ORGANIZATIONAL STATEMENT


BYLAWS and MISSION STATEMENT of

 LAMPASAS BIBLE CHURCH 

LAMPASAS, TEXAS



We believe the calling of this Church is to be the very presence of Christ in the midst of the world, standing as a testimony of His life and character. When God calls people into a committed faithful life with Himself, He calls them into an everlasting fellowship with other believers as well.


We base our existence on Jesus' words from Matthew 22:37-39: "you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all you mind! This is the first and greatest commandment." Secondly, and equally as important: "Love your neighbor as yourself".

We believe that three things will last forever - faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is Love. (I Corinthians 13:13). 


We know that God loved this world so much that He gave up His only Son (Jesus Christ) as a sacrifice for us all, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have an everlasting life with Him in His Kingdom. (John 3:16)


Lampasas Bible Church is a body of believers who welcome all who seek a Christian fellowship and a warm and welcoming atmosphere where the Love of God is present. God does not put any expectations on those who come and neither do we. We all are accepted by God just as we are.


More particularly, Lampasas Bible Church also exists for the following purposes:


(a) To promote the Christian Gospel by any appropriate form of expression, within any available medium, and in any location, through the Church's combined or separate formation, of a church ministry, charity or school.


(b) To engage in religious worship in an orderly and reverent manner and to promote the spiritual development and well-being of individuals.


(c) To maintain the public worship of and the observance of the Church's ordinances.


(d) To the study of Christian doctrines and principles and the practice of the Christian life as revealed and taught in the Bible.


(e) To seek the salvation of the lost at home and abroad.

(f) To promote the advancement of God's kingdom in all the earth, through missions at home and abroad and in other work to accomplish this purpose.


(g) To ordain, encourage and lift up in prayer ministers of the Gospel, and others who conduct and carry on Christian purposes at the place of worship of the Church, and elsewhere.


(h) To collect and disburse any and all necessary funds for the maintenance of Lampasas Bible Church and the accomplishment of its purposes including gifting of financial aid to those individuals both in and outside Lampasas Bible Church as needed.


WHAT WE BELIEVE


THE BIBLE: We believe The Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, is the inerrant authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority for determining all doctrinal truths. God is the ultimate point of origin for each of the 66 books of the Bible. Through his Spirit, God providentially prepared each person who played a role in producing the final form of the sacred, inspired work we call the Bible. God's choice of ancient persons responsible for producing the books of the Bible was entirely consistent with God's goals for codifying revelation for humankind in ages to come. Under God's providential preparation and direction, the work of each person who played a role in the final form of the biblical text resulted in an entirely trustworthy record of the truth God wanted to reveal to humankind.


(Jeremiah 25:13; Proverbs 30:5; Luke 1:70; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)


THE TRINITY: We believe there is one God who alone is eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and coeternal. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.


(Genesis 1:26; Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Hebrews 3:7-11; John 1:1-3, 14, John 4:24)


JESUS CHRIST: We believe Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for humanity and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the tomb on the third day according to scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return for those "in Christ" again in power and glory.


(Matt 1:23, John 1:14, Romans 5:11, Mark 13:26)


VIRGIN BIRTH: We believe Jesus of Nazareth was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, in the virgin Mary; therefore, He is the incarnate Son of God, the Christ, the Word made flesh.


(Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35; John 1:1-3, 14)

RESURRECTION: We believe Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from His burial place in a glorified body on the third day following His death on the cross and ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father.

(Luke 24:36-39; John 2:19-22, 20:26-28, 21:4; Romans 8:34, 1 Cor 15:3-9, 17-19; Colossians 3:1)


REDEMPTION: We believe every human being was created in the image of God for the purpose of representing His rule throughout all the earth. Through voluntary disobedience man sinned and fell. Consequently, all of humanity is lost and is thus in need of being brought back into relationship with God. Every human being apart from Jesus Christ is thus unable to avoid sin. The only hope for this redemption is in one's belief and faith in the work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.


(Genesis 1:26-27, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21)


REGENERATION: Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit in which the unredeemed soul or inner person is made new in response to saving faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Regeneration is the necessary beginning point for a life of discipleship-believing loyalty-to Jesus Christ and God the Father.


(Eph 2:1-10; 4:24; 2 Cor 5:17)


SALVATION: We believe man is saved by grace alone, through personal faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human effort. Salvation means turning from our own efforts to merit the grace of God. When we embrace the gospel we are made new creations by the regeneration and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who compels us to commit ourselves to turn from sin in every area of our lives and to live a life of complete loyalty to Jesus Christ, our King.


(Romans 4:1-5; 10:9-10; Acts 3:19, 16:31; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 9:22)


SANCTIFICATION: We believe in sanctification, the on-going process of yielding to God's Word and the Holy Spirit in order to develop a mature Christ-like character. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.


(Romans 8:29, 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; Hebrews 2:11)


JESUS' BLOOD: Jesus Christ lived a perfectly sinless life, and shed his blood for us on the cross of Calvary. His perfect sacrifice is 100% sufficient to cleanse humankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death.


(1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29)

JESUS CHRIST DWELLS IN ALL BELIEVERS: Christians are people who have put their trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ. By doing so, the Lord Jesus Christ comes and lives inside of them by His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority of their lives over to Him, thus making Jesus the Lord of their lives by putting faith in what He accomplished for them when He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead.


(Matt 18:20; 28:20; John 14:17, Romans 8:11; 2 Cor 3:17-18; Revelation 3:20)


BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe the baptism with the Holy Spirit, given at Pentecost, is the fulfillment of the new covenant promise of the Father for all believers. Each believer is baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ as part of salvation and regeneration. Every believer should also expect and seek the gift of the Holy Spirit that can be distinct and subsequent to his or her baptism into the Body of Christ. This baptism experience continuously empowers the believer for Christian service in God's reconciliatory work in the world. The presence of the Spirit in the believer is God's definite means of endowment of gifting and power for service. As the believer surrenders more to the Spirit's control, this empowerment will produce more and more fruit in the life of the believer.


(Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5, 2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6; 1 Cor 12:13)


GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe the Holy Spirit is displayed through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the Church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, confirm the power of the Gospel and to serve the world. The lists of these gifts in the Bible are not necessarily exhaustive and may occur in various combinations. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Word of God and should never be used in violation of Biblical parameters. Every believer should eagerly desire spiritual gifts and develop these gifts to promote the gospel in their everyday lives.


(Romans 1:11, 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; Ephesians 4:16; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:5-16;Hebrews 2:4; 1 Peter 4:10)


THE CHURCH: Every person who is born of the Spirit is part of the universal Church as a member of the body of believers and is encouraged by Scripture to be planted in a local church. The Church is both the representative of Jesus on earth and the earthly expression of His kingdom. The purpose of the Church is to carry out the Great Commission.


(Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23; 1 Tim 3:15)


PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER: We believe that every believer is a priest (minister) and is enabled by the Holy Spirit to fulfill his or her calling in their homes, workplaces, and community.


(1 Peter 2:5, 9, Rom 12:1; Matt. 28:18-20)

TWO ORDINANCES: We believe that the ordinances of the Church, by the command of Jesus Christ, are water baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper (Communion), both of which are administered to those who are born again by the Spirit of God.


WATER BAPTISM- Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water. Following the Great Commission, we baptize believers in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Water Baptism publicly demonstrates our loyalty to Jesus, and baptism in the name of Jesus today is for that purpose and not as a ritual connected to salvation. In baptism, we renounce Satan and the forces of darkness and declare our allegiance to Jesus as the Lord of our lives.


THE LORD'S SUPPER (COMMUNION)- The Lord's Supper is a unique time when the body of Christ gathers together in the presence of God to partake of the elements of bread and juice, which represent the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. These are taken in remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, which fulfilled God the Father's requirement of just punishment for our sins so that we an be in covenant relationship with Him. As we partake of the elements together, we remember the New Covenant and renew our devotion to Jesus.

(Matthew 26:26-29, 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 8:12, 36-38, 10:47-48; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-26;1 Peter 3:18-22)


MARRIAGE AND SEXUALITY: The testimony of the inspired Holy Scriptures is that the marriage covenant shall be reserved only for one man with one woman.

(Gen 2:18-25; Matthew 19:4-6, 1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Romans 1:26-27, Deuteronomy 23:1)


HEAVEN AND HELL: Heaven is the place where God dwells; a place which God will offer to those who love Him at the end of the age. The new heavens and the new earth are the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ where we will fulfill our original purpose of ruling and reigning over God's creation with Him and our Lord, Jesus Christ. Unbelievers have no share in the eternal life on the new earth, but are instead eternally separated from God.


(Matthew 25:41; John 14:1-3; 17:24; 1 Cor 15:26; Romans 8:18-25; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 9:27, 11:16; 1 Peter 1:4; Revelation 20:12-15, 21:8)


SECOND COMING: We believe Jesus Christ will physically, visibly, and gloriously return to earth for the second time to establish His kingdom. This will occur at a time that has not been disclosed and will not be disclosed to mankind.


(Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7)




LEADERSHIP TEAM

The managing and governing of the affairs of the Church is vested in the Leadership Team. The Leadership Team shall consist of 6 persons who have been members of Lampasas Bible Church for at least 3 years. The Pastor of the Church body shall always be a member of the Leadership Team. The Team may act collectively as 8 members or the 8 may designate a fewer number of team members to act for all 6.


The Leadership Team shall be responsible for specific decisions regarding the following:



The Team shall meet monthly to discuss and may come to decisions on matters concerning the Church that are of current concern including the direction and goals of the church and financial management of the affairs of the Church. The Leadership Team members shall serve 2 years but may be dismissed if they do not reflect, by words or actions, the life and character of Christ, and such dismissal action shall be by the consensus of the remaining members. Members who have served 2 years may be reelected to serve another 2 years if there is no other to take their place and will to be by the consensus of the Church members. 


A vacancy on the Team shall be filled by appointment of the then existing Team Members and such decision shall be by a consensus of those remaining members. At the signing of this document, the Leadership Team Members include Joe Manuel, Mike Atkinson, Fred Abrego, Bo Holloman, Edward Gold, and Victor Stotts.


It is the vision of the Leadership Team that we can stimulate faith, love, hope, courage, joy, humility, perseverance, mercy and generosity among each other and with those we serve here in this body of believers. May we all grow toward maturity in what we have been given in the amazing grace and boundless love of Jesus.


MEMBERSHIP

Those individuals attending services of Lampasas Bible Church who wish to be a part of our family of followers and believers of Jesus Christ can do so in the following manner;



Profession of faith in Jesus Christ involves:

(1) Personal conviction of sin and the need for forgiveness (Rom. 6:23).


(2) Repentance (turning away from sin) and asking Christ for forgiveness (I John 1:9).


(3) Receiving Christ as personal Savior and Lord (Rom. 10:9-10).

      (c) By statement of personal faith in Christ, coming as a Christian from another               denomination, having already been baptized by immersion.


A membership card (with contact information, if disclosed at his or her discretion), shall be maintained on each adult member or on each child of a parent or child who has an adult sponsor.


BUSINESS MEETINGS


Business meetings of the Church shall be conducted at a prearranged date and time on an annual basis and shall be conducted by any one or more of the Team Members. These meetings shall be open to all members of the Church body to consider matters such as budget, capital outlay, salaries, expenses of the overall operation of the church, missions and goals of the Church and mission support to groups to include those individuals who we consider to be an extension of our ministry outreach.


It may be necessary to conduct other business meetings by the Leadership Team with the membership of the Church on matters needing more immediate attention. The announcement of such a meeting/s shall be given at least a week in advance of said meeting.


Business Meetings may be for the purpose of transacting any of the following businesses of the church:

(1) The budget of the church.

(2) The amendment of any of these bylaws.

(3) The disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Church.

(4) The decisions and direction and goals of the Church.

(5) The acquisition of real property and related indebtedness.


Instead of voting and being governed by a majority vote of members present or by a majority of those in attendance at any meeting concerning the business of the church, it is our desire to seek the consensus of all in attendance. Failing such a mutual consensus in any matter, we shall explore options available and continue to find common ground in seeking a solution to the matter to be considered. Failing that, we shall conclude that the matter shall be prayed over and that the matter should be revisited at a later date or, in the alternative, dismissed altogether.


This is a sovereign church under the sole leadership of Jesus Christ. The membership retains unto itself the exclusive right of self-government in all phases of the spiritual and temporal life of this Church. We shall be able to attain this only by prayer and guidance by the Holy Spirit.