Our strategy as a church supports the pathway we invite people to follow as we all seek to become fully devoted followers of Christ. At the center of this strategy diamond is the cross – since the power to transform sinners into saints is only found in Christ. And our ultimate purpose is to glorify God, not to make a name for ourselves.
Love God
Therefore our first priority as a church is to gather worshipers who will love God with all they are. That is first base. We invite people to turn away from the distractions and temptations of this world and come to the only One who can offer them life both now and forever. This is the work God is doing in the world – drawing people together from every nation and culture to sing the praises of Jesus.
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.'” Matthew 22:37-38
According to Jesus, loving God is the main thing. So we consider this the first step in living as a follower of Jesus. Our weekly worship service is the primary place to express our love for God and experience His love for us. These Sunday celebrations are refueling stations as we travel through life, so it’s important to be as consistent as possible in coming – not just for your own benefit, but to encourage others in the church family, and invite your friends and neighbors to come along as well!
But our love for God should not stop when the music ends on Sunday. We have the joyful opportunity to know God personally by reading His Word and spending time in prayer. So this first commitment also involves developing regular habits of personal Bible reading, reflection and prayer.
Commitment #1: Worship God through regular attendance at our Sunday celebrations and through regular Bible reading and prayer.
Grow in Christ
The natural result of a sincere love for God is a desire to become more holy, as He is holy. The more we know the grace and glory of God the more we will see how far we fall short of that glory and long for more of the righteousness of Christ. So we encourage people to move from first to second base by connecting believers with one another so they can grow in Christ.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25
At Oakwood, Community Groups are the primary way we develop relationships within our church family and pursue spiritual growth through the study of God’s Word. These groups provide a safe place to share struggles and prayerfully help each other to live worthy of the gospel by which we were saved. We were not designed to walk alone. We were designed for relationships. Community Groups allow our love for God to naturally overflow into love for one another.
Commitment #2: Connect with other believers in a Community Group (or similar Oakwood gathering).
Commitment #3: Pursue holiness in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Serve the Church
A believer who is growing in Christ will look for ways to serve the church, the bride of Christ. Part of how we train followers of Jesus is by mobilizing them into ministry roles that build up the church body. This is third base. Every member of the church is essential if we are to be as fruitful as possible for the glory of God. So we help people identify their spiritual gifts, areas of passion, ability and experience so they can serve with maximum joy and impact.
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” 1 Peter 4:10
Commitment #4: Invest in Oakwood with your time, talent and treasure
Part of serving the church involves protecting the unity of the church. All human relationships will face conflict due to the ongoing presence of sin in our hearts. The question isn’t whether we’ll have conflict but how we will handle it. The Bible provides well defined steps (Matthew 18:15-17; Matt. 5:23-24; 1 Cor. 6:1-8) to take to lovingly address issues with a brother or sister in Christ. We ask all members to commit to following a Biblical process of reconciliation whenever conflicts arise.
Commitment #5: Protect Oakwood through biblical conflict resolution
Reach the World
To complete the discipleship cycle we send workers on a mission to reach the world with the gospel. This is home plate. Followers of Jesus have not reached maturity until they live like missionaries who have been sent out by Jesus to share His love in both word and deed. The gospel is the only hope for people in a dark and dying world – so we must be active in sharing this life-changing message. But we can adorn the truth of the message with loving actions performed in Jesus’ name. And we go out as gospel workers both here in Tampa and in other parts of the world as we develop missional partnerships to bring the good news to the nations!
“And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'” Luke 10:2
Commitment #6: Witness in word by sharing the good news of Jesus with the people around you.
Commitment #7: Witness in deed by sharing the love of Christ with the people around you.
Continue the Cycle!
As in baseball, we shouldn’t be content with bringing one runner home. As one person completes a cycle we cheer and then urge him to keep playing with all of his heart – to get on base again and to help his team bring as many runners home as possible. In this life we never stop loving God, growing in Christ, serving the church and reaching the world. We keep running the bases and continually invite others to get in the game with us!
1. Overview and Mission
2. Our Discipleship Pathway
3. Oakwood’s History
4. Oakwood’s Affiliation and Government
5. Statement of Faith
6. Membership Commitment
7. Application Overview and Instructions