Our Mission:

Connecting our Community with Christ


Values

At Joy, we focus on centering our fellowship and teaching on ten core values. 


Christ-Centered

First and foremost we are a Christ-Centered church. We value that He is the head of our church and our shepherd. Our ministry revolves around this. 


Relevant

We value ministry that is relevant to our cultural surroundings and circumstances. We acknowledge that we are living in a changing world; our message is timeless, but our style needs to always be relevant. 


Lutheran

We are a part of the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC). We are committed to a ministry of word and sacrament and a theology that celebrates being saved by grace through faith. 


Mission-Driven

We value that part of our identity as a congregation is rooted in our mission statement. Joy Community Church exists to connect our community to Christ. 


Prayer

We know and understand the power of prayer as a congregation. We acknowledge that the battle of expanding God’s kingdom is a spiritual battle that is won on our knees.  


Empowerment of People

We value the priesthood of all believers. We believe that God has given every one of our partners a spiritual gift that can be used in carrying out the mission of our congregation. We encourage our members to explore their talents in serving Christ. 


Excellence

We value the opportunity to do all ministry and all things with excellence for the sake of the Gospel. We strive for excellence in every area of ministry and in the way we interact with each other. 


Fellowship

We love having the opportunity to come together as a congregation for periods of fun and fellowship. We strive to be a new testament community that shares our lives beyond Sunday morning.


Invitation

We value the inviting nature among our members. It is exciting to be a part of a community that is constantly growing. 


Full-Service

We value all activities and ministries that our congregation is involved in. We never want to use our facilities, or lack there of, as an excuse not to achieve our mission. 

Beliefs

What a church believes in determines its’ direction and destination. Our belief is that Jesus Christ is the Savior, and that through His death, our relationship with God is reconciled. 


We also believe that empowered followers continually seek to enhance their relationship with Him. Followers of Jesus share five characteristics of a vital faith: 

  • Regular participation in worship
  • Daily devotion and personal prayer
  • Personal growth through group learning opportunities and bible study
  • Stewardship of God’s blessing, tithing our time, talents and treasures
  • Sharing God’s love in mission and service with others

Statement of Faith

We believe in the Triune God-God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We acknowledge one God in these three persons.


We believe that God the Father created the universe. He is loving, compassionate, just and kind. His deepest desire is to live in an intimate relationship with all people.


We believe that, because of His desire to live in a relationship with us, God became a human being. Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, is fully God and fully man. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus made it possible for all people to live in a relationship with God. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Through Him and Him alone can people enter into a relationship with God.


We believe that the Holy Spirit is the presence of Jesus Christ among us. Through Him God loves us, empowers us and lives in us. The Spirit gives gifts to all believers. We believe in all the gifts of the Spirit and encourage their use.


We believe that the Bible is the Word of God. Through it, God reveals Himself to us. The entire Bible is God-breathed and God-inspired. The Old and New Testaments are the norm and guide upon which we base our faith.


We believe that the church, be it a local congregation or the worldwide fellowship of believers, is the body of Christ. As His Body, we are called to worship Him, serve Him and be the vehicle through which the Good News in its fullness is shared with the world.


We affirm and identify with the confessions of the Lutheran Church. We affirm the centrality of grace alone, faith alone, and Word alone.


We believe in and practice the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. We believe that through the waters of Baptism, God comes to us to adopt us as His children. Through Baptism, God gives the gift of new life.

We believe that through the Lord's Supper, God comes to love us and forgive us. It is a meal of renewal. Jesus is really present in the meal.


We believe in the worth and value of the human being. Created in God's image, humans have dignity. Their worth is dependent not on accomplishments, but on God's love. Because God sees humanity as worth dying for, we affirm and acknowledge the dignity of humans.


At the same time we acknowledge that humanity is separated from God because of sin. We joyfully proclaim the Good News that because of Jesus Christ, forgiveness is a possibility. It is that forgiveness that restores fallen humanity's worth.


We believe in and anticipate the return of Jesus Christ. Though we don't know the day or hour, we joyfully proclaim His soon return to inspire all people to make the most of life today.