The 9 Values of CTRC

1. Expositional Preaching        

  • Why is it important?

    • Expositional preaching is important because God’s Word is what convicts, converts, builds up, and sanctifies God’s people (Heb. 4:12; 1 Pet. 1:23; 1 Thess. 2:13; Jn. 17:17). Preaching that makes the main point of the text the main point of the sermon makes God’s agenda rule the church, not the preacher’s.

2. Biblical Theology

  • What is it?

    • Biblical theology is sound doctrine; it is right thoughts about God; it is belief that accords with Scripture.

3. Gospel

  • Why is it important?

    • A biblical understanding of the gospel is important because the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, and it is the only way for sinful people to be reconciled to a holy God.

    •  Not only that, but everything in a church flows from its understanding of the gospel, whether preaching, counseling, discipleship, music, evangelism, missions, and on.

4. Conversion

  • Why is it important?

    • A biblical understanding of conversion is important for churches because

    •  It clarifies how churches should exhort non-Christians—they should call non-Christians to repent of sin and trust in Christ.

    •  It reminds churches that they must rely upon God in all of their evangelistic efforts; only he can give new spiritual life.

    • It teaches churches to maintain a sharp distinction between themselves and the world. 

    • Church members’ lives should be marked by the fruit of conversion,

    • Churches should admit to baptism and the Lord’s Supper only those who show evidence of conversion.

5. Evangelism

  • What is it?

    • Evangelism is simply telling non-Christians the good news about what Jesus Christ has done to save sinners and urging them to repent and believe. In order to biblically evangelize you must:

    • Preach the whole gospel, even the hard news about God’s wrath against our sin.

    • Call people to repent of their sins and trust in Christ.

    • Make it clear that believing in Christ is costly, but worth it.

6. Membership

  • Why is it important?

    • Biblical church membership is important because the church presents God’s witness to himself in the world. It displays his glory. In the church’s membership, then, non-Christians should see in the lives of God’s changed people that God is holy and gracious and that his gospel is powerful for saving and transforming sinners.

7. Discipline

  • Why is it important?

    • Think of discipline as the stake that helps the tree grow upright, the extra set of wheels on the bicycle, or the musician’s endless hours of practice. Without discipline, we won’t grow as God wants us to. With discipline, we will, by God’s grace, bear peaceful fruit of righteousness (Heb. 12:5-11).

8. Discipleship

  • What is it?

    • Scripture teaches that a live Christian is a growing Christian (2 Pet. 1:8-10). Scripture also teaches that we grow not only by instruction, but by imitation (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1). Therefore churches should exhort their members to both grow in holiness and help others do the same.

9. Leadership

  • What is it?

    • The Bible teaches that each local church should be led by a plurality of godly, qualified men called elders.


NOTE: Values derive from 9Marks