All About Tatesbrook!

Church at Tatesbrook!!!
An intimate community of saints

Our Heart!

Through Christ, we exist to grow in relationship with God and each other, reaching the lost from person to person, house to house, city to city, nation to nation.

Tatesbrook is a loving church that walks out relational Christianity. Imagine a visit to a home in Lexington. You enter the living room where believers have gathered in the name of Jesus, eating, laughing, sharing, singing, and experiencing His Spirit in the midst of the gathering. Listen as a single mother shares a blessing of how God provided for her and her little child. A young man begins to share about how Jesus'love delivered him from anger. Watch as part of the group gathers around a woman who is battling depression, and through prayer, you witness the peace and joy flooding into her life. Experience a setting where God is moving through you by the words you share to the small group. You realize that you are not a spectator BUT a participant in a church service!Tatesbrook has a heart to grow believers into the fullness of Christ. Jesus is not a part in our life, He IS OUR LIFE! Join us and behold the glory of the Father, the love of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit.Observations about CAT-We believe in meeting the needs of our church body-We are not the usual Sunday-go-to meeting type church-We Love to praise the Lord through Song and Worship-We do not like to church, but rather the church-We are not religious-We believe the love of Jesus is the greatest weapon in the world, and we are not afraid to use it-We believe the Bible is God's holy word, and seek to live it-We meet as small groups in homes during the week expressing love to God and care for one another Sunday Celebration10:30am,Throughout the week home groups 7-8:30pm

Our Past!

Tatesbrook Baptist Church began in 1984 as a mission from Porter Memorial Baptist Church. The mission was not a church plant but rather a supportive effort on the request of Tatesbrooks first pastor. The church grew to approximately 300 on roll members. What came next was a new pastor, and definitely a new direction! In April 1992, the church called their second pastor. Through the search process this pastor set forth a vision that called for a whole new paradigm shift and radical change in the method of church life. The former church, being a Program-based designed church, would now move toward a more relational cell-based church. This process would prove to be a harder task than proposed.The first two years of transition was spent mainly trying to bring healing to a hurting congregation. The fist changes within the program-based church was to replace committees with ministry teams. The purpose of this change was based on two biblical principles:1. Every believer is a minister and needs to find their place of ministry (Ephesians 4)2. Every believer has been gifted by the Holy Spirit, and should operate in the gifts in which He has given for the purpose of edifying the body and promoting the kingdom (1 Corinthians 12).Hence, committees that were comprised by a few were being replaced by teams that were made up of the whole body so all would serve.The next change of transition was to move the church from the pews to the homes. This was to help alleviate the emphasis on church buildings and move it more to the homes and communities. We began a pilot group of six couples to experience church life in a more relational way. After a nine-month period, we enlisted all members into a group and began shepherd groups within our body. In the mean time, those in the pilot group who were Sunday School teachers within the church saw no need to continue Sunday school, so they resigned from that position. This caused great consternation on some of the members, and several from Tatesbrook left for other churches with a Sunday school program. I share this for the purpose of recognizing that transitioning is a very difficult process, and brings out the true hearts of all involved.The process of transitioning a church will never end, nor will its heartaches or joys. We have seen both at Tatesbrook, and continue with the vision of relational Christianity because the joys far out-weigh the heartaches. We are still seeking to do His will, and have been blessed with the finest brothers and sisters to be imagined (and a few soreheads). However, God has taught us much and is continually breaking us and molding us into His image!

Our Present!

Tatesbrook is still in transition. At this particular point of our pilgrimage, we have seen God do unbelievable things in our midst. Our present calling is to grow in intimacy with the father through Jesus Christ, and to build close relationships through accountability based on God's word. Once we establish these callings into a lifestyle, we will then restore home groups for the purpose of fellowship, discipleship, and evangelism. Our future will unfold as God the father continues to direct us through His love and life.

What we ALL believe

We don't have to agree on everything, but somethings are essential.

The Bible
We believe the Bible is the written Word of God. It leads us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Being given by God the Scriptures are both fully and verbally inspired by God. Therefore, as originally given, the Bible is free of error in all it teaches. Each book is to be interpreted according to its context and purpose. All believers are exhorted to study the Scriptures and diligently apply them to their lives. The Scriptures are the authoritative and normative rule and guide of all Christian life, practice, and doctrine.

God Is Triune
There is one God: infinite, eternal, almighty, and perfect in holiness, truth, and love. In the unity of the godhead there are three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, co-existent, co-equal, co-eternal. The Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Holy Spirit, yet each is truly Deity. One God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - is the foundation of Christian faith and life.

God the Father
God the Father is the Creator of heaven and earth. He is faithful to every promise, works all things together for good to those who love him, and in his unfathomable grace gave his Son Jesus Christ for mankind's redemption. He made man for fellowship with himself, and intended that all creation should live to the praise of his glory.

Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. He was perfect in nature, teaching and obedience. He is fully God and fully man. He was always with God and is God. He is the only Savior for the sins of the world, having shed his blood and died a vicarious death on Calvary's cross. By his death in our place, he revealed the divine love and upheld divine justice, removing our guilt and reconciling us to God. Having redeemed us from sin, the third day he rose bodily from the grave, victorious over death and the powers of darkness and for a period of forty days appeared to over five hundred witnesses, performing many convincing proofs of his resurrection. He ascended into heaven where, at God's right hand, he intercedes for his people and rules as Lord over all. He is the Head of his body, the Church.

The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. Through the proclamation of the gospel he persuades men to repent of their sins and confess Jesus as Lord. By the same Spirit a person is led to trust in divine mercy. The Holy Spirit unites believers to Jesus Christ in faith, brings about the new birth, and dwells within the regenerate. The Holy Spirit has come to glorify the Son who in turn came to glorify the Father. He will lead the Church into a right understanding and rich application of the truth of God’s Word.

The Church
The Church is not a religious institution or denomination. Rather, the Church universal is made up of those who have become genuine followers of Jesus Christ and have personally appropriated the gospel. The Church exists to worship and glorify God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It also exists to serve him by faithfully living His will in the earth. This involves a commitment to see the gospel preached and churches planted in all the world for a testimony. The ultimate mission of the Church is the making of disciples through the preaching of the gospel.

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