Vision Statement:
To raise up the next generation of missionaries and ministers
for the worldwide last days harvest.
Our Core Values:
1. We value partnership
Our partnership, with both the national church in Dominican Republic and our sending church, is vital to all that we do. We believe that our transcultural ministry must be an equal partnership with the national church, and yet a real service and benefit to the vision of our national brethren. We value the spiritual authority of our sending agency AGWM as well as the Peninsular Florida and West Florida Districts of the AG. We understand that our ministry in Dominican Republic is also an extension of the missions vision of the local churches that support us and we value the implications of this kind of partnership.
2. We value the church*
Since Christ “loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Ephesians 5:25), We love the church in spite of its imperfections, pray daily for its well-being, contribute our very best to its mission and ministries, and we are willing to submit its authority, and live so its reputation in the world is positive. We believe in the indigenous church model and we have pledged to serve in such a way that our contribution to the local churches and national church of the Assemblies of God of Dominican Republic does not create dependency on foreign support.
3. We value the operation of Holy Spirit in life and ministry*
The secret to effectiveness and victory in our individual Christian lives is to live all of life sensitive and responsive to what the Holy Spirit is doing within the various contexts of our lives. Therefore, we depend upon the operation of the gifts of the Spirit not only in our ministry, but also in every aspect of our daily living.
4. We value the transforming power of the Gospel.
With the apostle Paul we can joyfully declare that we are “not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” Living and serving in the majority world, we are not untouched by the human suffering that surrounds our daily lives. Yet we are clear; preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ is primary because earthly suffering is minimal compared to eternal suffering. We know that only the Gospel offers the eradication of eternal suffering through the work of Christ on the cross. Still, we can testify from first hand experience that redeeming work of Christ also practically causes transformation in the present life of a new disciple and the society in which he lives.
5. We value evangelism & discipleship
In order our for our ministry to be effective, it must be in keeping with our individual calling and gifts, must express itself as servanthood and stewardship, must be fundamentally interpersonal in nature, and made effective through the power of the Holy Spirit. We have been called to fulfill the Great Commission and have pledged to give our lives to the proclamation of the Gospel in both word and deed and to the long-term process of discipleship of new believers.
6. We value the Bible*
The Bible contains the message that we have dedicated our lives to proclaim. We believe that the Holy Scriptures are uniquely inspired by God and completely trustworthy. They are essential to our life in Christ and they serve as our all-sufficient guide for faith and daily living.
7. We value the power of prayer.
We believe that prayer is our most valuable tool. It is powerful for bringing down strongholds, opening doors of opportunity and connecting our human efforts to the SUPERNATURAL. We understand that prayer support is MORE important than financial support and we will always work to raise up intercessors for our ministry and family life. In addition, our family make it a spiritual practice to pray for our colleagues serving around the world and for the unreached peoples of the world.
8. We value children and youth, and believe in the strategic importance of the 4/14 window.
The 4-14 Window is the golden age of opportunity to transform the world. God has called us to respond to the strategic importance of childhood and each child’s rightful place in His Kingdom. We believe that this often ignored and suffering people group can be transformed into a precious window of opportunity. In God's hands, we know that children can become agents of transformational mission under the headship of Jesus Christ.
9. We value our marriage and family*
Faithfulness and fidelity in marriage and family life are infinitely more important to us than any competing human loyalty. We believe that the purpose of our marriage is to display to the world the love of our covenant keeping Savior, and because TOGETHER we are far more effective for the advancement of the kingdom of God and making disciples. Our most important discipleship has been the four sons that God has given us. We believe that the spiritual formation of our children is our primary parental responsibility and we endeavor to help our sons to fulfill God’s purposes for their lives by our example and intentional spiritual instruction.
10. We value biblical stewardship
It is our commitment to glorify God as we stand ready to give up all our possessions and trust Him to provide for our needs; to be known for our generosity and for being “above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” (Philippians 2:15). We believe that we are called to steward both personal and ministry finances with wisdom and integrity. We will faithfully give of our first fruits in our tithe, support missionaries to unreached people groups and to children, invest in kingdom projects as the spirit leads us and gives us opportunity.
*Some of the wording in these values is copied with permission of our professor and pastor, Dr. Leroy Bartel