Statement of Faith
- The only true God, the almighty Creator of all things, existing eternally in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, full of love and glory.
- The unique divine inspiration, entire trustworthiness and authority of the Bible.
- The value and dignity of all people: created in God's image to live in love and holiness but alienated from God and each other because of our sin and guilt, and justly subject to God's wrath.
- Jesus Christ, fully human and fully divine, who lived as a perfect example, who assumed the judgment due sinners by dying in our place, and who was bodily raised from the dead and ascended as Savior and Lord.
- Justification by God's grace to all who repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
- The indwelling presence and transforming power of the Holy Spirit, who gives to all believers a new life and a new calling to obedient service.
- The unity of all believers in Jesus Christ, manifest in worshiping and witnessing churches making disciples throughout the world.
- The victorious reign and future personal return of Jesus Christ, who will judge all people with justice and mercy, giving over the unrepentant to eternal condemnation but receiving the redeemed into eternal life.
Beliefs & Values
- Expressing our Dependence on God through Prayer: We believe that God is the author and finisher of the plan to build His Kingdom. Our relationship with Him is of utmost importance. Through prayer we praise and worship Him, seek His direction, call on Him to intervene in natural and supernatural ways and show our trust in Him for the results. Prayer is at the front line of God's work and critical to the expansion of His Kingdom.
- God's Word is our Guide: We believe that the Bible provides intent, motivation and strategy for building God's Kingdom. Therefore, the goals, strategies and tactics of our ministry are based on the Scriptures, and the truth of Scripture will always take precedence over the dictates of culture wherever they may be found in conflict.
- Motivated by Gratitude: We believe that the best motivation for serving God, and the only foundation that will sustain us individually in ministry and fill our lives with purpose and lasting joy, is our love for God and gratitude to Him for His unconditional love, for the forgiveness of our sins and for transforming our lives into something He can use to pour His love into the lives of others.
- Compassion for the Lost: We believe that all people are born estranged from God and condemned by their sin, and that only those who put their faith in Jesus Christ alone and His atoning sacrifice for their sin will become children of God and heirs of eternal life. All that we do is motivated by this underlying reality and our desire that each person that we serve would be drawn closer to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
- Dignity of all God's Children: We believe that people are to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their economic status. We will therefore endeavor to treat all people in such a way that their dignity is maintained and that their value as a child of God is respected.
- Reconciliation of Relationships: We believe that all people suffer from poverty due to broken relationships in four key areas: our relationships with God, with ourselves, with other people and with God's creation. Therefore, we will seek to build programs that encourage the healing and reconciliation of relationships in each of these areas as we address the issues leading to the material, emotional and spiritual poverty of our clients. In so doing, we recognize that the healing of relationships is a process that requires time and the commitment of ROP volunteers and staff to invest in the lives of other people.
- Community Participation in Ministry: We believe that God has created all people in his image with skills, talents, and resources, and that the Spirit led development and use of these gifts is a critical part of each person's spiritual and emotional healing and growth. Therefore, we will encourage the people in our community to identify, develop and use their God given gifts and abilities, and participate with ROP as partners in ministry to the greatest extent possible. Furthermore, we will actively work to make sure that in the conduct of our ministry we do not do things for people that they are able to do for themselves.
- Ministry to and through volunteers: We believe that maximizing ROP's Kingdom impact depends upon the effective mobilization, selection, training and support of the volunteers that partner with us in ministry. We further believe that God uses our grateful service to mold us into the men and women He created us to be and to experience the "abundant life" that He desires for each of His children. Therefore, we commit to place primary emphasis on the development and encouragement of our volunteers in order that our ministry to them and the people we serve together would be maximized.
- Stewardship of Human and Financial Resources: We believe that God has entrusted to the church sufficient resources, both human and financial, to complete the Great Commission. Our volunteers represent our most valuable resource and are critical to the depth and breadth of any impact we hope to achieve for God's Kingdom. Consequently, we commit to recruit, select, train and lead our volunteers with the utmost concern for what God intends to accomplish both in and through their lives as they partner with us in ministry. In addition, we commit to use our financial resources in a responsible and effective manner, and to do our work as for the Lord with integrity, accountability, excellence and perseverance.
- Ministry Happens Best in Community: We believe that it is within the context of community that all people are best able to learn and grow as individuals and to provide support and encouragement to one another. Therefore, we desire to build an environment of community among ROP's clients, volunteers and staff, trusting God that our demonstrations of love for and fellowship with one another would draw believer and non-believer alike toward a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.
- Partnership in Ministry: We believe that Christ is honored, and our effectiveness is enhanced as we seek to coordinate the use of our resources in partnership with other churches and organizations that share our desire to meet the practical and spiritual needs of the people we serve.
