Guiding Principles
There are three basic principles that have shaped our approach to the Lord’s Day worship.
The first is the Regulative Principle. This simply means that God “regulates” what we do in worship. The church must never forget that worship is for God, and that He reveals through His Word what He wants us to do in worship. So we do in worship only those things which we know the Bible explicitly commands or implicitly approves. Rather than limiting our expression, we believe that the Regulative Principle gives us confidence and freedom to worship God in the way that we know is pleasing to Him.
The second is the dialogical rhythm of worship. We believe that God speaks to us every Sunday, and that we have the privilege of responding to Him. Throughout the Scriptures, it was God who first spoke and acted, and it was God who then called His people to react and to respond accordingly. This “back and forth” movement will be reflected in the order of our worship: as God speaks, and as we listen and respond to God.
The third is the covenantal nature of worship. We believe that the Lord welcomes little children to Himself, even in worship. Therefore, we believe that little children should be welcomed and included in our worship services. So we desire that families worship the Lord together, as much as possible. We believe that children learn most by watching and imitating their parents, and one of the most important things that parents can teach and model for their children is the regular and weekly act of worshipping the Lord with reverence, joy, and sincerity.