About Sovereign Grace Church of Pasadena
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Our Values
Our commitment to Sovereign Grace draws us, as a local church, into a set of seven shared values that we promote, namely:
Reformed Soteriology:
is an understanding of the doctrine of Christ's salvation as informed by principles of biblical teaching and Reformed theology. We believe that God is sovereign over all things, including the salvation of individual sinners, and that all things, including salvation, have as their ultimate goal the glory of God.
Gospel-Centered Expository Preaching:
is a focus on biblical text and the priority of communicating sound doctrine in a way that encourages, instructs, and inspires believers. We are convinced that the Bible is our absolute authority for life and practice as Christians, so we value the regular teaching of the Bible. We also emphasize the importance of application as the truths of the Bible are not merely intended to be known but to be practiced.
Continuationist Pneumatology:
is a desire to faithfully practice the ongoing gifts of the Holy Spirit, in submission to, guided by, and governed by Scripture. A robust view of the sovereignty of God suggests that believers can expect to experience regularly what some theologians have called "the active presence of God". We hold to the complete continuity of all the spiritual gifts referred to in Scripture.
Complementarian Leadership in the Home and Church:
is an affirmation that God has created men and women equally in His image and they are, thus, equal in personhood, importance, and dignity before God, but with differing and complementary roles and responsibilities. As a result, we believe the Bible teaches that both in the church and in the home the leadership roles are to be male.
Elder-Governed and Led Churches:
is a commitment to the primary governance structure of biblical precedence and prescription: a plurality of elders. We maintain that the elders of each local church have the primary responsibility to govern its affairs under the Lordship of Christ and the authority of Scripture. Elders, as under-shepherds of Christ, serve as examples, teach sound doctrine, guard against false doctrine, care for the spiritual well-being of the church, govern the affairs of the church, equip the church for ministry, and raise up future leadership.
National and International Outreach and Church Planting:
is a response to Christ's call to fulfill the Great Commission, we are eager to share the gospel of Christ in our relationships and community, in this nation and throughout the world. We are dependent upon the Spirit of God to empower our witness, understanding the advance of the gospel through church-planting as Spirit-led work.
Interdependent Churches United in Fellowship, Mission, and Governance:
is a reflection of the church as the Body of Christ expressed when local churches associate in wider ecclesiastical bodies with shared resources, mission, mutual care, support, edification, and cooperation in government. Such cooperation is necessary for the protection of doctrinal fidelity and standards of holiness, the direction of common mission, and the disposal of common funds.
