Ministry Philosophy

Every organization has priorities. Each church has a philosophy of how it goes about
living for God. Six principles are the bedrock of all we do at South Fellowship. These principles (called collectively our "Philosophy of Ministry") are as follows:

The purpose of our ministry is mission.

Our ultimate objective is to make a difference for God by helping people become mature Christians. This means seeking to grow spiritually ourselves. It means a dedication to the faith of our families. It means we have a heart for others in our world. At South, we have a mission. Ours is active faith. We are co-workers with Christ, equipping and provisioning each other to the end that God's kingdom and glory grows.

The source of our ministry is God.

As Christians, we cannot do what we do alone or on our own strength. We are dependent on God for power, wisdom, and grace as we participate with Him in the work He has prepared for us. Since it is God who works in us and through us, we must seek to study the Bible, pray, and listen to His Spirit as it guides our way.

The context of our ministry is community.

The Christian mission occurs in community, where human lives and hearts touch. We believe the church is not a place you come to, but a "family" you belong to. With God's help, we push and pull each other up the mountian path of this faith journey. Sometimes we carry others, and sometimes we are carried. But we walk together. One expression of this is our desire to draw people into small groups, and Bible studies.

The focus of our ministry is people.

Christian ministry is always about people, not programs or facilities. What we do is simply the temporal means for meeting the needs of eternal beings made, and now being remade, into the image of God.

Every member is a minister.

Under the leadership of Jesus, ministry is a shared task. To accomplish this task, the Holy Spirit bestows on every believer a supernatural ability to minister. By gifting Christians this way, God calls us and enables us to mutually minister to each other and the world. While some are chosen to lead vocationally, every Christian at South Fellowship should discover and use their spiritual gifts to serve others.