A Message from Pastor Rick
The core conviction
of Evangelical Friends is that Jesus Christ can speak directly to every person
and meet their deepest needs: "There is only One Mediator between God and man,
the man Christ Jesus" (1Timothy 2:5). As a young man George Fox (1624-91), our
human founder, sought for truth and inquired of many priests of his day where he
might find it. Fox found truth for himself on Pendle Hill, England. After this
personal encounter with The One who called Himslef "The Way, the Truth, and the
Life" (John 14:6), Fox started a movement that has always had results way bigger
than its numbers. Out of that central conviction many of our beliefs and
practices flow: that every born again believer is a minister (1Peter 2:9), that
we don't depend on any human teacher to teach us truth (1John 2:27), and that
both sexes may minister equally (Galatians 3:28), and so
forth.
Our Mission Statement is: "Inviting all into a relationship with Christ...and with US" (Ephesians 1:9-10). Loving relationships centered in Jesus are what we are all about. As Friends we take our name seriously: "But I have called you Friends ..." (Jesus in John 15:15). Spiritual friendships and fellowship in the early church were strong (Acts 2:42-47). These can actually make us resistant to the deceitfulness and hardening of sin (Hebrews 3:12-14). They are encouraged to prevent falling away as some will do as the harsh end times approach (Hebrews 10:24-25). The way we treat others in the church is a mirror image of the way we treat Him (Matthew 10:40; 1John 4:19-21).
Geese fly in a "V" formation because they can fly 72% farther TOGETHER than they could separately: the rest of the "V" is lifted in the wind current of the flying wedge. They trade off flying the point of the "V" because that's the one that gets all the wind resistance. If one goose gets out of formation, the others "honk" him back in. If one goose gets hurt, sick, or tired, several geese drop out and stay with him until he's ready to fly again. What a picture of how the church is to operate in up-close relationships centered around Jesus and His love (1John 4:19)!
We love you...and Jesus loves you more!
Pastor Rick Sams
Our Mission Statement is: "Inviting all into a relationship with Christ...and with US" (Ephesians 1:9-10). Loving relationships centered in Jesus are what we are all about. As Friends we take our name seriously: "But I have called you Friends ..." (Jesus in John 15:15). Spiritual friendships and fellowship in the early church were strong (Acts 2:42-47). These can actually make us resistant to the deceitfulness and hardening of sin (Hebrews 3:12-14). They are encouraged to prevent falling away as some will do as the harsh end times approach (Hebrews 10:24-25). The way we treat others in the church is a mirror image of the way we treat Him (Matthew 10:40; 1John 4:19-21).
Geese fly in a "V" formation because they can fly 72% farther TOGETHER than they could separately: the rest of the "V" is lifted in the wind current of the flying wedge. They trade off flying the point of the "V" because that's the one that gets all the wind resistance. If one goose gets out of formation, the others "honk" him back in. If one goose gets hurt, sick, or tired, several geese drop out and stay with him until he's ready to fly again. What a picture of how the church is to operate in up-close relationships centered around Jesus and His love (1John 4:19)!
We love you...and Jesus loves you more!
Pastor Rick Sams
