OUR BELIEFS

THE TRINITY

It is the testimony of the Old and New testament that God is both One and Triune. The Biblical revelation testifies that there is only one God, and that He exists eternally in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

GOD THE FATHER

There is one God, who exists eternally in three distinct but equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is unchangeable in His holiness, justice, wisdom and love. He is the almighty Creator, Savior and Judge who sustains and governs all things according to his sovereign will for his own glory. (Genesis 1:1, Isaiah 40: 12-26, Nehemiah 9: 32-33, John 1: 1 & 3: 16, Acts 5: 3-4, Colossians 2:9, 1 Peter 2:3, Romans 16:27 & 8:28, James 5:11, 1 John 1:5, 1 John 4:8-16, 1 John 3:20)

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, and lived a sinless life in obedience to the Father. He taught with authority and all his words are true. On the cross he died for our sins, bearing God's punishment for us, and redeeming us by his blood. He rose from the dead and in his resurrection body ascended into heaven where he is exalted as Lord of all. He intercedes for his people in the presence of the Father and mediates God's grace for the recovery of our humanity and the restoration of all things. (John 14:6, Matthew 1:20, Philippians 2:  7, 1 Timothy 3: 16, 1 Corinthians 8:6 & 15: 3, 1 John 2: 2, 1 Timothy 1: 15, John 19: 17-18)

THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven to glorify Christ and to apply his work of salvation. He convicts sinners, imparts spiritual life and gives a true understanding of the Scriptures. He indwells all believers, bringing assurance of salvation, assuring them, imparting new abilities and gifts to them, and producing increasing likeness to Christ. He builds up the Church and empowers its members of worship, service and mission. (John 14: 6, 2 Corinthians 3: 17, 1 Corinthians 8: 6, Matthew 3: 11, John 3: 5, Luke 24: 49, Acts 1: 8, Luke 11: 9-13)

THE BIBLE

God has revealed himself in the Bible, which consists of the Old and New Testaments alone. Every word was inspired by God though human authors, so that the Bible as originally given is entirely the Word of God, without error and fully reliable in fact and doctrine. The Bible alone speaks with final authority and is always sufficient for all matters of belief and practice. (2 Timothy 3: 16, 2 Peter 1: 16, Matthew 4: 4, Hebrews 4: 12, 1 Thessalonians 2: 13, Isaiah 40: 8, Luke 24: 44)

SALVATION

Salvation is entirely a work of God's grace and cannot be earned or deserved. It has been accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ and is offered to all in the gospel. God in his love forgives sinners whom he calls, granting them repentance and faith. All who believe in Christ are justified by faith alone, adopted into the family of God and receive eternal life. (Romans 3: 23, Romans 6: 23, Romans 5: 8, Ephesians 2: 8-9, John 14: 6, John 3: 16, John 5: 25, Revelation 3: 20, Romans 10: 9)

THE CHURCH

The Church is the body of which Christ is the head and to which all who are saved belong. It is made visible in local churches, which are congregations of believers who are committed to each other for the worship of God, the preaching of the Word, the recovery of true community, the administering of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, for pastoral care and discipline, and for evangelism. The unity of the body of Christ is expressed within and between churches by mutual love, care and encouragement. true fellowship between churches exists in the Holy Spirit and flourishes only where they are faithful to the gospel. (Ephesians 2: 8-9, Matthew 16, 16-18, Ephesians 4: 4, Ephesians 1: 22-23, Colossians 1: 18, 1 Peter 3: 8)

BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER

Baptism and the Lord's Supper have been given to the churches by Christ as visible signs of the gospel. Baptism is a symbol of our union with Christ and entry into his Church, but does not impart spiritual life. The Lord's Supper is a commemoration of Christ's sacrifice offered once for all and a celebration of our redemption through Him. (Acts 22: 16, 1 Corinthians 12: 13, Acts 2: 38, Acts 19: 4-7, Acts 20: 7, Matthew 26: 26-30, Mark 14: 22-25, Luke 22: 14-20, Acts 2: 46, 1 Corinthians 5: 7-8 and 11: 20-26)

CORE VALUES

AUTHENTICITY

Being real and honest is paramount. Come as you are. Only by dropping our masks and owning up to our struggles can we be a community in which Christ transforms and lifts up.

FELLOWSHIP

People committed to loving and accepting each other as they take their spiritual journey together. The community’s life and oneness is a sign of what the loving reign of God brings.

SCRIPTURE

The living, breathing Word of God draws us into the story of God reclaiming lost and broken humanity. It reveals God’s heart and His good purposes for our lives and his world.

MISSIONS

The Kingdom of God grows outwardly and inwardly. Our main objective is to facilitate Kingdom growth in our world, our community, our church, and our people.

FLEXIBILITY

Growth means change. Being faithful in God’s mission to a rapidly changing world requires great flexibility at all points along the journey. The living water of the Gospel never changes; the containers into which we pour it and serve it always will.

COMPASSION

Seeing the hurting people that we once looked past, opening our hearts and extending our hands to bring healing to God’s broken world. We love God by loving people.

VISION

Our Vision is to be a spiritual launching point throughout the Shoals area and a sending base to the ends of the earth.

Our strategy is simple: to serve the community and create spiritual environments where people that haven’t been involved in church love to come.

Jesus continually challenged the status quo.  Ordinances and traditions that lack meaning or purpose divert our attention from our most important mission, to love others.

Envision a church full of people who live out their faith in courageous, unselfish ways. Their worship is fresh and passionate. They take on bold ventures to help a suffering world. Jesus is glorified as people are introduced to Him and guided into a life of faith. See a church that impacts its area through service and shapes a whole region by launching bold ministries.

FAQ'S

HOW DO I BECOME A LAUNCH POINT MEMBER?

All you need to do is come. We will do our best to serve you, teach you, share with you, love you, and allow you to serve no matter where you are in your spiritual journey.  Those interested in becoming a member must attend a LPC Membership 101 class (see “Getting Connected” on the main page) that is taught each month by our lead pastor Shane Swinney.  If you would like information about the next LPC Membership 101 class, please contact us at  info@launchpointchurch.com.

DO YOU OFFER CHILD CARE AT YOUR PRAISE GATHERINGS?

We offer child care ages birth through 3 years old, and Sunday School Pre-k though 6th grade during the 9:00am service. We also offer child care and Children’s Church for children ages Birth through 6th grade during the 10:30am service on Sunday mornings. 

WHAT'S SO SIMPLE ABOUT YOUR MINISTRY?

We use three overarching methods to launch your life for God – Life Groups, Servant Evangelism Opportunities (SEO), and Praise Gatherings.  Our life groups meet at various times and servant opportunities are organized through them.  Our worship gatherings are dynamic and inspirational and meet once a week.  Your schedule is probably busy enough, so church programs and activities are kept to a minimum so that we can focus on loving our Lord and loving and serving others. 

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR LEADING A LIFEGROUP?

The Leadership Process looks like this.

1. Have made a focused commitment to Christ.

2. Have made a public profession of faith through baptism.

3. Be connected to a Life Group or Ministry Team.

4. Embrace the Launch Point Vision, Statement of Faith, and Core Values.

5. Meet with Lead Pastor and Elders for approval.

The Leadership Commitment is:

1. Invest your passions - Honor God by following Christ personally and passionately. Your reputation is Christ’s reputation and the church’s reputation.

2. Invest your talents - Participate in the life of the congregation through genuine worship, sharing, learning, and serving.

3. Invest your resources - Invest your time, skills, talents, and gifts in and through the church.

4. Invest your relationships - Develop authentic loving relationships with others in the church and establish significant relationships with those who do not know Jesus.

If you are interested in getting involved in a Launch Point ministry, please let your Life Group leader know or contact someone at the connections area of the Worship Gatherings.