About faith
Mission
The mission of Faith Church Statesville is to equip people to Experience God through Bold Worship, Real Relationships, and Engaged Outreach.
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Experience God
Our primary purpose is to provide a variety of opportunities for you to Experience God through a personal relationship with His son, Jesus Christ.
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bold Worship
Our Sunday morning worship service is the primary setting that encourages this “experience”. We are made by God and for God! The way we experience God is by becoming a worshiper – when we worship God we express our love and devotion to Him.
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to learn more about beginning a personal relationship with God click here
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to get the details on our Sunday worship service click here
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"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Matthew 22:37
REal RElationships
Doing life together with other Christ followers enhances our relationship with God. We grow and mature when we worship, study God's word, and serve with other believers. The people of Faith Church connect to one another in a variety of ways. Click here for a list of current special and ongoing events such as...
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Connect Class
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Prayer Nights
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Home Groups
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"From now on you are not strangers and people who are not citizens. You are citizens together with those who belong to God. You belong in God's family." Eph 2:19
Engaged Outreach
Faith Church believes it is our privilege and responsibility to communicate God's love to people around the world. We do so on a local and global level. Our efforts involve serving the people of Statesville and Iredell County, mission trips within the US to assist with disaster relief, church construction, and lastly, international mission trips. These“hands on” ministries provide us with the opportunity to reach people with the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ by meeting the physical and spiritual needs of those we encounter. Finally, we are committed to connecting to God's world by supporting global missions through prayer and giving of financial resources.
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"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19
faith Staff:
Charles Burleson
Lead Pastor
Caleb Brooks
Director of Youth & Facilities
caleb@faithstatesville.org
Amy Baity
Worship Director
Pam Hellman
office Administrator
Abby Dunlap
Faith Kids Director
Beliefs and distinctives
The way Faith Church does ministry is contemporary and ever-changing in order to meet the needs of the cultural context in which we serve. Our theology, however, is grounded in the Baptist tradition. Faith Church affirms the Southern Baptist Convention Statement of Faith. You can find the Baptist and Faith Message 2000 here.
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While holding to the Baptist and Faith Message 2000, there are some distinctives about Faith Church that make it different than the average SBC church. Here are three distinctives that Faith Church holds that may be unique to our context.
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Extended Worship
At Faith Church we believe that the singing of believers leads us into a place to be receptive to the working of God, through the Holy Spirit. We believe this is true for every gathering that Faith Church has. The first way we become receptive is by practicing biblical obedience by singing (Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:18-19, Psalm 100:4). Secondly, there is a real way in which the presence and power of God is stirred up through corporate singing. God sits enthroned on our praises (Psalm 22:3) and music can bring the presence of God in a more tangible way (2 Kings 3:15). Music was created by God to stir our emotions, so when we sing truths about God we can expect our emotions and affections to be directed towards Him.
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When you come to Faith Church you will find that we value 25-30 minutes of uninterrupted worship through singing to begin our time together. We believe that there is great value in lingering in His presence for this extended time. There is also freedom in the way people express their love for God and gratitude for all he has done. Many will sing and raise their hands, others may sit quietly and meditate. Whatever your physical posture is, our desire is that your heart’s posture will be towards God.
Practicing the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Faith Church Statesville can rightly be labeled a “continuationist” church. We believe that the gifts of the Spirit are still active and available for the Church today. This includes the gifts of mercy, helps, teaching, and administration. We also believe and practice in the gifts found in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 which are words of wisdom and knowledge, faith, healings, miracles, prophecy, distinguishing spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. (A comprehensive list of gifts of the Spirit in the New Testament are found in Romans 12:4-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-11, 28, Ephesians 4:11-13, 1 Peter 4:10-11).
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If you attend a gathering at Faith Church you might see any of these gifts practiced decently and in order, as directed by 1 Corinthians 14. It is not unusual for someone to give a prophetic word publicly to the church gathered or privately to an individual. When asked a Pastor or prayer team member will pray for physical healing by the laying on of hands as prescribed in Mark 16:18 and James 5:13-18.
Children and Youth in Corporate Gatherings​
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We believe that incorporating children and teenagers into the Sunday morning corporate gatherings is instrumental to their growth in their love for the Lord. On Sunday mornings children in 3rd grade and above stay upstairs for the corporate worship time. It is our belief that this age group is able to listen, learn, and engage the singing and teaching from the stage. If this means that sometimes there is a little more noise in the Worship Center, we welcome that. Children from birth to 2nd grade are invited to Faith Kids on Sunday morning in the kids wing downstairs. Nursery is available for those 3 and under while pre-school to 2nd grade engage with their teachers in a bible lesson, singing, and games.
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While we value the presence of older children and youth in our Sunday corporate gatherings, we still want to connect them with their peers and give them age appropriate discipleship. Third to fifth graders can attend Faith Followers every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month. Sixth grade to high school meet on Sunday mornings at 9 AM for Bible study and for youth gatherings on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM with our Associate Pastor Tim Lowery.
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Baptism
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Why Should I Be Baptized?
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Baptism should be the first step of obedience to Christ as a new believer. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are ready to be baptized. One of the reasons we should be baptized is to follow the example set by Jesus. Jesus was baptized, in the Jordan River by John, and we should follow His example. (See Mark 1:9) We should also be baptized because Christ commands it. Therefore, baptism is an act of obedience. Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (See Matthew 28:19) Finally, you should also be baptized to publicly confess your personal commitment to Christ.
What Is The Meaning of Baptism?
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Baptism is a way of showing others that you have entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is an outward sign of what has already happened in your heart. You can think of it like a wedding ring which is simply the outward symbol of the commitment you have made in your heart to another person. Baptism is symbolic of two things:
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The burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, illustrated by going under the water (burial) and rising up out of the water (resurrection).
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Your new life as a Christian, by going under the water (dead to your old life), then rising up out of the water (living a new life).
The Bible mentions this symbolism in Colossians 2:12 and Romans 6:4. Baptism doesn't make you a “Believer”, it demonstrates that you already believe. It's important to understand that baptism does not "save" you or wash your sins away. You are saved only by your faith in Jesus. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9, that God has saved you by His grace when you believed in Him through faith. The Bible says that you can’t take credit for your salvation because it is a gift from God and not a reward for the good things you have done, so that none of us can boast about it. We believe in and perform what is called “Believer’s Baptism” which demonstrates that you have already placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
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Why Be Baptized By Immersion?
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We immerse because Jesus modeled that for us as the way to publicly acknowledge our faith in Him. The Greek word "baptize" actually means "to immerse or dip under water." Immersion also best symbolizes a burial and resurrection.
Who Should Be Baptized?
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Every person who has trusted in Christ as their Lord and Savior should be baptized.
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Do You Baptize or Christen Babies?
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We wait until children are old enough to believe and understand the true meaning of salvation and baptism before we baptize them. Some churches practice a "baptism of confirmation" for children. This ceremony is intended to be a covenant between the parents and God on behalf of the child. The parents promise to raise their child in the faith until the child is old enough to make his own personal confession of Christ. This custom began about 300 years after the Bible was completed and is not found in the Bible. We do have a dedication service for infants and children that emphasizes the parent's role in raising a child to follow Christ. This custom is different from baptism because scriptural baptism is only for those old enough to believe and place their personal faith and trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. If you were baptized or christened as an infant or child and are now a follower of Christ, you should be baptized.
When should I be baptized?
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There is no reason to delay. As soon as you have received Christ into your life as Savior and Lord, you can and should be baptized. If you wait until you are "perfect" you will never be ready. You can call the church office at 704.872.3311, notify us on a Connect Card during Sunday services , or e-mail us at worship@faithstatesville.org.