our mission
We glorify God by making disciples, equipping families, and serving the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
our values
• gospel transformation: People changed by the gospel are the central mission of Jesus and are therefore our greatest cause. Demonstrated by focusing our time and resources on preaching the gospel message to people in our circles of influence every day.
• relentless love: Jesus’ conduit for the gospel is the relentless and sacrificial love of people, so we love people like He does. Demonstrated by our relentless efforts to love people in our circles of influence in a biblical way, no matter what.
• hands-on service: The biblical posture of Christianity in the world is service, so we seek to serve others in practical ways. Demonstrated by our consistent efforts to serve others by getting our hands and feet dirty only to be a blessing…no strings attached.
• kingdom partnership: The Holy Spirit is at work in the home and through many gospel-centered churches and ministries, so we partner with others for maximum Kingdom impact. Demonstrated by our strategic partnership with the family and in our cultivation of gospel partnerships in our circles of influence in the Bay Area and around the world.
• spirit and truth empowerment: We are empowered with the Holy Spirit and the authority of the Word of God for divine guidance and powerful impact in the world and we walk in that power and guidance. Demonstrated by our expectation of the working and power of the Holy Spirit and by our strict adherence to the truth and authority of the Scriptures in every aspect of our ministry.
our strategy
vision clarity for 2014
As we launch into a new year, the leadership of Bay Area is excited to reveal our vision for the next 12 months of ministry. Our vision is rooted in our values and supports our effort to accomplish our mission to make disciples, equip families, and serve the world with the gospel.
We desire to train every student and adult to share the gospel.
We believe God has intentionally placed you as an agent of gospel transformation in your circles of influence. In 2014, we will make a concerted effort to help every student and adult identify the people in their circles of influence and will equip them to share the gospel in the context of relationships. We will teach adults and students to pray toward this end. We anticipate hosting a weekend training event this fall that will give most people the opportunity for training. We will also provide resources and other equipping opportunities throughout the year to equip you to share the gospel with love and with confidence.
We desire to organize our church according to the Biblical model. (1-2 Tim, Titus)
We believe God intends for the church to be congregationally-ruled, Elder-led, and staff-managed according to the Scriptures. This year we will lead our church to align with the Bible in its leadership structure. As a congregation, this will mean exploring and developing a biblical understanding of Elders and Deacons and their function in the local church.
We desire to enhance and expand Life Groups of all ages.
We want everyone to grow in their relationship with Jesus. Strategically, the Life Group is our entry point for discipleship in community. In 2014, we see Life Groups being the place to go to learn to grow personally, to grow spiritually at home and to grow in community with a few others. This year we plan to expand and enhance the Life Group experience so you can grow in these areas, even if you serve elsewhere in another ministry on Sunday morning.
We expect to see men saved, discipled and leading in 2014.
We believe men are central to God’s plan for spiritual leadership at home, in the church, and in the community. In 2014, we want to disciple men and give them opportunity to lead. This will mean that we need to help men get healthy spiritually. It will also mean we need to give them opportunities to serve and to lead in every area of ministry. We plan to do this by continuing to disciple men through Men’s Fraternity. We also anticipate a 72-hour men’s experience in the fall of 2014 or very early in 2015 that will be life-changing for every man. Finally, in 2014 we will begin a hands-on service ministry led by men who meet the physical needs of others in practical ways.
We will partner with the home to equip the generations.
We are excited to implement the Milestones Strategy to resource and equip parents and grandparents. This is more than the Parent Summit event. It is a clear daily strategy for parents and grandparents to disciple their kids and grandkids. We anticipate a deeper implementation in 2014 and we expect to equip families in an unprecedented way. Plan on attending Parent Summit 2014 on February 8 to learn how we will partner with you to equip your family. For registration info go to www.bafbc.org/parentsummit. We also see Bay Area Christian School becoming an excellent partner with the home for the spiritual formation of the next generation. For more info visit www.bacschool.org.
We plan to launch a Facility/Campus Expansion Plan in 2014.
In order to reach more people in the days ahead we need to plan ahead. Our church and our school are growing. To accommodate that growth and in planning to reach more people in your circles of influence, we are working on a facility expansion plan that will suit the needs of the church and the school. We are working with the Houston-based architectural firm, Studio Red. In September of 2014 we will reveal this plan in its entirety and begin the process of raising the necessary capital to fund the expansion. We are excited about the plans and look forward to sharing them with you in detail in the days ahead.
We plan to develop effective Kingdom Partnerships in the 4B area, the Northeast, and the Middle East in 2014.
In 2014, we plan to refine our current partnerships and engage in new partnerships for maximum Kingdom impact. We look forward to our strong and continued partnership with the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. We also hope to engage in new church planting partnerships in the Boston Area. We are excited about a new relationship that is forming with the Houston Church Planting Network. We also see clear partnerships developing with our Unreached People Group. We are excited to cultivate these relationships in 2014.
our dream beyond 2014
Our dream is to be a people...
- who experience the living God together in worship.
- who baptize thousands every year.
- who are Kingdom-oriented, abiding disciples of Jesus. who effectively partner with the home to disciple the next generation.
- who lead others to Jesus as a healing fountain of living water for the broken, traumatized, hurting, addicted, and alone.
- whose men love well, serve well, and lead well.
- who invest in the gospel transformation of the next generation.
- whose senior adults invest in the generations behind them and leave a Godly legacy of faith.
- who gather in multiple locations in the 4 B Area.
- who plant churches of Kingdom importance in the North East.
- who resource and empower church planting of strategic Kingdom importance in the Middle East.
- who invest in other churches and ministries and their leaders to resource, equip, and empower for Kingdom expansion.
- who bear much fruit and so prove to be disciples of Jesus.