Church Planting

Realizing that the cause of Christ extends beyond any one local fellowship, we commit ourselves to an ongoing ministry of extending the call of Christ to make disciples around the world. We believe the primary focus and priority of this call is centered on personal evangelism and efforts that establish, strengthen, and reproduce biblically- based churches, which will then plant churches that plant churches for future generations and God’s glory (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 14:21-23; Titus 1:5).

In seeking to act upon the church’s purpose, we recognize the extraordinary value in multiplying the reach of His ministry by planting local churches and by associating with existing, like-minded local churches. God is glorified when VLC and other like-minded churches associate with one another in order to foster relationships that edify, protect, encourage, support, and admonish.

VLC, in cooperation with the Great Commission Collective, supports affiliated churches and resources church planting efforts. In this way we assist affiliate churches to more effectively spread the Word of God and the ways of God in order to build His kingdom. We desire to bless affiliate churches through provision of pulpit ministry, consulting services, research, conferences, and financial resources devoted to church planting and strengthening.

Assimilation and Church Membership

We believe in the importance of serving the body of Christ by offering clear paths for people to start and develop healthy and growing relationships with others in the church body. We value an intentional plan to help every person enjoy godly relationships in the church. Church membership is an important part of growing in Christ, relationships of mutual ministry in the body, and serving the Lord by using gifts to serve others in the local church (Hebrews 3:12-13; 1 Peter 4:8-11).

Church Discipline

On the occasion a Christian may wander away from the fellowship of other believers and finds him or herself ensnared by sin through ignorance or willful disobedience, It becomes necessary for the church, and particularly its elders, to actively seek the repentance and restoration of that Christian.

One means by which the church seeks to lovingly restore wandering believers is the process of church discipline. In Matthew 18, the Lord explains how to respond when a fellow believer sins. The principles He sets forth must guide the body of Christ as she seeks to implement discipline in the church today.

The purpose of church discipline is the spiritual restoration of fallen members and the consequent strengthening of the church and glorifying of the Lord. When a sinning believer is rebuked and he turns from his sin and is forgiven, he is won back to fellowship with the body and with its head, Jesus Christ.

The goal of church discipline, then, is not to throw people out of the church or to feed the self-righteous pride of those who administer the discipline. It is not to embarrass people or to exercise authority and power in some unbiblical manner. The purpose is to restore a sinning believer to holiness and bring him back into a pure relationship within the assembly.

Jesus says, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” When a brother or sister strays, a valuable treasure is lost, and the church should not be content until he or she is restored. The body of Christ is in the business of recovery, and such is the purpose of church discipline (Matthew 18:15-17; Galatians 6:1).

Jesus set forth the following four step process of church discipline:

Step One: The process of church discipline begins on an individual level. Jesus said, “And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private”. Here, an individual believer is to go to a sinning brother privately and confront him in a spirit of humility and gentleness. This confrontation involves clearly exposing his sin so that he is aware of it and calling him to repentance. If the sinning brother repents in response to the private confrontation, that brother is forgiven and restored (Matthew 18:15).

Step Two: If the sinning brother refuses to listen to the one who has rebuked him privately, the next step in the discipline process is for two more believers to confront him again. The purpose of bringing other believers along is so that “by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed”. In other words, the witnesses are present not only to confirm that the sin was committed but, in addition, to confirm that the sinning brother was properly rebuked and that he has or has not repented (Matthew 18:16).

Step Three: If the sinning brother refuses to listen and respond to the confrontation of the witnesses after a period of time, those witnesses are then to tell it to the church. This is most appropriately done by bringing the matter to the attention of the elders, who in turn oversee its communication to the assembly as a whole (Matthew 18:17).

Step Four: The fourth and final step in the process of church discipline is ostracism. If a sinning believer refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be ostracized from the fellowship. Jesus said, “let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer”. The term “Gentile” was primarily used of non-Jews who held to their traditional paganism and had no part in the covenant, worship, or social life of the Jews. On the other hand, a “tax-gatherer” was an outcast from the Jews by choice, having become a traitor to his own people. Jesus’ use of these terms doesn’t mean that the church is to treat these people badly. It simply means that when a professing believer refuses to repent, the church is to treat him as if he were outside of the fellowship. They are not to let him associate and participate in the blessings and benefits of the Christian assembly (Matthew 18:17).

When a man in the Corinthian church refused to forsake an incestuous relationship with his stepmother, the apostle Paul commanded that the man be removed from their midst. The believers there were not even to share a meal with him because dining with someone was symbolic of a hospitable and cordial fellowship. The one who is persistently unrepentant is to be totally ostracized from the fellowship of the church and treated like an outcast, not a brother(1 Corinthians 5:11-13).

The purpose of putting the brother out is to protect the purity of the fellowship to warn the assembly of the seriousness of sin and to give a testimony of righteousness to a watching world. However, the purpose is not to punish, but to awaken the straying brother, and so it must be done in humble love and never in a spirit of self-righteous superiority(1 Corinthians 5:6; 1 Timothy 5:20; 2 Thessalonians 3:15).

When a church has done all it can to bring a sinning member back to purity of life but is unsuccessful, that individual is to be left to his sin and his shame. If he is truly a Christian, God will not cast him away, but He may allow him to sink still deeper before he becomes desperate enough to turn from his sin.

The command not to have fellowship or even social contact with the unrepentant brother does not exclude all contact. When there is an opportunity to admonish him and try to call him back, the opportunity should be taken. But the contact should be for the purpose of admonishment and restoration and no other.

Discipleship Process: Sanctification and Maturity

Growing disciples go through a continual process of sanctification, which simply means conforming and becoming more and more like Jesus. We like to describe this process as worshiping, walking, and working for Christ. When we become intentional about seeking to honor God in these three ways, we can’t help but become “mature in Christ”, growing deeper in our relationship with God and our relationships with other disciples.

Disciple-making is to be worked out together in ministry to one another. We believe it’s not about one or a small number of staff pastors bearing the total responsibility to care for the entire congregation. Rather it’s about all disciples using their God-given spiritual gifts to provide mutual ministry, in the context of a vibrant and strong local church (Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:28; 2 Timothy 2:2; Ephesians 4:11-12).

Eternal Security of the Believer

It is God’s divine decision to save a person and it is God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience that lead that person to repentance. All glory for the salvation and security of every believer belongs to God alone. We believe that everyone who is born again by the Spirit through Jesus Christ is eternally assured of salvation from the moment of conversion. This assurance relies on God’s decisive grace rather than on the works of the Christian. Obedience, good works, and fruit-bearing do not earn or retain the believer’s salvation but indicate the reality of the person’s love of Christ and profession of faith (Romans 2:4, 3:21-31; Ephesians 1:7-9, 2:8-9, Jude 1:24-25; Luke 6:46; John 14:21; James 2:17-18).

Eternal security in salvation relies on the Lord’s guarantee of each believer’s adoption as His son or daughter, His seal of the believer by the Holy Spirit, and the conviction that God gives the Holy Spirit to each believer as a down payment toward future bliss in heaven. A person who professes genuine faith in Christ immediately becomes His possession, and nothing can snatch that person out of His hands. Having been bought with the price of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion as complete payment for sin, Christians are not their own. They are Christ’s possession. This assurance is absolutely certain, reserved in heaven, protected by God’s unlimited power (Galatians 4:4-7; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Luke 23:42-43; Acts 2:40-41, 16:30-34; John 10:27-29; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Peter 1:4-5).

Worship

The chief purpose of mankind is to glorify God by loving Him with the entire heart, soul, mind, and might. All believing men, women, and children are to glorify God and thus fulfill the purpose of their existence. Worship glorifies God through adoration, praise, prayer, thanksgiving, and a complete yielding to Him. Worship declares His worth, pays Him homage, and celebrates Him in a life of devotion. We seek to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Exodus 15:1-21; 2 Samuel 6:14-16; Psalm 5:7, 95:6, 99:5; Daniel 6:10-11; Nehemiah 12:46; Romans 12:1; John 4:23-24; Revelation 4:11; 5:12).

Several tenets guide our worship. We seek to:

Charismatic Movement

VLC is a non-charismatic, evangelical fellowship that welcomes all who know Jesus as their Savior and all who are seeking Him. Those who claim to possess the gift of tongues and other sign gifts are welcome to worship and fellowship with us if they are willing to be a source of unity rather than division within our church body. We believe that the Christian life is supernatural and that the Lord continues to perform miracles. We also believe that unbiblical displays of the gift of tongues may distract from the main task of the local church, which is to glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20).

Unbiblical displays of the gift of tongues may:

  • Give unwarranted prominence to the gift, which is described in the New Testament as being only one of many spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12).
  • Emphasize speaking in tongues as the primary manifestation of the Spirit’s work in a person’s life, while minimizing the Spirit’s work in producing a holy life, and a life that displays the fruits of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 2 Timothy 1:9; Galatians 5:22-23).
  • Often suggest that speaking in tongues is a required proof of being Spirit-filled or of possessing salvation in Christ, even though the Scriptures do not teach this.
  • Manifest in unintelligible ecstatic utterances (Acts 2:6).

VLC seeks to prevent the propagation of doctrines that would cause divisions within an individual church. Therefore, members of and adherents of VLC are not to propagate the teachings and emphases of the charismatic movement. Although we do not control personal, individual interactions with the Lord, the expression of tongues and other sign gifts are not overtly expressed at meetings that are under the organization and authority of VLC.

Spiritual Warfare

Satan and his demonic servants viciously oppose the work God performs in and through His people. God, who by His nature is infinitely more powerful than Satan, in due time will have complete and total victory over Satan (1 Peter 5:8; Genesis 3:1-7; Ephesians 6:12; 1 John 4:4).

Although it is appropriate to pray in Jesus’ name for protection against demonic activity, the Scriptures do not instruct the Christian to “bind Satan in Jesus’ name.” Rather, the Scriptures instruct the Christian to combat Satan by:

Women in Ministry

VLC affirms the God-ordained and significant role that women should play in establishing and leading the local church. Every leadership opportunity is open to women except those that are excluded by Scripture. The Scriptures clearly state that men are to serve in the office of Elder and that women are not to serve in church positions in which they teach doctrine and/or exercise spiritual authority over men. We do not see this as an issue of equality, for men and women are equal under God. The Bible is clear that men and women do not have the same roles. Qualified women should serve in any ministry function that is not forbidden in the Scripture (1 Timothy 2:12, 3:1-2; Titus 1:6-9).

Church Government

VLC is committed to the Bible’s teaching that those who hold the offices of Elder and Deacon are to oversee various functions of the local church.

The Bible’s teaching on the subject of two church offices is found in 1 Timothy and Titus. Although there are four terms used for the offices of the church: pastor, overseer, elder, and deacon, analysis of these terms indicates that pastor, overseer, and elder are used interchangeably. (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9)

Elder Qualifications

    • Above reproach
    • Able to teach
    • Husband to one wife
    • Not addicted to intoxicants
    • Temperate
    • Not antagonistic
    • Prudent
    • Uncontentious
    • Respectable
    • Free from the love of money
    • Hospitable
    • Manage own household
    • Not a new convert

Elder Duties

The Scriptures show that the elders serve by leading and that their responsibility involves the spiritual oversight of the congregation. All elders are equal in authority but not necessarily equal in influence.

The elders’ primary responsibilities include:

Doctrine – Ensuring that the doctrine of the church is biblical; all doctrinal issues in the church will be settled by the Elders.
Direction – Ensuring that the direction of the church is consistent with Biblical mission and principles.
Discipline – Administering in love and humility the process of church discipline.

Discipleship – Equipping the saints for the work of ministry and shepherding the flock of God entrusted to them.
(Matthew 18:15-20; Galatians 6:1-4; Titus 3:10; 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15; 1 Timothy 5:17-25; 1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2:5-11; Acts 20:28-31; Romans 16:17; 1 Peter 5:2).

Plurality of Elders

The Scriptures teach that a plurality of elders governed individual New Testament churches. The Scripture does not mention any congregations featuring a stand-alone pastor and leader. A plurality of godly elders, exercising their individual giftedness, squares with the Scripture’s teaching that wisdom is found in a multitude of godly counselors. This truth does not eliminate the possibility and likelihood that one or more elders will stand out from the others as more public in their ministries or more influential in their workings on the Elder Team (Acts 14:23, 20:28; Titus 1:5; Philippians 1:1; Proverbs 11:14, 12:15, 15:22, 19:20, 24:6).

Deacons

The Bible teaches that deacons lead by serving. The qualifications for elders and deacons overlap regarding an individual’s character, but they differ in aptitude. The elders are appointed to exercise oversight and are to be able to teach – while the deacons are to be able and proved as servants. Because of this distinction, we see the office of deacon as available to both men and women.

Deacon Qualifications (1 Timothy 3:8-12)

  • Dignified
  • Not double-tongued
  • Not addicted
  • Not greedy for dishonest gain
  • Hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience
  • Tested and approved as servants
  • Not slanderers
  • Sober-minded
  • Faithful in all things
  • Monogamous in marriage
  • Manages household well

Creation, Evolution, and God’s Sovereignty

We believe God created the universe, speaking it into existence, and that before He created the universe, nothing except God existed (Genesis 1; Exodus 31:17; Psalm 33:6-9; Acts 17:24; Hebrews 11:3; Colossians 1:16).

God chose to create the universe and all that is in it to reveal His glory, divine nature, eternal power, infinite wisdom, and supreme authority (Psalm 19:1-2; Jeremiah 10:12; Romans 1:20; Revelation 4:11).

We deny the theory that nonliving substances gave rise to the first living material, which then reproduced and diversified to produce all living creatures through the process of macro evolution. We believe that all people are descended from the headship of Adam, whom God created personally as a complete human being. The fall of Adam and Eve affected all people with sin and death, but the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ makes possible God’s gift of eternal life (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7, 21-22; Romans 5:18-19; 1 Corinthians 11:8-9, 15:21-22).

God rules over His creation and cares about and is involved in the lives of individual people (Job 12:10; Acts 17:25-28; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3, 13; Ephesians 4:6).

Marriage and Sexuality

We believe that marriage is the joining of one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman for life. Marriage was created by God and is a holy and divinely established covenant between man and woman to be a representation of the relationship between Jesus Christ and His church. We believe that God created sexual intimacy to be enjoyed exclusively between one man and one woman who are married to one another. We believe that any form of deviation from this—such as homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, pornography, prostitution, pedophilia, premarital sexual intimacy, cross dressing, sexting, attempts to change one’s gender, or disagreement with one’s biological gender—is sinful and offensive to God. We also believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:24, 19:5, 13, 26:8-10; Leviticus 18:1-30; Matthew 15:19, 19:3-9; Mark 10:7-9; Romans 1:18-32, 7:2; 1 Corinthians 5:1-2, 6:9-20, 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4; 1 John 1:9).

The Family

God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is called to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect and help her husband in their life together. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:15-25, 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalm 78:1-8, 127:1-5, 128:1-6, 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8, 5:15-20, 6:20-22, 12:4, 13:24, 14:1, 17:6, 18:22, 22:6, 15, 23:13-14, 24:3, 29:15, 17, 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, 9:9; Malachi 2:13-16; Matthew 5:31-32, 18:2-6, 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-12; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:22-33, 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8, 14; 2 Timothy 1:5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7).