Liturgy

As is the case in many Christian communities, we recognize additional statements of faith that are consistent with the creedal tradition of the church universal, but which also express our church’s particular emphases and concerns, as well as our theological heritage of faith.

Confession of Faith

God

We believe in the one true, holy and living God, Eternal Spirit, who is Creator, Sovereign and Preserver of all things visible and invisible. He is infinite in power, wisdom, justice, goodness and love, and rules with gracious regard for the well-being and salvation of men, to the glory of his name. We believe the one God reveals himself as the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, distinct but inseparable, eternally one in essence and power.

Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man, in whom the divine and human natures are perfectly and inseparably united. He is the eternal Word made flesh, the only begotten Son of the Father, born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. As ministering Servant he lived, suffered and died on the cross. He was buried, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to be with the Father, from whence he shall return. He is eternal Savior and Mediator, who intercedes for us, and by him all men will be judged.

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from and is one in being with the Father and the Son. He convinces the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He leads men through faithful response to the gospel into the fellowship of the Church. He comforts, sustains and empowers the faithful and guides them into all truth.

Apostle’s Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven, Is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.*universal church

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

The Lord’s Supper (Communion)

We set the table, Jesus does the inviting. We practice an open table—meaning you don’t have to be a member of this church, or any church … just belief in the person and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe the Lord’s Supper is a representation of our redemption, a memorial of the sufferings and death of Christ, and a token of love and union which Christians have with Christ and with one another. Those who rightly, worthily and in faith eat the broken bread and drink the blessed cup partake of the body and blood of Christ in a spiritual manner until he comes.

Baptism

We believe Baptism signifies entrance into the household of faith, and is a symbol of repentance and inner cleansing from sin, a representation of the new birth in Christ Jesus and a mark of Christian discipleship.

We believe children are under the atonement of Christ and as heirs of the Kingdom of God are acceptable subjects for Christian Baptism. Children of believing parents through Baptism become the special responsibility of the Church. They should be nurtured and led to personal acceptance of Christ, and by profession of faith confirm their Baptism.

If you would like to be baptized, or you would like your infant or young child baptized, please let us know. Baptism is a big step, and we want to help walk you through it.

Pastor Scott Harmon

sharmon@tavares.church

This statement is a response to one of the most common questions received by the pastors and leadership of the Church. To continue this conversation, we offer our shared theological understanding, so that there will be both clarity as to the position of Tavares Community Church and, just as importantly, clarity as to posture we strive for in carrying our belief.

One of the great challenges in the conversation about how following Jesus ought to shape our sexual ethic is the deep, personal, and real pain that so many people carry into the conversation. The church has often erred in its posture as it engages the topic of sexuality, which has led to a spirit of shame and hostility. The great tragedy is that people have been turned off from the Church, not by Jesus, but by his followers. Because of the complexity and sensitivity of the conversation, we will briefly define our position, posture, and practice, as we believe all three to be of equal and vital importance.

Our position:

• We believe the historic Christian understanding of marriage. Specifically, that marriage was created by God to be a life-long covenant between two, sexually different persons (male and female), creating a sacred one-flesh union.
• We believe marriage to be the only appropriate setting for sexual conduct, and all sexual conduct outside of this covenant to be sin.
• We believe sexual brokenness affects us all. Therefore, we are committed to being a safe place of hospitality and healing that all may experience the redemptive grace of Jesus.

Our inspiration:

We look to Jesus as the perfect model of how we ought to hold our belief. While Jesus shared most of the theological beliefs of the Pharisees (zealous religious authorities), His problem was with their actions. Alternatively, throughout the Gospels, we see that those who lived lives in disagreement with Jesus’s ethical teachings were regularly drawn to him—accepting an invitation to His table, breaking bread with Him . As we learn from Jesus, agreement is not a prerequisite for acceptance. We strive to be the sort of church family where those living in ways contrary to the Way of Jesus —including, but certainly not limited to, sexuality—are seen, loved, accepted, and welcomed in our community.

Our practice:

Tavares Community Church welcomes all into worship and community regardless of sexual practice or orientation . Because the Church is called the Body of Christ , we hold to all of His teaching and, like Jesus, open our arms to all regardless of belief—that anyone and everyone could become a follower of Jesus.

Our focus is to be the kind of church family that models a distinct counterculture : that, together, we would “walk in the way that leads to life. ” And as we continue to follow Jesus, we will pursue ways to walk alongside our wider culture; not offering unwanted critique, but an invitation into His family. Our mission is to be a church made up of people whose lives are so shaped by Jesus that it serves as an open invitation to all to follow Him .

At Tavares Community Church we are open and understanding that our way is not the best way. because we firmly KNOW that Jesus’s way is the best way. Jesus was concerned with all of his children, and we at TCC strive to demonstrate that principle in all we do.

Our rich orthodox Wesleyan Tradition serves as a historical foundation to embrace the social implications of our personal and communal transformation by the power of the Gospel. We depend on the Holy Spirit to empower us to cultivate Christian love and demonstrate mutual care in WORD & DEED to our neighbors inside and outside of the church.

God’s creation as expressed in the term Imago Dei, the Image of God, began when He breathed life into humanity. This foundational truth holds us firmly to the conviction that every human being is immeasurably loved by God and therefore has inherent dignity and sacred worth.

God has deliberately included a diversity of people in His creative work and redemptive plan to deliver humanity and restore all of creation marred by sin. By grace through faith in Jesus Christ ALL are welcomed into His family. Therefore, we affirm the image of this family that is cast in Scripture: a broad inclusion of people in heaven from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue. We also celebrate our similarities and differences, recognizing that unity without diversity is merely uniformity. Diversity serves as an essential element of the church’s faithful witness to a watching world and a foretaste of God’s coming kingdom.