January 2007 Revision

STATEMENT OF FAITH

The Bible
The Sole basis of our belief is the Bible, composed of 66 books of the Old and New Testament.  We believe that scripture originated with God and that it was given through the instrumentality of chosen men. Scripture thus at one and the time speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors. We hold that the Scriptures are authoritative for the community of faith and contain all truth necessary for us to discover and live for Christ." They are the full and final authority on all matters of faith and practice.

God
We believe that there is one true, holy God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – each of Whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning God created out of nothing the world and all things therein, thus manifesting the glory of His power, wisdom, and goodness. By His providence, He is operating throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes.

Salvation
The central purpose of God’s revelation in Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with God. Originally created to have fellowship with God, man defied God, choosing to go his independent way, and thus was alienated from God and suffered the corruption of his nature, rendering him unable to please God. The fall took place at the beginning of human history, and all individuals since have suffered these consequences and are thus in need of the saving grace of God. The salvation of mankind is, then, wholly a work of God’s free grace, not the result, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness, and must be personally appropriated by repentance and faith. When God has begun a saving work in the heart of any person, He gives assurance in His Word that He will continue performing it until the day of its full consummation.

Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the eternal second Person of the Trinity who was united forever with a true human nature by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily gave up his life for our sins. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He, as Mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own. He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.

The Christian Life (The Holy Spirit)
The essential accompaniment of a genuine saving relationship with Jesus Christ is a life of holiness and obedience, attained by believers as they submit to the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. He was sent to the world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Christ. He enlightens the minds of sinners, awakens in them recognition of their need of a Savior and regenerates them. At the point of salvation, He permanently indwells every believer to become the source of assurance, strength, and wisdom, and uniquely endows each believer with gifts for the up-building of the body. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the Scripture. His power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for the believer to lead a life of Christlike character and to bear fruit to the glory of the Father.

Human Destiny
Death seals the eternal destiny of each person. For all mankind, there will be a resurrection of the body into the spiritual world and a judgment that will determine the fate of each individual. Unbelievers will be separated from God into condemnation. God’s judgment will reveal His justice in consigning them to perpetuate in eternal retribution their own rejection of God. Believers will be received into eternal Communion with God and will be rewarded for works done in this life.

The Church
The corollary of union with Jesus Christ is that all believer become members of His body, the Church. There is one true Church universal, comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The scripture commands believers to gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, and the teaching of the Word, the observance of Baptism, and Communion as the sacramental ordinances established by Jesus Christ, fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach to the world.
Wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the church. Under the watchcare of elders and supportive leadership, its members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the one ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ.

Faith and Practice
Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. This church recognizes that it cannot bind the conscience of individual members in areas where Scripture is silent. Rather, each believer is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to whom he or she alone is ultimately responsible. We believe the Statement of Faith to be an accurate summary of what Scripture teaches. All members shall refrain from advocating doctrines that are not included in the Statement of Faith in such a way as to cause dissention.

HOW IS THE CHURCH LED?
The head of Suncoast Community Church is Jesus Christ. As an organization, we seek to reflect His priorities in all we do and how we do it. No decision is ever made that would knowingly contradict any of Jesus’ teaching. In addition, through the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we endeavor to discern God’s program for us as a church. Whenever we implement a plan, we keep one eye on our effectiveness, and the other on the next step God seems to be showing us.

Multifaceted Leadership
On a human level, three groups of people direct the ministries of Suncoast. Those bodies are the elders, the board of directors, and the staff.

The elders are members of the body who provide general watchcare and oversight. They continually evaluate the teaching ministry of the church and review major ministry decisions and strategic initiatives. They use their wisdom, discernment and shepherding gifts to ensure the church remains on a true course biblically. Scripture indicates the ultimate decision-making authority in the church rests with the elders.

Our board of directors are empowered by the elders to oversee the legal and financial aspects of the ministry and matters pertaining to the building and facilities. They all have some marketplace expertise, which they use to serve the church.

Finally, the staff directs the day-to-day affairs of the subministries of the church. They are paid so they can devote the best hours of their day to building ministries. The management team – a sub-grouping of the key leaders on staff – directs the staff as a whole. The staff then supports the strategies and priorities determined by the management team. The staff’s primary calling is to build and coordinate teams of volunteers so that ministry can happen. The management team’s main function is to give leadership to the staff and church.

The way the three groups work together can best be stated as follows: the staff directs the ministries of the church with overall leadership provided by the management team; these ministries are supported by the policies and financial resource allocation determined by the board of directors; and all the activities of the church are carries out under the watchcare and supervision of the elders.

THE ROLE OF ELDERS
The New Testament is clear that the church is to be led by a plurality of godly leaders under the oversight and watchcare of elders. The elders are given ultimate responsibility and authority to see that the church remains on a true course biblically, that its members are being appropriately shepherded, that the body is being fed through insightful and accurate biblical teaching, and that the life of the church is being well managed with the assistance of other competent and godly leaders. They are to care about the spiritual and physical well-being of members, regularly praying for the sick. They are to guard the body against harmful influences, confronting those who are contradicting biblical truth or who are continuing in patterns of sinful behavior. In doing so, they are to keep closing potential entrances for Satan so that the truth of Christ will remain credible to both the congregation and the community (1 Pet. 5:1-4; Acts 20:28-31; Titus 1:9; James 5:14).

In response to the biblical pattern of leadership, members of the body are taught in Scripture to lovingly support their leaders and submit to their leadership (Heb. 13:17; 1 Thess. 5:12-13).

Biblical Qualifications for Elders
Elder qualifications are summarized in 1Tim. 3:2-7 and Titus 1:6-9:

1. Above reproach – Elders must lead by example and demonstrate a lifestyle free of patterns of sin.
2. Husband of one wife – Elders, if married, must be devoted spouses.
3. Temperate – Elders must be self-controlled, enslaved to nothing, free from excesses.
4. Prudent – Elders must be sober, sensible, wise, balanced in judgment, not given to quick, superficial decisions based on immature thinking.
5. Respectable – Elders must demonstrate a well-ordered life and honorable behavior.
6. Hospitable – Elders must be unselfish with their personal resources. They must be willing to share blessings with others.
7. Able to teach – Elders must be able to communicate truth and sound doctrine in a nonargumentative way.
8. Not addicted to wine – Elders must be free from addictions and willing to limit their liberty for the sake of others.
9. Not pugnacious or quick tempered – Elders must be gentle, patient, and able to exercise self-control in difficult situations.
10. Uncontentious – Elders must not be given to quarreling or selfish argumentation.
11. Free from the love of money – Elders must not be stingy, greedy, out for sordid gain, or preoccupied with amassing material things.
12. Manage own household – Elders must have a well-ordered household and a healthy family life.
13. Not a new convert – Elders must not be new believers. They must have been Christians for long enough to demonstrate the reality of their conversion and depth of their spirituality.
14. Good reputation with outsiders – Elders must be well-respected by unbelievers and free from hypocrisy.
15. Not self-willed – Elders must not be stubborn, prone to force opinions on others, or abuse authority. They must be servants.
16. Loving what is good – Elders must desire the will of God in every decision.
17. Just – Elders must desire to be fair and impartial. Their judgments must be based on scriptural principle.
18. Devout – Elders must be devoted Christ followers seeking to be conformed to His image. They must be committed to prayer, worship, the study of Scripture, and the guarding of their own walk.
19. Holding fast the faithful Word – Elders must be stable in the faith, obedient to the Word of God, continually seeking to be controlled by the Holy Spirit.

Selection of Elders/Term of Elders
Scripture gives evidence of the first elders being appointed by the founders of the church. By this example it is implied that the existing spiritual leadership of a church be intimately involved in the process of selecting elders to ensure selection based on spiritual rather than superficial qualifications. Beyond this, there are no specific guidelines given regarding the selection process. It would therefore appear that freedom is given to the individual church to develop a process that will best serve its own special needs and situations (Acts 14:21; Titus 1:2).

Process for Elder Selection
If the elders determine that additional elders are needed, they shall initiate the following process for elder selection:

1. The existing elders shall appoint a nominating committee consisting of at least three participating members. For the purpose of order, one member of the nominating committee shall be chosen by the committee as chairman of the committee.
2. The nominating committee will meet with the elders to review the qualifications for elders to determine questions that should be posed to the candidates.
3. The congregation shall be provided with teaching regarding the biblical qualifications for elders and their scriptural role.
4. The nominating committee shall review the names of the nominees and shall conduct interviews with each nominee.
5. After prayerfully considering each nominee, the nominating committee shall make final recommendations to the elders.
6. The elders shall review the nominees and make a final selection.
7. The names of the prospective elders shall be brought before the participating members of the church, who will be given 30 days to show cause why any one of the prospective elders would not be qualified to serve. Consistent with Matt. 18:15 and Matt. 5:24, any members with such “cause” must first express his or her concern to the prospective elder and then must also express his or her concern to the board of elders for consideration.

Term of Elders
Since scripture indicates no fixed term for elders, no specific fixed term of office is recommended. Instead, each elder, upon appointment, shall be asked for a one-year commitment, subject to review, recommitment, and reaffirmation by the board of elders During the period of annual review, both the individual and the other elders shall evaluate his or her continued service as an elder, again considering the biblical qualifications as well as any personal factors that might affect his or her service. An individual’s service as an elder may be discontinued by his or her own decision, or by the majority decision of the elders.

A person’s leaving the board of elders would not preclude his service as a future elder, subject to the regular elder selection process.

THE ROLE OF THE SENIOR PASTOR
Consistent with the New Testament concept of spiritual gifts, the senior pastor, like any member of the body, is uniquely gifted and should seek to minister primarily within his gift area.

In addition to his pastoring role as an elder, the senior pastor is primarily responsible to be a teacher of the Word of God and to provide strategic leadership and vision to the body. His goal is to help mature believers through insightful and accurate presentation of biblical truth, equipping them to be the true “ministers” in the body. He must strive to teach and lead by word and example, and he must stress both the understanding and the application of God’s truth.

The senior pastor should not be responsible to consistently minister in areas unrelated to his primary function and giftedness. To burden him with other roles (administration, counseling, visitation, etc.) is to rob him of planning time, study time, and devotion to the Word. This can lead to watered down, inaccurate teaching or ineffective leadership, both of which in turn weaken the body. As shepherds of the church, the elders are responsible to appoint other leaders with complementary gifts to undertake areas and aspects of the ministry that cannot be filled by the senior pastor.

Teaching within the body should not be limited to the senior pastor. The New Testament emphasizes the need for teaching elders and/or the utilization of other members who are gifted in this area, thereby providing a variety of input and role models.

The Selection of Senior Pastor
In the event of vacancy in the office of senior pastor, the elders combined with the board of directors shall be responsible to conduct a search for candidates to fill the position. Once the elders have selected a candidate, that candidate shall be presented to the board of directors, the board of elders and the management team (as periodically defined by the elders) for affirmation by a two-thirds majority vote.

Procedure for Amending the Governance Document
This document was drafted by faithful but fallible people. Should the Spirit of God point out the need to revise this document in any way, the elders shall present the suggested revisions to the board of directors and to the senior leadership of the staff for their consideration, and together these teams will ratify by a majority vote.

Note: Minor revisions not affecting the theology, ministry philosophy, or overall structure and governance shall be made at the discretion of the elders (e.g., rewording, clarification of ideas considered to be confusing, added scriptural support, etc.).

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
At present the board of directors at Suncoast Community Church is comprised of 3 non-staff, Suncoast supporters who have extensive marketplace experience. The senior pastor and two elders are also to serve on the board. Each member has been entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing legal and financial matters and to provide for the care and maintenance of all properties owned by the church.

THE MANAGEMENT TEAM
The management team oversees day-to-day operations of the church and provides the vision for the future direction of the church. At present, the members of the management team are key staff members holding these positions:
Senior Pastor
Teaching Pastors
Worship Leader
Campus Pastors
Through the management team, each ministry or department within the church has the opportunity to have their views expressed and issues addressed.

COMMUNICATION AMONG THE GOVERNING BODIES
Communication, openness, and accountability across the three groups are provided by:

• Cross-representation of members
• Senior pastor on all three boards
• Two elders on the board of directors

Members of all three groups receive the minutes of meetings for all three groups.