Core Value #6 (Of Philadelphia Presbytery)

We are committed to the nurturing of healthy, growing, and reproducing churches.

By its very nature, Jesus’ Church is a vital, spiritual organism. It is the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27); it is the temple God is building, with Christ himself as the cornerstone, where He lives by his Spirit (Eph. 2:19-22). As one expression of Jesus’ Church we as a presbytery long to know that vitality ourselves and, in turn, to nurture such vitality in all of our congregations until “we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). A spiritually healthy church will also be a growing church, with the Lord adding to their number those whom he is saving. They will also pray and work for the nurture of their own children, conversion of unbelievers, and the planting of healthy new congregations.