| Boundary Stones |
| (Core Values) |
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For any organization, ministry flows out of relationships ---
our relationship with God and others. Without relationships there
can be no ensuing discipleship, ministry or fellowship. |
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We believe that the authority of the Church is in the “gathered”
church. Jesus said, “When two or three are ‘gathered’
in my name there am I in the midst of them.” We take our
marching orders from the Holy Spirit which is in our midst and
therefore do not look to Bishops or Archbishops as having authority
over the headship of Christ’s Spirit in the local church.
While we recognize Bishops consecrated and elevated by their own
churches and organizations, we do not believe in apostolic succession.
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We believe that God will provide to desiring believers
an empowerment of the Holy Spirit for the evangelization of the
lost and the operation of spiritual empowerments in the Church today.
(Luke 24:45-49; John 14:15-21; Acts 1:4-8; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 11:15-16; Acts 19:6; Romans 8:16-17; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:7; Acts 2:17-18) |
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We believe in unity, not uniformity. Unity in essentials,
freedom in non essentials and charity in all things.
(Proverbs 17:9; Acts 17:29; Acts 20:35; Romans 8:37; Romans 12:9-21; Romans 16:17-20; 1 Corinthians 9:22-23; 1 Corinthians 11; 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1; 1 Corinthians 12:12; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; 2 Corinthians 2:5-10; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 6:15; Philippians 2:1-4; Colossians 2:2-3; Colossians 3:14; 1 Peter 4:8-11; 1 John 4:7-21; 1 Corinthians 10:23-33) |
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We believe in the koinonia or fellowship between
true believers and a spirit of love taking preference over a spirit
of dominancy, division and discord caused by pride or arguments
over endless genealogies or doctrines that are not central to orthodox
salvation issues.
(Proverbs 17:19; Romans 3:1-31; Romans 5:1-5; Romans 16:17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:10; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Galatians 2:15-16; Galatians 5:6; Ephesians 4:1-6; 1 Timothy 2:8; 2 Timothy 2:23-26; Titus 3:9-11; Hebrews 12:14-17; James 1:19-25; 1 Peter 3:8; 1 Timothy 1:4) |
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We believe it is the Church’s apostolic commission
to take the good news of the Gospel to every tribe and tongue. We
support church planting, missions and works of charity.
(Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20; Acts 20:24; Romans 11:29; 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2; 2 Corinthians 6; 2 Corinthians 9:14; Galatians 6:9-10; Colossians 1:28; Colossians 4:2-6; 2 Timothy 4:2-5; Hebrews 3:12-14; Hebrews 6:1-3; James 5:20; Colossians 1:25-29; 2 Timothy 1:8) |
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IMF is not primarily a fellowship based on the teaching
of theology although we believe in orthodox Christianity as defined
in our Statement of Faith and the Apostles' Creed. It is a Fellowship
of recognition, relationship, affirmation, affection, service,
encouragements, helps and true thanksgiving to God for those who
seek to answer God’s call to Christian ministry and service.
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We do not believe that a seminary or bible school
degree is a requirement for ministry. However, we believe it is
biblically imperative that we study to show ourselves approved unto
God as workmen who need not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word
of truth. Many of our leaders and members hold earned Seminary and
Bible College degrees. Our goal is to reveal Christ to believers
and unbelievers in act, disposition, state, thought and will.
(Proverbs 9:9-12; Acts 26:22; Romans 8:1-2; Romans 10:1-4; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 1:17-31; 1 Corinthians 4:1-16; 2 Corinthians 10:17; Ephesians 1:17; Ephesians 4:11-16; 2 Timothy 2:14-26) |
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We do not believe that knowledge by itself can ever
take the place of a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit of God.
We spend a life time “theologizing” our biblical and
extra biblical knowledge and our personal spiritual experiences
with those moments of understanding that come when the Holy Spirit
teaches us through divine revelation. St. Paul reminds us that,
"the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God."
(Zechariah 4:6; John 7:16-17; John 14:17; Romans 8:27; 1 Corinthians 2:9-12) |
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We believe in accountability. Candidates for membership
and credentials in IMF must have their ministries recognized and
recommended to us by the senior pastor(s) of an established congregation(s),
as well as other recognized church officers, ministers, ministries
and/or lay leaders in the local church.
(Proverbs 13:10, 18, 20; Proverbs 15:31-33; Proverbs 27:6, 17) |
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We believe we are called to humility and that pride
is deceitful and separates us from God and our fellow man. We believe
we are called to servanthood and to service as a love slave in the
household of God. Can a servant be greater than his master? Jesus
said, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another.”
(Matthew 18:4; Matthew 23:12; Proverbs 3:34; Proverbs 16:18-19; Proverbs 22:4; James 4:6, 10; Philippians 2:3-11; John 13:14-16, 35; Mark 9:35) |
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We believe that compassion and forgiveness are better
than rightness and justice. Justice has caused more harm than injustice
when we have demanded our rights, rather than choosing to “lay
them down.” We believe in grace, but not “cheap”
grace. It is free, but it costs us everything. We believe in hope,
but not “cheap” hope. Not promises for material wealth,
lazy living, or a life without trials and tribulation, but the promise
of the Father that in our weakness His strength is made complete
and that we are made overcomers in Him. He will never leave us or
forsake us. He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
He will supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory
by Christ Jesus.
(2 Corinthians 8:9; Luke 7:13; Mark 6:34; Luke 23:34; Colossians 3:13; Romans 12:14, 17, 19-21; Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-10; Ephesians 4:32; Romans 6:1-2; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 13:5; Philippians 4:19) |
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We believe in building up, not tearing down. We
believe in working hard, but without it being burdensome.
(Jeremiah 24:6; Ephesians 4:15-16, 29, 32; Hebrews 10:24-25; Colossians 3:16-17; Colossians 3:23-24; Galatians 6:1-2; James 5:16; Proverbs 12:25) |
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We believe in accepting a seat at the foot of the table while
preferring our brothers and sisters and lifting them up . . ."
if you do it to the least of these my brethren . . . you have
done it unto me." God is in the promotion business. Let Him
take care of it. |
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We believe that a kind word spoken in love, an encouraging
word even when the blemishes of new birth and the dirt, dust and
stuff of this world is readily seen in the lives of one of these
young ones whom we seek to encourage and mentor in Christian ministry
is never an abdication of truth or a lack of responsibility but
a word fitly spoken in faith, seeing those things which are not
yet, but are the substance of things hoped for. . . and we believe
that it is seed sown in good soil which will not return void.
(Matthew 13:18-23; Hebrews 11:1; 1 Corinthians 9:19-22) |
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We do not believe we live to ourselves, but that
we are a part of a bigger family — real family . . . the family
of, “our Father which art in heaven . . .” Others are
not far from the kingdom, they need someone to invite them to “have
dinner” with the Savior. John's Revelation tells us, "Behold,
I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open
the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with
me. St. Matthew reminds us of Jesus’ own words, “Come
unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am meek
and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your souls. For my
yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:32-35; Luke 8:19-21; Revelation 3:20; Matthew 11:28-30) |
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We believe in open communion in the administration of the Lord’s
Supper to all true believers. |
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We believe in water baptism for all believers in
obedience to Christ’s commandment and in covenantal dedications
or baptism of children as an act of faith and commitment by the
parent(s) and the congregation to raise the child in the love and
admonition of the Lord praying and trusting that when they become
of an age of accountability they will of their own free will confirm
their personal faith in Jesus Christ as their savior and Lord. We
believe that water baptism in and of itself does not save a child
or an adult, but rather the grace of God experienced through the
conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit in one’s life and godly
sorrow for sins committed, the turning away from sin and the turning
toward God and by placing one’s faith solely in Christ as
Savior and Lord. Water Baptism is a means of grace.
(1 Samuel 1:24-28; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-6; Ephesians 2:4-9; Ephesians 6:1-4) |
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We believe in recognizing the gifts and calling
of God in the lives of women as well as men. We do not believe that
either a man or a woman should be “puffed up” in pride
and seek to take a dominant position one over the other, but that
the gifts and calling of each one will make room for themselves
and when valid will be recognized and affirmed by the Body.
(Joel 2:28-29; Proverbs 16:18; Luke 2:36-37; 1 Corinthians 12:11; Ephesians 4:8-12; James 4:10-11) |
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We believe in being faithful . . . and in recognizing
and dealing with our imperfections. Our walk with God is a progressive
process and our ministries are progressive too. The Father will
not allow us to wait until we are fully grown to begin helping with
the harvest. Spiritual growth will often be somewhat parallel to
ministry growth.
(John 4:35-38; Hebrews 6:1-6; 2 Peter 1:5-8; 2 Peter 3:17-18) † Back to top |
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Sometimes one runs ahead or one lags behind. But
we have no choice to turn away and leave our calling. We try by
God’s grace to be faithful . . . not in our strength, but
His . . . not in our failure, in His forgiveness, not in our
rebellion, in His long suffering, in His disciplining and in our
brokenness and spiritual healing and somehow through it all God
redefines and brings good out of it and is glorified.
(Zechariah 4:6; Romans 11:29; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Corinthians 1:26-29; Hebrews 3:1-6) |
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We believe in loving, serving, encouraging and helping
to enable. When we become more of a burden than a blessing we have
lost our mandate and we have no spiritual authority to continue.
(2 Chronicles 35:1-2; Matthew 5:13-16; Romans 6:5-8; Galatians 5:13-16; 2 Timothy 2:24 26; Revelation 2:2-5) |
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We do not believe in quitting. We do not believe in giving up
as we grow older, we learn to release power and position, to become
available to God for our next assignment as our health and mental
competency allow, but always doing what we can. Always working,
always witnessing, always serving, always reading God’s
Word and praying for ourselves and others until our ultimate and
final assignment is complete. St. Luke wrote of King David, “After
he had served the purpose of God in his generation, he fell asleep
and was laid among his fathers.” (NASB) The key word is
“served.”
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