On his way home from work, his mother called and asked, “When are you going to plant a church?” The very next week his mother-in- law called and asked the same question. God opened his eyes to see the people in his new neighborhood—lost and hurting neighbors with no church reaching out to them. God spoke very directly to Pastor Lane and shaped a vision for what could reach these people.

Pastor Lane and Christin prayed and sought God; they initiated a 30-day season of prayer and contacted family and close friends to pray with them. In the closing days of this time, Pastor Lane received a letter of encouragement from his grandparents—words of great wisdom and consolation. The letter included a quote from Pastor George W. Truett that confirmed God’s direction for church planting:

"To find the will will of God is the greatest discovery. To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge. To do the will of God is the greatest achievement."

What is a Sunday morning service like?

Each service starts with worship music that could be a mix of LifePoint original music, traditional hymns, and modern worship songs. The musical style ranges from acoustical one Sunday to a full band the next. There is a time of greeting one another while kids grades K thru 6 meet their teachers at the back doors for KidLife time. Pastor Lane Harrison or one of the Elders shares lessons from the Bible and how it applies to the Gospel of Christ, our lives and the mission of LifePoint Church.

Who attends LifePoint Church?

People of all ages, backgrounds, and communities attend LifePoint. Ozark is a central point for people from Branson, Marshfield, Republic, Springfield, Nixa, Ozark and other surrounding communities. We believe that with each new member, the LifePoint church body becomes something new and uniquely gifted to carry out its mission. What gifts and talents will you bring as you serve and worship with us?

How big is LifePoint Church?

You'll join between 200 and 250 people in worship depending on the service time and Sunday. Average weekly attendance is between 500-550.

What should I wear?

You'll find people in everything from jeans and a t-shirt to casual dress. The point is not the outward appearance. Come comfortable!

If I have additional questions who should I talk to?

• Call the church office: (417) 581-6572
• Email the church office: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Mission is the church understanding who we are (identity); why we are in the world (purpose); and organizing, structuring, and resourcing (operating) to faithfully accomplish the commission God has given us. There are two primary expressions of the church: gathered and sent. These expressions represent what we believe about God, what we believe about who we are as his people, and why we exist in this world. Both are essential and critical for the church to be faithful and effective in mission.

The church is a gift from God.  It is His means of carrying out the mission of redeeming the world to himself.  Jesus came to do God's mission, and he commissioned us to continue it, and the vehicle he gave us to do it in is the church.  

The church was born in God's heart before it was ever born in man's.  But God chooses to bring about his work in the world through his followers, and his promise was that He would build it.  But he would do it through the faithfulness of his disciples.  

Take a look back with us to what God chose to begin through one man's faithfulnessn that continues to be grown and built through the faithfulness of the many that God is gathering around His purposes for His glory.  

The vision of LifePoint Church is to labor for the Kingdom of God and grow as a Gospel-centered, missional church. Gospel-centered means that we consider all teachings in light of the good news of the life, work, death, resurrection, and rule of Jesus Christ. We believe that God’s eternal purposes and work are centered in Jesus Christ through the Gospel. Our message and ministry is one of grace. Some distinctives will help you understand who we are. There is always a danger in using labels. When words are common or familiar, often they will be defined by people’s experience. In light of this, we offer a brief descriptive to help define each distinctive. If you have further questions about what we mean, please do not hesitate to inquire. It is important to us—and we believe to you as well—that you understand who we are and what we mean by what we say.

LifePoint is:

1. Christian. First and foremost, we are identified with Jesus Christ. He is Savior; we trust in his finished and complete work of dying on the cross for our sins and rising from the dead to display his power over life and death. He is Lord and Master; we surrender our lives to his supreme will. He is reigning King; we serve his Kingdom in this world. He is the Head of the Church and we are his body. Our desire is to love him completely and make him known. Christian also means we seek to love and serve others in the name of Jesus as he did on this earth.

2. Evangelical. We believe every person must be born again to experience salvation in Jesus Christ. This occurs when one believes the Gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection, trusts Jesus, and the Holy Spirit regenerates their heart. God is fully revealed in his Son, Jesus Christ, through His written Word, the Bible.

3. Missional. We are sent by Jesus into the world to share the Gospel of his salvation by grace through faith. We believe God commissions Christians to make disciples of all nations, from neighbors to the nations. We are to live in such a way that we intentionally pursue others to introduce them to Jesus through the Gospel. This work happens as we contend for the faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and contextualize the Gospel message in the culture in which we live.

4. Reformed. We hold to a reformed view of salvation that has been historically defined by what is known as the Five Solas:

• Sola scriptura (by scripture alone). The Bible is the only inspired and authoritative Word of God, the only source of Christian doctrine, and accessible to all. It is our highest and final authority.
• Sola fida (by faith alone). We are justified by faith alone without any mixture of or need for good works. We do believe salvation results in good works.
• Sola gratia (by grace alone). Salvation comes by God’s grace, unmerited favor, not of any merit of our own.
• Solus Christus (in Christ alone). Christ is the only mediator between God and man and there is salvation in no one else.
• Soli Deo gloria (glory to God alone). All glory is due to God alone.

5. Elder-led. LifePoint Church is led by men who are called, qualified, tested, competent, approved, and installed.

6. Baptistic. When a person gets saved, they need to publicly identify with Jesus through believer's baptism. As a result of salvation, baptism is a first step of obedience to Jesus' command and a first testimony to the world of God's grace in life.

7. Charismatic. We believe all the spiritual gifts of grace are still active in the world today through the work of Holy Spirit. In theological terms, this position is referred to as non-cessationism or continuationism. The role of Holy Spirit is essential and vital for the vibrant, effective witness of the Gospel in the world.

51 Riverdale Rd • Ozark, MO • 65721  |  (See Map & Directions)

• 9:00 AM Worship Experience + KidLife
• 10:40 AM Worship Experience + KidLife

The compass introduces our vision for Christ-followers to grow, the church to be built up, and how they labor in the world for the gospel. We envision a strong ethos that resonates and shapes gospel-centered, missional living through rhythms of life.

Ethos of a Christ-follower

Ethos is the defining spirit of LifePoint and serves as an intentional, practical guide for missional living as the gospel bears fruit in life.
 

• Worshipper

We are created for relationship with God: to love, know, and experience him. As worshippers, Christ-follower’s strive to love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength as their hearts are engaged with God, regenerated in salvation and renewed daily by the gospel, growing in adoration for him, and trusting in him above all others. Lives are lived for his glory as an offering of sacrificial worship.

• Servant

We are called to expression by serving others in Jesus’ name. As servants, Christ-followers express their love for God by using the unique combination of abilities, talents, experiences, and gifts he has given them. The hands are engaged to serve and show the love of God by building the church, meeting needs, and addressing the issues of life in a practical way.

• Disciple

We are reconciled in relationship with God to grow in authenticity through his Word, the Bible. As disciples, Christ-followers strive to grow in Christ’s righteousness through sanctification—the transformation of life. The head is engaged to study and know the gospel, and life is lived in obedience through the power of the gospel. Life is transformed when sin is recognized and repented of and when life is lived by faith in Christ.

• Missioner

We are compelled to mission by sharing the gospel with the people of the world. As missioners, Christ-followers no longer view the world from a human, worldly perspective but are sent with the ministry and message of reconciliation with God through Christ Jesus. The feet are engaged to carry this ministry and message to all peoples—even to the ends of the earth. Mission is a part of life’s every aspect.

Connection Environments of the Church

Connection environments of the church are designed to connect and engage Christ-followers with God and other people. They build the ethos of every Christ-follower and the church by providing organization, structure, and guidance to proclaim and live the gospel of Jesus Christ.

• Worship Experiences

Worship experiences connect Christ-followers with God to build relationship as worshippers and to attract unbelievers to God. At LifePoint, worship experiences include—but are not limited to—Sunday mornings, Celebrate LifePoints, special occasions, the Good Life for students, and special training for KidLife discipleship on Wednesday evenings. We also provide resources to equip Christ-followers in personal worship.

• Community

Community connects Christ-followers with God’s Word so they may grow in authenticity as disciples and encourage spiritual growth by life transformation. At LifePoint, community takes shape in community groups for adults and age-targeted environments for children and youth, during LifePoint Café and other community events, at connection events such as Explore LifePoint and the Navigation Series, and through one-to-one personal disciple making.

Community group is the primary disciple-making environment for adults at LifePoint. These groups are structured to build community among people, study God’s Word for life transformation, and equip for and engage in missional living. Groups are intentionally small to encourage participation, intimacy, and connection, and they each build on and encourage the establishment of new relationships with neighbors for the purpose of making disciples. Further explanation will be given in the next section under Mission.

• Projects & Impacts

Projects connect Christ-followers with others for expression as servants of God-given talents, abilities, and gifts to build up the church and meet needs in Jesus’ name. At the discretion of the Elders, we establish and support relationships with ministries and non-profit organizations in the local community. We also provide opportunities for LifePointers to serve both their church and their community through servant teams, practical acts of kindness, and church-wide projects.

Servant teams are designed to meet needs within LifePoint Church to help the church function effectively. The standard is to lead by being the least of all in service to the Lord through the church. Teams are comprised of people equipped to lead by calling, giftedness, passion, expertise, skill, and training. For a list of servant teams, see the LifePoint Servant Guide.

Impacts connect Christ-followers with people of the world to live and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. LifePoint partners with individuals and organizations for the purpose of mission and advancement of the gospel.

Community Groups at LifePoint are an essential expression of how we carry out the mission of God as the church.  If you want to connect with LifePoint and faithfully pursue God as His church, Community Groups are the primary place to do that.  

Its not a bible study, a social gathering, or a prayer group.  We do these things, but they are not the reason we gather.  We gather around the Jesus as disciples who engage in His mission, serve our city and one another, and grow in our relationship with God.  

The covenant introduces membership at LifePoint. We envision a strong fellowship of people joined by a common core, a defining compass, and a life in the influence of a biblical church culture. Our desire for every member of LifePoint is to grow to be the Christ-follower that God desires. The Bible teaches that it is the church’s work to equip and encourage you (Eph 4:12). This is LifePoint’s mission—to lead people to be real Christ-followers in life together.

Membership

Membership is primarily based on the biblical foundation of Romans 12:4–5 and 1 Corinthians 12:12–27. We receive people as candidates for membership based upon a personal profession of faith in Jesus Christ, fruit of Holy Spirit regeneration in life, and believer’s baptism. A person can apply for membership by expressing this desire to any Elder or ministry leader. Membership is completed once a person finishes the Navigation Series, signs a covenant, is confirmed by the Elder Council and received and welcomed by the congregation.

• Covenant

When you make a vow to the Lord, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it (Eccl 5:4–5).

• Purpose of LifePoint Church Member Covenant

When a person enters into relationship with God, by grace through faith, they enter into two covenants. The first is to journey with God for the rest of their lives and love him fully. The second is to journey with his children in a community of Christ-followers called the local church. Church membership is the means of fulfilling the life God intended for you to live (1 Cor 3:10–17).

The purpose of the LifePoint membership covenant is to: join the Spirit in forming authentic community that reflects the relationship between the Father, Son and, Spirit; clarify the ongoing blessings and responsibilities of each member; encourage consistency, accountability, and loving unity within the church family; and accomplish God’s call for the LifePoint family (Eph 2:19–22). We understand that no person is perfect, and therefore do not expect perfection from any one. We trust, though, that your heart’s desire is to fulfill each responsibility to the best of your ability. We pray this journey will be a blessing to you and that along the way you will bless others.

As the leadership of LifePoint Church, we covenant to:

1. Lovingly care for you and seek your growth in Christ (Heb 13:7; 1 Thes 5:12).
2. Provide teaching and counsel from the Scriptures and that this teaching will span the whole counsel of God’s Word (Gal 6:6; 1 Tm 5:17–18; Acts 20:27–28).
3. Helping you in times of need (Acts 2:42; 4:32–35; Jas 2:14–17).
4. Maintain that the Elders and deacons will meet the criteria assigned to them in the scriptures (1 Tm 3:1–13; 5:17–22; Ti 1:5–9; 1 Pt 5:1–4).
5. Pray for you regularly, particularly when you are sick (Jas 5:14). 
6. Be on guard against false teachers (Acts 20:28–31).
7. Exercise church discipline when necessary (Mt 18:15–20; 1 Cor 5; Gal 6:1).
8. Help you become equipped to serve Christ (Eph 4:11–13).
9. Seek God’s will for LifePoint Church to the best of our ability as we study the Scriptures and follow the Spirit (Acts 20:28; 1 Pt 5:1–5).
10. Set an example and join you in fulfilling the duties of church members (1 Cor 11:1; Phil 3:17; 1 Tm 4:12).

As a member of LifePoint Church, I covenant the following:

1. Salvation. I am a Christian, saved by grace through faith. I have repented of my sins, received God’s forgiveness, and trust Jesus with my whole life.
2. Doctrinal unity and followship. I have read and understand the LifePoint doctrinal statement and agree not to be divisive to its teaching. I also understand the importance of submission to church leadership and will be diligent to preserve unity and peace (Heb 13:7,17; Eph 4:1–3).
3. Spiritual growth. I will seek to grow in my relationship with Jesus Christ through the regular practice of spiritual disciplines such as Bible reading, prayer, regular worship experience attendance, community group participation and fellowship with other Christ-followers, serving through the LifePoint community, and sharing the gospel/my faith with people of the world (Ps 119:97; 105:1; Acts 2:42–47; Heb 10:23–25).
4. Stewardship. I will strive to properly manage the resources God has entrusted to me including: my time, body, gifts, talents, abilities, attitudes, finances, and possessions (Eph 5:15–18; Rom 12:1–2; Eph 4:1–16; Gal 5:22–26; Prv 3:9–10). I will regularly give my tithes and offerings to the Lord through LifePoint sacrificially, generously, and cheerfully (2 Cor 8, 9).
5. Missional vision. I commit myself to the LifePoint community and agree to aid in fulfilling its missional purpose to both be and share the gospel, beginning in Ozark with my neighbor and to the nations at the ends of the earth.
6. Serve and minister. I commit to using the spiritual gift(s) God has given me for the building up the church, both at LifePoint and universally (1 Pt 4:10–11; Rom 12:1–8; 1 Cor 12:7–31).
7. Fellowship unity. I covenant to practice the humility and sacrificial attitude of Christ by considering the needs of others (Phil 2:1–11), not gossiping (Prv 16:28; Mt 18:15–17), and seeking spiritual friendships (Prv 17:17).
8. Christian relationships. I covenant to have friendly Christian relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ from other churches, but I will not function in leadership or as a member in another church family (Heb 13:17).
9. Church discipline. I covenant to follow the biblical procedures of church discipline, and submit myself to discipline if the need should ever arise (Mt 18:15–17; Gal 6:1–5).
10. Scriptural authority. I covenant to submit to the authority of the Scriptures as the final arbiter on all issues (Ps 119; 2 Tm 3:16–17).

By God’s grace, I will strive to consider my commitment to this membership covenant on a yearly basis. I understand that it is an evaluative tool as well as an affirmation of my continuing conviction and purpose. My responsibility will be to notify the LifePoint leadership if at any time I can no longer commit to this covenant, or if I have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding LifePoint Church.

Church Discipline

Church discipline shapes all structure and practice at LifePoint, from weekly teaching to membership, from group life to how we relate with one another individually. Church discipline is lost in many churches today, but we celebrate the love God has for his people and his church in expressing this discipline. Church discipline begins with building a community where people are strongly committed to be encouraging each other to grow in God’s grace through the Gospel. We believe church discipline should be practiced with six biblical goals in focus:

1. Glorifying God. God makes it clear in his Word that discipline is to shape the lives of his people.
2. Purifying the Church—Christ’s bride. The purpose of Christ and the power of the gospel prepares a bride who is “without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” to be presented to God (Eph 5:27).
3. Expressing love to God’s children. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent” (Rv 3:19). Discipline is an act of love, and when we reject God’s discipline, we spurn his love. God loves us enough to discipline us.
4. Encouraging self-discipline in the life of every Christian. God has given us the spirit of self-discipline (2 Tm 1:8), and self-control (discipline) is a fruit of Holy Spirit in our life (Gal 5:23). Spiritual growth demands discipline, and if the church is to nurture this growth in the life of every Christ-follower, discipline is essential. Discipline in the church serves as an encouragement for every Christian to embrace and practice it in life.
5. Producing righteousness and peace in the life of a Christian. Discipline is used “for our good, that we may share in his holiness” (Heb 12:10–11). We are not told to love discipline; we are told to love what it produces—righteousness and peace.
6. Restoring, reconciling, and reclaiming an offender. Discipline in the church is never engaged in order to “win” an argument or serve punitive retribution for sin upon a person. Church discipline exists to reclaim a sinning believer through restoration and reconciliation. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently” (Gal 6:1).

The church culture introduces the culture of a community of people created by the compass. Disciple-making builds people in their faith and equips them to go into the world as a faithful ambassador of Christ. Every person is encouraged to grow in stewardship and leadership. A pathway for every person is set forth to help people understand how to grow in Christ among his people.

Stewardship

The gospel leads us to shift our values, priorities, and perspectives. Scripture calls this shift stewardship. Stewardship orients our lives as Christ-followers to recognize that—by faith—we now belong to God, and we are all stewards. Because we belong to God, we know that ultimately everything we are and have belongs to God and has been given to us as a gift—by grace—from God. Therefore, we seek to enjoy the gifts God has given us and to manage and invest those gifts in others by distributing them wisely. Stewardship addresses three primary categories: time, talents, and treasure.

• Stewardship of Time

As a Christ-follower, you should invest time in the body of Christ for personal and church growth—both spiritual and numerical. You should seek to willingly serve—regardless of the act—to give of self for God and others. This opportunity for you to grow through serving, giving, offering, et cetera becomes a catalyst for kingdom growth, for God designed his kingdom to be built in this way.

• Stewardship of Talents

Biblically, a talent is anything God has given you that can bring honor and glory to him, and—as a Christ-follower—you should seek to understand that your skills, expertise, gifts, and willingness are talents that are capable of glorifying God. At the same time, an unused talent is of no value to him. God, in his grace, gives all Christ-followers a unique set of talents, and your life’s design can glorify God and build the church. By giving yourself to the church and others, you share God’s grace and minister to those around you.

• Stewardship of Treasures

The New Testament builds on the foundational teaching of the Old Testament and teaches that we are under a new covenant—a covenant of grace and not law. Because God—in his grace—has given generously to us, we give, and—as Christ-followers—we should generously, sacrificially, and cheerfully give the first fruits of our financial resources to the church on a regular schedule. We should also work to excel in our giving as we grow and mature in our faith. By giving, we keep our trust in God rather than in treasure, and we further God’s kingdom work.

Leadership

LifePoint is led by an Elder Council, deacons that serve in a number of different capacities including ministry, and serving leadership and staff.

• Elders

LifePoint believes that an Elder-led church is the biblical model for church leadership. Elders are called by God to serve as humble servant leaders and under-shepherds of Christ. Elders lead the church in vision and mission by the administration of resources and maintaining unity among the body. They are to feed the church by the regular, faithful teaching of the Bible. They guard the church by guarding doctrine and pursuing straying members. They care for the church through the spiritual ministry of prayer and counsel. Church members are called on by God to submit to the leadership of these leaders, unless such submission would be clearly unbiblical, immoral, or illegal. Elder and pastor are terms used interchangeably for the same leadership. Elder denotes the position of the office while pastor stresses the function of that office. Elders may be paid or not, for there is no biblical distinction or mandate on this difference. The Elders are responsible for all leadership in the church but do not necessarily fulfill every function. Elders are trained through a process of study and hands-on experience so their performance can be observed by the church. They are placed in office by church affirmation and installment by the standing Elder Council.

• Deacons

Deacons serve a number of different roles including leadership in disciple-making ministries, servant team leadership and community group leadership. The position of deacon is determined by the needs of the church and may be created and disbanded as needed by the Elder Council. Deacons are chosen by the Elders for service in recognized areas of character and competency by the congregation.

Disciple-making Pathway

Disciple-making is the intentional life of spiritual growth in following Jesus Christ, faithfully sharing the gospel, and serving to build up the church and grow the kingdom of God. Disciple-making begins at the point in life where Jesus meets you in the gospel and continues as each Christian strives to intentionally grow in Christlikeness throughout life—a process called progressive sanctification. The following steps serve as a guide to introduce and explain how to pursue this growth among LifePoint Church. There are three steps on the disciple-making path:

1. Explore LifePoint is an introductory session designed to introduce people to leadership, an overview of the vision and practices of the church, and answer questions for those new to LifePoint. We structure this environment around a light meal to encourage fellowship and connecting. Any person is welcome to attend, whether first time guest or regular attender, who is desiring to connect with LifePoint Church.

2. Community Group is our ongoing disciple-making ministry for adults. These groups commit to one another for the purpose of being the church in the world through missional living. This will be explained further in the next section, but is considered an important step to connecting with the people of and engaging in the mission of LifePoint Church.

3. Navigation Series is a seminar designed to educate, equip, and train people into LifePoint membership. A holistic perspective of the church is studied with topics that include foundational theology, core values, ethos, connection environments, church leadership, servant teams, community, structure, and operations of the church. This seminar series is required to complete membership at LifePoint. A fuller explanation of membership is given in the following section called Covenant.

4. Membership uses connection environments (see The Compass section) to accomplish mission. Every member should be committed to participating and serving among the LifePoint family. God has intended that the church be strengthened and built up by members. The church grows, develops, and expands its influence for the gospel as members faithfully serve. Personal growth in Christ continues as people learn to take on increasing responsibility for and with others to disciple and be discipled.

5. Leadership is the natural pathway for members of LifePoint to pursue. There are many areas of service and ways to lead among the church. We encourage all members to grow into leadership, which is essential for the church to be able to grow.

Apex, LifePoint's youth ministry, is committed to connecting students with the love of Jesus Christ to experience the life God created them to live. That is what we’re all about. Comprised of students from 7th through 12th grades, Apex gets together every week to help students discover and understand God's purpose for their lives and to develop authentic relationships with other Christian friends.

We meet on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in LifePoint's worship room. This is a time specifically designed for students to worship God and to gain insight from his Word for how to live as image bearers of Christ in all of life.

We meet throughout the week in small groups. This is a time of intense discipleship where we learn to truly take on the “mind of Christ.” This time is very important for us as a youth group as we build deeper relationships with each other and establish a life of accountability with other Christian friends while building the disciplines of a real Christ-follower into our student’s lives.

The core introduces our foundational theology and values. We envision the church built on a solid foundation in Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone (Eph 2:20). LifePoint’s theological foundation—the core—is comprised of our theological perspective, standard, and core theology.

Theological Perspective

Theological perspective helps to understand and know how to relate to God. Not that we, as humans, have the capacity to fully understand God, but that God is known as he reveals himself through the Bible by Holy Spirit. God is the beginning and the end. He is the creator, source, and sustainer of life and is known because he has chosen to reveal himself. Because of his revelation we can know him, but while God is known and can be experienced, he is not fully comprehensible. This pursuit is our theology—the revelation of God and how we have come to know him as he draws us closer to himself. With this perspective, we know God in three ways:

• Truth

God is completely revealed in his son Jesus Christ, in his Word, and by Holy Spirit. Jesus is God Incarnate and is the origin for all that is. God is truth, and there is no truth beyond him. God as truth provides authority (Jn 1:14).

• Mystery

We cannot fully know or fully comprehend God, but he reveals himself so we may know him more fully. Not to say that God does not desire to be known; he does. But he is above and beyond all. He is known and not yet fully known. God as mystery provides freedom to pursue him (1 Tm 3:16).

• Story

God is at work to reconcile the world unto himself in Christ Jesus. He calls his people—the church—to be on mission with him in reconciling the nations unto himself for his glory. God as story provides continuity and synergy in his eternal work on the earth (Jn 1:1–4).

Theological Standard

Theological standard helps us know how to relate to one another in matters of theological positions. Augustine—a fourth-century early church father and theologian—is credited with giving the standard that states, “In essentials, we must have unity. In non-essentials, we must be willing to grant liberty. In all matters, we must show love.” This is an excellent standard that we embrace in order to build unity among the body at LifePoint. There are essentials doctrines in which we expect members should be united. These are defined by scripture itself and can be found in the following section. Other doctrines are important and should be handled seriously and with care, but where disagreement exists, brothers and sisters in Christ should learn to grant liberty to one another while maintaining genuine love for one another.

Core Theology

As Christ-followers, we need a set of beliefs that serve as a foundation for our lives. Core theology details the foundational beliefs on which our journey as Christ-followers is based and which are essential to every member at LifePoint.
 

• The Bible

The Bible is God’s holy Word written by men under divine inspiration and is God’s revelation to man for salvation in Jesus Christ. It is truth without error and holds authority for life, faith, and practice. It is our foundation, instruction, direction, standard, measure, and ultimate authority.

• God

There is only one true and living God, and he is holy and perfect in all of his attributes. He is eternal and sovereign. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-present. God is the creator, source, and sustainer of all life, and he is one-in-three—the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are co-equals and worthy of worship. God is ultimate and intimate and desires relationship with man for his glory.
 

• God the Son, Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the Son of God and lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect substitutionary sacrifice of atonement for sin by dying on a cross. After three days, he rose from the dead to demonstrate his power over sin and death; he then ascended to heaven’s glory and will someday return to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is fully God and fully man and is the one mediator between God and man. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to God except through him. He now sits enthroned at the right hand of God, where he fulfills his ministry as representative, intercessor, and advocate.

• God the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit is the divine counselor who inspired men to write the Bible and who convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He calls humanity to Jesus Christ, seals every believer as a guarantee of salvation, and works within every believer to illuminate Scripture and transform life. He empowers all believers to serve and glorify God by giving them spiritual gifts and provides the believer with power for living, understanding spiritual truth, conviction of sin, and guidance in doing right. He intercedes for believers in their weakness with God’s will. As believers, we are to live under his control every day.

• Humanity

We as humanity were created to glorify God in relationship with him. By choice, Adam sinned and eternally separated us from God, condemning us to death and hell. We are in bondage to sin at birth through our sinful natures and are unable to please God or glorify him. Though we hold a desire to know God, our sinful nature rebels against God, does not seek God, and is antagonistic toward the things of God. Without a savior, we are hopeless and helpless to know God.

• Salvation, Eternal Security, & Assurance

Salvation is a gift of God given to us by grace, and we receive it by a personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. By trusting Jesus as personal Savior and Lord, we can be rescued from hell through a new birth, called regeneration; redeemed from sin with a full acquittal, called justification; reconciled to God the Father in relationship to become more like Jesus, called sanctification; and prepared for Jesus’ return to spend eternity in heaven with God, called glorification. Because God gives eternal life through Jesus Christ, a true Christ-follower is secure in that saving relationship for eternity. If Christ-followers biblically surrender their lives to Christ and accept his gift of life through his forgiveness of sin, they cannot lose their salvation; for salvation is given, kept, and completed by his grace and power. We cannot earn it, so we cannot un-earn it. By faith, those saved will persevere to the end.

• Priesthood of the Believer, Ministry, and Spiritual Gifts

All believers are baptized with Holy Spirit at their conversions and thus have direct access to God through prayer, and God hears the prayer of faith in accordance with his will. All believers are given spiritual gifts by the sovereign will of God and are responsible to develop and use those gifts, and all believers are called to serve, regardless of their vocations.

• The Church & Two Ordinances: Baptism & Lord’s Supper

The church is God’s physical presence in the world and is made up of those who have been rescued, redeemed, reconciled, and redefined to the world. The Bible refers to two types of churches: the universal church and the local church. Universally, the church is the bride of Christ preparing for Christ’s return, the body of Christ serving in Jesus’ name, the family of God growing in relationship with God and one another, and the army of the Lord advancing his kingdom mission. God uses both the universal and local churches to carry the gospel to the people of the world.

Christ is the recognized head of LifePoint—not any person, group, or religious organization—and while recognizing the value of associating and cooperating with other groups of Christians, every local church should be autonomous, self-governing, and independent from any denominational control. The establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in New Testament Scriptures.

We recognize believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper as scriptural means of testimony for the church. Believer’s baptism is a step of spiritual obedience and public testimony and symbolizes the spiritual work of salvation; however, there is no power for salvation in baptism. Likewise, the Lord’s Supper elements symbolize Christ’s body by the bread and his blood by the cup; again, the elements hold no power for salvation.

• Second Coming

Jesus will return to this earth personally, visibly, and universally. Those who have received Jesus are sealed with the Holy Spirit and will be taken to heaven. Those who have rejected Jesus will be eternally condemned to hell. This return will usher in the eternal state.

• Eternity: Heaven & Hell

People were created to exist forever, and we will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is hell, but to be eternally in union with him is eternal life. Heaven and hell are real places of eternal existence.

Our vision is to lead people to become real Christ-followers in life...together.

The people called LifePoint are passionate about worshipping God, serving others, and are intentional about growing God's grace and sharing Jesus.

You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to pretend. you don't even have to agree with us on every little matter. We understand that not everyone is at the same place in life. We all have different questions, concerns, cares, responsibilities, and passions. We simpy invite you to follow Jesus together with us, learn who he is, and what he has done.

Take a deeper look by reading about our Core, Compass, Church Culture, and Covenant.

Welcome to LifePoint’s children’s ministry … KidLife! We consider it a privilege to teach your children about our Lord, Jesus Christ. Our desire is to partner with parents to raise up a godly generation.

Jesus said in Mark 10:14, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Just as Jesus welcomed the children, we welcome your child and hope you will find the KidLife Ministry at LifePoint well-staffed with warm, caring adults who desire to teach your children about the love of Christ.

There are two opportunities for children to learn about Jesus in a structured teaching environment throughout the week. Kid Community meets on Sunday mornings during the adult worship experience, and KidLife Discipleship meets on Wednesday nights from 6:30-7:45 PM.

Kid Community

Kid Community is the environment LifePoint uses to teach children to personalize a relationship with Jesus during their developmental stage. Newborns to 3-year-olds go to their classes before worship experience for activities that introduce them to the great stories of the Old and New Testaments. Four-year-olds to 6th graders begin in worship experience with their families, so they can worship through music. During the welcome, children are dismissed with their leaders to their classes for their age-specific Bible stories and activities.

If you are new to LifePoint or are visiting our church for the first time, welcome! Please stop by the KidLife registration desk to fill out some basic information about your child. This information will be given to your child’s teacher.

KidLife Discipleship

KidLife Discipleship is our midweek environment for children—ages 3 through sixth-graders—to come dive deeper into God’s Word through Bible study and worship. Come join us each Wednesday night from 6:30–7:45 PM. (We break for the summer in May.)

Connecting at LifePoint is more than coming on Sunday mornings.  Its joining a Community Group to share gospel life with.  Its finding a place to serve the body of Christ at LifePoint and carry forward the mission.  Its being discipled and discipling another.  If you don't connect outside of showing up on Sunday mornings, then you're not getting the full picture, nor the full blessing of all God has designed for the church to be for you, and for you to be for the church.  

We encourage you to be intentional about getting connected.  Let us know how we can help.

Welcome!  We hope everything you experience with us, from the website to the front doors of our building, says "Welcome" to you.  

LifePoint is a body of Christ-followers led by God's Spirit to engage in his redemptive mission in the world.  We love Jesus and want to serve him by loving our city and the people of the world through the Gospel.  We invite you to click around, explore who we are, what we believe, and how you can connect with us.  Our prayer is that you will come to know Jesus personally and live for him.  

If you have any questions, we would love to hear from you and talk to you more. Until then, make a few clicks and learn about the people of God gathered as a church called LifePoint.    

Welcome to LifePoint! Connecting with a church is no small decision; it is a life investment. We encourage you to pray earnestly and seek God’s will and direction.

We love to connect with people and introduce them to LifePoint's people! When we consider all that God has done among us, we are humbled and amazed. The Gospel is impacting the lives of so many people and great stories of transformation just seem to be common. The power of God’s grace among us is our greatest characteristic and strength. The people called LifePoint are passionate about worshipping God, serving others, and are intentional about growing in God’s grace and sharing Jesus.

You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to pretend. You don’t even have to agree with us on every little matter. We understand that not everyone’s at the same place in life. We all have different questions, concerns, cares, responsibilities, and passions. We simply invite you to follow Jesus together with us, learn who he is, and what he has done. We won’t pressure, but we will invite you to believe the Gospel and trust Jesus for all of life.

Our vision remains to lead people to become real Christ-followers in life...together. We invite you to join us.