Who We Are

Oak Valley Baptist Church Core Values

The Mission of Oak Valley Baptist Church is to Honor God by Encouraging People to Believe in Jesus as Savior and Follow Him as Lord.

As members of Oak Valley Baptist Church, we especially value—

·         A Commitment to Love and Honor God: We want to grow in our love for God and to give Him the credit for all He does for us and through us. (Matthew 22: 37-38; Psalm 96:3; Ephesians 3:20-21; 1Corinthians 10:31)

·         Having a Christ-centered Ministry/Being a Christ-like People: We intend that everything we do be centered in Christ’s teachings and that our lives reflect His example of love and obedience to the Father. (John 14:6; 17:3; Acts 4:12)

·         The Authority of the Bible and the Leadership of the Holy Spirit: Our goal is that all we do be consistent with Scripture and led and empowered by the Holy Spirit. (Psalm 119:105; John 16:13; Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

·         Prayer: We will constantly seek God’s direction and power through prayer. (John 15:7;Ephesians 6: 18; Philippians 4:6)

·         Outreach/Evangelism/Missions: We gladly accept Christ’s commission to reach out through both personal evangelism and coordinated mission efforts to those not yet connected to God by a personal faith relationship through Jesus Christ. (Matthew 5:14-16; 28:19-20; Acts1:8)

·         Growth in Discipleship: We will help one another grow in Christ-likeness by—

(1) Providing regular opportunities for all ages to study God’s Word;

(2) Mentoring new believers;

(3) Offering a variety of discipleship studies and events;

(4) Providing opportunities to grow in discipleship through Christian service and stewardship.

        (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:16a)

·         Fellowship and Ministry: We are committed to maintaining the unity of the Spirit in our congregation by loving and ministering to one another. We will strive to offer comfort, encouragement, restoration, forgiveness, and hope to all whom God places within our reach. (Matthew 22:39; John 15:12:

            Galatians 6:10, Ephesians 4:3; 1John 3:16-18)

·         Shared Leadership through Servant Ministries: Our goal is to involve all church members in serving Christ and others-by leading them to-discover, develop, and utilize their spiritual gifts. (Mark 10:42- 45; Galatians 5:13b; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Ephesians 4:11-13)

·         Authentic Worship That Connects and Changes Us: We want our group worship opportunities to unite, teach, challenge, and encourage the broadest possible range of our fellowship by enabling us to experience and respond to God. (Psalm 1OO; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 10:25)

·         Both Our Heritage and Our Innovations: We will observe and teach important traditions (for Christians, Baptists, and our local church) that continue to have significant meaning. We will also be open to new concepts and practices (consistent with our core values and their Scriptural basis) that enable us to achieve our vision. (Luke 22:17-20; 1 Corinthians 9:20-23; Acts 10:9-28; Galatians 3:26-28)

·         A Striving Toward Excellence: Though we recognize our imperfections, we are committed to strive toward offering Christ our best in all we do, (Ecclesiastes 9:10a; Colossians 3:23; Romans 12:1; Matthew 5:48)

Oak Valley Baptist Church is affiliated with

the Nashville Baptist Association,

the Tennessee Baptist Convention,

and the Southern Baptist Convention.

Church Covenant

Since by God’s grace we have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, we, as members Oak Valley Baptist Church, make this covenant together:

· We-will walk together in brotherly love.

· We will show loving care for one another and encourage, counsel, and admonish one another.

· We will assemble faithfully for worship and pray earnestly for others as well as for ourselves.

· We will endeavor to bring up those under our care “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

· We will seek, by Christian example and personal effort, to win others to Christ and to encourage their growth toward Christian maturity.

· We will share one another’s joys and endeavor to bear one another’s burdens and sorrows.

· We will oppose all conduct which compromises our Christian faith and will uphold high standards of Christian morality.

· We will prove the reality of our conversion and baptism by living a godly, fruitful life.

· We will maintain a faithful ministry of worship, evangelism, education, and service.

· We will be faithful stewards of our resources and abilities in sharing the gospel with people of all nations.

· As a result of this covenant relationship, we will seek earnestly to live to the glory of God who brought us out of darkness into his marvelous light.