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We seek to be a welcoming community where every child of God is included. Individually we espouse soul freedom, endeavoring to live by the moral and ethical principles taught by Christ and revealed in scripture, realizing that God is the ultimate and soul judge of our thoughts and actions. As a worshipping community, we celebrate and seek to be worthy trustees of God's creation in all its diversity. We uphold freedom of religious expression, expect no conformity to any creed, and strive for social justice within all human relationships.
The purpose of the First Baptist Church is to inspire and develop disciples of Jesus Christ.
The First Baptist Church is Baptist by conviction, ecumenical in spirit, and committed to Christian service.
Believing that God offers forgiveness and hope to heal our lives and make us whole, we seek to create a worshiping community characterized by the study of scripture, prayer, forgiveness, peace, joy, and a radical welcome.
We accept the risk of creating a transforming community that brings good news to the poor, proclaims release to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, sets oppressed people free, and proclaims the year of the Lord's favor. Luke 4:18-19, NRSV
The vision of the First Baptist Church is to raise the quality of life in Jesus’ name for the congregation, the community, and the world through our ministries of worship, Christian formation, fellowship, mission, and emerging ministries that foster social justice, morality and equality for all people.
Believing that God has called us into being as persons and as a church;
Confessing that the adoration of God leads to the fullest experience of our humanity;
Accepting Jesus Christ as the human face of God, and One we know as brother, teacher, confessor, redeemer, Lord, and Savior;
Promising faithfulness to the way of Christ and to the unique community of the Church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we establish this covenant with God and each other:
To uphold the purpose of the First Baptist Church of Rochester, which is to inspire trust in God and to develop disciples of Jesus Christ. To endeavor to live by the moral and ethical principles taught by Christ and revealed in scripture, and to be cheerful stewards of our wealth, wisdom, and work. To uphold freedom of religious expression, to honor the diverse ways in which God is known among us, and to strive for social justice within all human relationships. To create a worshiping community characterized by love, the study of scripture, prayer, forgiveness, peace, joy, and welcome. To accept the risks that accompany the holy process of transformation and the struggles of any community that follows Jesus with passion. To pursue our common vision to raise the quality oflife in Jesus' name for the congregation, the community, and the world through our ministries of compassionate service.
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