+ The Bible

Reading the Bible for just 10 minutes a day can change the rest of your days. You can spare that, right? Regular scripture reading will bring you hope, encouragement, guidance, and practical advice on the everyday issues you’re facing. The Bible is relevant to everyone, everywhere, at any time. “All Scripture is God-breathed….” 2 TIMOTHY 3:16 You can’t have a close relationship with someone you never talk to. It’s impossible. God’s word—the Bible—is the primary way He speaks to us. And it’s the absolute best way to discover how to follow Jesus on a daily basis. We believe the Bible is God’s holy word, written by men under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In the pages the Bible you will find out about God, and His promises.

+ Jesus

Everyone has an opinion about Jesus. Maybe you think He’s a great teacher or a prophet. Maybe you think He didn’t exist at all. Whatever you believe, we can probably agree that Jesus changed things. We believe He wants to change you, too. Jesus said: “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.” JOHN 14:6 Jesus claimed He knew God. No big deal, right? Plenty of people make the same claim. But Jesus also said He was God. And this upset the religious leaders of His day so much that they killed Him. But that was 2,000 years ago. Why does it matter to you now? How does who Jesus is and what He’s done affect your life now in your 9 to 5, trying to take care of your kids, paying bills, or just keeping your head above water? God, the Creator of the universe, has a purpose for you and your life. He loves you and wants to help you because He is a good God. And because of that, His plans are better than your plans. You don’t have to measure up to some impossible religious standard to know Him. You just have to take a few simple steps. “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,‘ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” ROMANS 10:9 You don’t have to be perfect. Through His death on the cross, and then coming back from the dead, Jesus took all of your wrong and gave you all of His right. If you believe that and commit to following Him, your life will never be the same. It’s as simple as repenting of your sin, declaring you want to follow Jesus, and believing He is who He says He is. Believing in Jesus is the first step on the greatest journey of your life. You haven’t finished the race—you’ve just gotten started. The best is yet to come!

+ The Holy Spirit

You may have heard some wild and unbelievable stories about the Holy Spirit. The fact is the Holy Spirit is God just like Jesus is God and God the Father is God. The Holy Spirit was sent after Jesus was resurrected to help guide, lead, inspire and teach us about God’s love for us. You will hear us talk about the Holy Spirit at Encompass.

+ Baptism

Baptism is a public display of the work that God is doing inside of you. One of the ways in which we follow Jesus’ example of life is to be baptized with water. Baptism does not save a person, but it is an important and sacred time in the life of a believer. When should I be baptized? We believe that God’s love, called Grace, is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Because of this unchanging love, a person can be baptized at any time. When we baptize an infant, we mark that child with God’s Grace and acknowledge them as a member of God’s family until that child is old enough to accept Christ as their savior for themselves. For others, baptism is a marker of your public declaration that you are a follower of Christ. If you have questions about baptism, contact pastor Lance and he’d be happy to discuss it with you further!

+ Prayer

We believe God answers prayer! In fact one of things you will notice about Encompass Church is that nothing is done without being prayed for first. From the seat you sit in each Sunday to the requests we make for the sick, needy and hurting WE ARE A PRAYING CHURCH! If you would like to be prayed for or have another request, please let us know. (laurie@encompassnavarre.org)

+ Growing People Change

We are all imperfect people in need of a Savior to help us heal and grow and change in our lives. That is what salvation is all about. We reject hypocritical religious attitudes that are externally focused on the lives of others, but refuse to deal with the sin in their own lives. We will not stop asking God to help us “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)

+ Saved people serve

We get the fact that the world is not going to be reached by a “screaming church” but rather a serving church. Because our hearts have been changed by the love of Jesus we can’t help but serve others in response. Jesus came to serve and to save the world, and we will do whatever it takes to serve that others might be saved in Jesus name!

+ You can't outgive God

We believe in the Biblical principle of giving back to God. We give not out of obligation, but as a loving response to what God has provided for us (2 Corinthians 9:6-15)! The leadership of Encompass also views the resources you entrust us with as the holy gift they are. We aim to glorify God with every decision (1 Peter 5:2-3)

+ You Can't do life alone

Our motto is “Navigating Life Together.” Christianity is about relationships, and we are better together! The phrase “one another” appears over 52x in the New Testament. We are commanded to encourage one another, pray for one another, carry one another’s burdens, and love one another. That is how we Navigate Life Together. All members and regular attenders are highly encouraged to give one of our life groups a try. You’ll be amazed how God works as we journey together!