About Us

Introduction

Creston Community Church is a Christian congregation in the classic meaning of the word. We follow in the biblical teachings and the historical tradition of the centuries of Christians who have preceded us. Our philosophy is probably most closely related to an "evangelical" approach.

Evangelicalism is characterized by an emphasis on having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship begins when a person accepts Christ's forgiveness and is spiritually reborn. The word itself is derived from the Greek word (euangelion), which means "good news." This good news is that "...Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve" (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). This good news, which is the Gospel of Christ, and the preaching of it, is what Evangelicalism is based upon.

Specific Beliefs

1. There is one supreme God, Creator of all that is seen and unseen, who reigns sovereign over both the spiritual and physical spheres of life.

2. God is one being yet interacts with His creation on the basis of our need and His will. He is the Almighty Sovereign, He is Lord of the Armies of Heaven, He is the Heavenly Father, He is Jesus the Christ, He is the Holy Spirit.

3. God became a human and lived among His creation in the person of Jesus the Christ. Jesus was miraculously conceived and carried in the womb of Mary while she was still a virgin, i.e., not having had sexual intercourse with any man prior to or during Jesus' conception and birth.

4. God created mankind in His own image to live with Him in unbroken fellowship but we rebelled and set ourselves up as superior to God, independent from God, and opposed to God. The Bible refers to this as "sin" and refers to our condition as "dead."

5. Every human being is born into this world void of spiritual life ("dead") and obsessed with autonomy, independence, and self-centeredness. This void and obsession drives the human appetite toward moral degradation, human conflict, and hostility toward God. Man, on his own, can neither remedy this deplorable situation nor revive himself from this death.

6. Because of His love and grace, God set up a way of reconciliation with mankind through Jesus Christ. Jesus lived to prove His deity and the real nature of God's feelings toward humanity. He was crucified to take away the sins of humanity and to present us righteous before God. He was raised back to life, after being dead for three days, so that we might have eternal life.

7. We must personally and individually respond to God's provision for reconciliation to receive the gift of spiritual birth or new life. This new life is the very essence of the spirit of God entering deep into the inner being of our mortal bodies. The Bible calls it "the gift of the Holy Spirit." This is the message and the goal of God, that we who are dead might receive life.

8. To reject God's provision for forgiveness and reconciliation puts one in the precarious and fearful condition of being separated from the life of God for eternity. The Bible refers to this condition as "the second death" or "hell." 

9. The Bible is inspired and accurately translated to us to reveal God's nature and His plan for the redemption of mankind; for wisdom, understanding, teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteous living.

10. The Church is the living physical presence of Jesus in the world. The Church is "His body." It is made up of every person who is made alive by the Spirit of God. It is comprised of millions of individuals who gather in thousands of groups around the world.

Creston Community Church  -  Philosophy

Our Purpose - To know God and to demonstrate/be His presence to others.

Our Focus - To meet and encourage people who are seeking a simple and unpretentious relationship with God and to find it through a personal response to Jesus Christ.

Our Philosophy (or "How We Do Church")

1. People Are Loved By God - We encourage them to listen to His voice, respond to His call, and invite His presence into their life.

2. People Are Reached by People - Through the testimony of telling what God has done in me and the expression of the truth of God's unconditional love and acceptance.

3. People Grow Through Relationship - We experience God when we take time to quiet our life and personally commune with Him. We experience Him when we share the struggles of life with other Christians, share a meal, or even a warm handshake.

4. People Are Unified Through Worship - We express our common experience with god through music, public prayers, Scripture reading, and art.

5. People Are Protected By Truth - We encourage sound understanding of God through his revelation in Jesus Christ; we encourage a sound understanding of the foundational principles of the Christian faith through Bible study and discussion.

NAME: This organization shall be known as the Creston Community Church.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this organization, in harmony with its doctrinal statement, shall be to study and teach the Holy Scriptures; by the blessings of God to lead people to believe in Jesus Christ; and to promote their growth in the Christian Life.

OFFICERS: The Officers shall be a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer.

AMENDMENTS: This constitution may be amended, except the clause specifying the objectives of the organization, at any regular session by a two-thirds vote of the adult Congregation who are in agreement with our doctrinal statement.

DISSOLUTION: A 2/3rd majority of the Congregation must vote to dissolve the corporation. All assets, after all obligations and liabilities of this corporation have been paid, satisfied, discharged or adequate provision made, shall be distributed to qualified Christian 501(c) 3 organizations.

BY-LAWS

MEMBERSHIP: For purposes of membership, if you believe that Creston Community Church is your church and you agree with the “Creston Community Church – Statement of Faith and Doctrinal Beliefs” and “Creston Community Church – Philosophy” then you are a member of the church. For the purposes of voting, a member must be 18 years or older and have regularly attended the church during the prior year.

CHURCH GOVERNANCE

PASTOR: The Pastor must meet the Scriptural qualifications of an Elder as stated in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9, be in active attendance, and be in agreement with the Doctrinal Statement and Church Philosophy. He, along with the Elders, shall direct the general affairs of the Congregation and preserve good order.

When there is a Pastoral vacancy, a Pastoral Search Committee will be formed. When the Search Committee settles on a Pastoral candidate, the Congregation will vote on the candidate and then issue a Call. The Pastor will serve as President of the Congregation by virtue of his Calling by the Congregation until he no longer fulfills the position of Pastor.

The Pastor may be dismissed if deemed unfit to serve by the Trustees. The Trustees must present their findings to the Congregation. A vote for retention must be ratified by 2/3rds of the Congregation.

In the case of a Pastoral vacancy, an Elder will be appointed by the Trustees to act as interim President until a Pastor is selected and answers the call.

ELDERS: The Elders must meet the Scriptural qualifications of an Elder as stated in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9, be in active attendance, and be in agreement with the Doctrinal Statement and Church Philosophy. Along with the Pastor, the Elders shall direct the general affairs of the Congregation and preserve good order.

The Elders Board will be made up of the Pastor and at least 2 Elders who serve with and counsel the Pastor to oversee the spiritual life & health of the Congregation. They will also serve on the Trustees Board.

The Elders are chosen by the Pastor and other Elder(s) and serve at the discretion of the Pastor.

The new Elders are to be ratified by the Congregation at the Annual Meeting. In the event of a vacancy of the office during the year, a Nominee will fulfill the responsibilities of the office until ratified at the next Annual Meeting.

TRUSTEES: The Trustees must meet the Scriptural qualifications of a Deacon as stated in 1 Timothy 3:8-13, Romans 16:1-2 and 1 Peter 4:10, be in active attendance, and be in agreement with the Doctrinal Statement and Church Philosophy. The Trustees shall include the Pastor, the Elders, Secretary, Treasurer and at least two At-Large Members of the Congregation who are called from within the Congregation by the members of the Trustees Board. They serve to oversee and manage the financial health of the Congregation, and the physical assets of the church and the use thereof. The Trustees have the responsibility to disburse Benevolence funds. The Trustees will at all times keep the Congregation informed of who the currently serving Trustees and Elders are and of any changes of Elders and Trustees. New Trustees are chosen by the Trustees Board and are ratified by the Congregation at the next Annual Meeting.

OTHER OFFICERS: There will be a Secretary and Treasurer. A single person may hold these two positions. These Officers must meet the Scriptural qualifications of a Deacon (Trustee) as stated in 1 Timothy 3:8-13, Romans 16:1-2 and 1 Peter 4:10, be in active attendance, and be in agreement with the Doctrinal Statement and Church Philosophy. They will be ratified by the Congregation at the Annual Meeting by a 2/3rd majority of those present.

The Secretary shall keep minutes of the Annual Meeting and of the Trustees meetings. Minutes of the Annual Meeting and of the Trustees meetings shall be timely posted in the Church sanctuary.

The Treasurer shall receive the contributions, pay the bills of the church and keep a record of all financial matters, including the annual preparation of the donor reports. The Treasurer, or another member of the Trustees, will present the budget at the Annual Meeting.

In the event of a vacancy of the office during the year, the Trustees nominate the Secretary and/or Treasurer for the vacancy. The Nominee will fulfill the responsibilities of the office until ratified by the Congregation at the next Annual Meeting.

TERM OF OFFICES:

The offices of Elder, Secretary and Treasurer shall have no term limits. They will be ratified to serve by the Congregation at the first Annual Meeting following their appointment to their office as described above and will not need to be re-elected annually.

GRIEVENCES:

Members should bring their concerns about any leaders of the church to the Elders. Issues will be dealt with based on Scriptural guidelines.

CHURCH BUSINESS MEETINGS

ANNUAL MEETING: An Annual Meeting will be held the third Sunday of February, or as close thereto as possible. Public notice of this meeting will be given 3 Sundays prior to the meeting. All officers shall continue in office until their duly elected successors are able to enter upon the duties of their respective offices. The annual budget will be presented and approved by a 2/3rds majority of those present. Any additional business items for consideration at the Annual Meeting regarding Leadership or Finances must be submitted to the Trustees one month prior to the Annual Meeting.

SPECIAL MEETINGS: A Special Meeting of the Congregation may be called by the Trustees for any purpose deemed necessary and will be announced at least three Sundays prior to the meeting. A special meeting must be called to incur debt. It must be voted on and approved by a 2/3rd majority of those present.

“Proxy” votes are not allowed for any Church business meeting.

This Constitution and these By Laws supersede and replace any and all previously ratified Constitutions and By Laws of Creston Community Church.

This Constitution and these By Laws were ratified by the Congregation of Creston Community Church at a Special Meeting called on November 16, 2014.

Elissa K. Williams Date: November 16, 2014

Secretary, Creston Community Church