Snyder Memorial Mission Statement:
Our Mission Statement tells you what kind of congregation you will find
at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church:
Hearts United in Loving God, Sharing Christ and Serving Others
We are a congregation that is united in love for God and one another.
We believe in sharing our faith in Jesus Christ with all who are willing
to hear our message of hope and salvation. We also put our faith in action
by serving others, not just one another.
We are, most importantly, a Christian congregation. We believe
that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and our Lord and Savior.
We are evangelical, which means we stress the importance of a
personal faith in Jesus Christ and in the authority of the Bible.
We are also Baptist, which means that we only baptize those who
have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and we baptize
them by immersion. If you would like to know more about our basic
beliefs, we invite you to read the eleven Core Values that follow:
Core Values:
Faith in Jesus Christ
Faith in Jesus Christ is the basis of our religious belief and the primary
requirement for church membership. There are three basic aspects of our
faith: 1) Faith in Jesus Christ is how we are saved; 2) Faith motivates
us to act; and 3) Faith is our primary source of strength for daily life.
Faith is the means by which we receive personal salvation through Jesus
Christ. Ephesians 2:8 states: “For it is by grace you have been
saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift
of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
We believe that Jesus Christ, who came into this world in human form
as a baby, is the Son of God. He lived among his friends and enemies
as a prophet, teaching and preaching the word of God. Having lived a
sinless life, he died for our sins on a cross, was buried, resurrected
from the dead, and has returned to live with God in heaven. Faith in
Christ is both intellectual belief and personal trust in him. Those who
believe and trust will be saved eternally.
Faith in Christ motivates us to act. The Bible tells us that our faith
should motivate us to do good works. The book of James says that our
faith is made complete by what we do after we have received Christ as
our Savior. It asks, what good is it if a man claims to have faith but
has no deed? Faith unaccompanied by action is dead, so we are motivated
to express our faith by giving of ourselves to serve others and grow
in Christ-likeness.
Finally, our faith is our primary source of strength for daily life.
In knowing and personally accepting the promises and truths in the Bible,
we are better prepared to stand firm against any evil, temptation, or
ungodly situation in our lives. We are also strengthened to stand for
the truth and those things which are godly. We believe our church is
a place where people are encouraged to grow in faith through a complete
reliance on God for everything in life.
“We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ
to take away our sins” (Romans 3:22, NLT).
Prayer
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At Snyder Memorial Baptist Church, our prayer life is Christ-centered,
meaning we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. This gives us the ability
to communicate spiritually in a one-to-one relationship directly with
God.
Our prayers reflect our love for God. Out of this love for God and a
desire to deepen our relationship with him, we pray in an authentic and
intentional manner. We pray consistently and diligently, as we seek his
guidance and will for others as well as for ourselves.
If we intend to live complete and fulfilled lives, we must be people
of prayer. Prayer is a right, a privilege, a joy, and an act of worship.
It undergirds every aspect of our lives and is a basis for our spiritual
growth. Prayer is the power source for our lives and our church’s
ministries.
“Rejoice in the Lord always…Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God” (Philippians 4:4 & 6, NIV).
Worship
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Our worship of God is Christ-centered with the purpose of praising, honoring,
and glorifying Him as we seek to share with others the message of salvation,
repentance, and baptism. We express our devotion, reverence, and love
through Biblical teaching and preaching, meditation, music, and prayer.
The Sunday morning services strive to promote and maintain excellence
in both the contemporary worship, A New Way , and the traditional worship,
with the same message delivered by our pastor in both services. The contemporary
worship is more casual and features contemporary music with a vocal praise
team and musicians, dramatic interpretations, and audio-visual aids such
as power point presentations and clips from motion pictures. In the traditional
worship, our minister of music and church choir lead our music, accompanied
by an organist and pianist. The children’s and youth choirs, men’s
and women’s vocal ensembles, hand bells, and orchestra frequently
contribute. This worship service is broadcast live over radio station
WFNC 640 AM. Sign language and hearing aids are also available.
Our church observes the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Baptism by immersion is conducted in the sanctuary for those who have
joined the church by coming forward at the end of either of the worship
services and indicating they have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal
Savior. The Lord’s Supper is celebrated in both services and is
available to all church members, non-members, and guests who have personally
accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Our worship services are led by our ministerial staff and lay leaders.
Both men and women serve in leadership positions as deacons.
“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know
that the Lord is God. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with
praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm 100:2 & 4,
NIV).
Studying and Teaching God’s Word—the Bible
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God has uniquely revealed himself in the Bible—his written Word
or message. We believe that all Scripture is inspired by God and that
God uses it to communicate with us. Coming from God, it is a perfect
message and absolutely our highest authority. For this reason, we seek
numerous opportunities to study and teach the Bible.
We place the reading of Scripture at the center of our worship and expect
all sermons to be based upon it.
Every member should actively participate in the study of Scripture through
Sunday School classes. These classes are led by our ministerial staff
and volunteer teachers, both men and women, who strive to help every
class member understand how the Bible can reveal God’s will and
purpose for our lives.
In addition to Sunday School, we also offer more advanced Bible studies
during Wednesday night Discipleship Training and through small group
Bible studies held at various times.
We continually encourage members to use their gifts of teaching to lead
these various Bible study groups. Our ministerial staff also regularly
offers classes, seminars, and conferences to help more members become
competent Bible teachers.
Every member should study God’s word privately and also with other
Christians, so we can help one another more accurately understand it
and apply it to our lives. Everyone should read the Bible with an open
mind and open heart. We understand that genuine Christians may occasionally
differ in their interpretations of Scripture, but we believe that, accurately
interpreted, both the Old and New Testaments point to Jesus Christ as
the Son of God and our Savior. Scripture is also most accurately understood
when it is interpreted through Christ. We only become more like Christ
as we study God’s word faithfully and carefully, always looking
first for ways in which God wants to use our study to change us from
within.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly
equipped for every good work”
(2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV).
Spiritual Gifts
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The Bible teaches that God equips all believers with various spiritual
gifts. This occurs as an act of God’s grace, when the Holy Spirit
transforms our talents and abilities into tools God uses to build his
kingdom and accomplish the mission of Christ’s church.
Specifically, the New Testament teaches that there are many different
spiritual gifts, which God apportions to each as he chooses and according
to his perfect will. Examples of these gifts include preaching, teaching,
administration, encouragement, faithfulness, mercy, and service of all
kinds. No one receives all the spiritual gifts available from God, but
every believer receives at least one and possibly more. Fulfilling God’s
purpose for our lives requires that we discover, develop, and wisely
use our spiritual gifts for his glory.
Discovering our gifts is of paramount importance. As we grow in our faith,
our spiritual gifts are revealed to us through worship, prayer, Bible
study, spiritual formation, fellowship, and service. Often, the very
things we are most passionate about help reveal our spiritual gifts.
We encourage all believers to discover their spiritual gifts and use
them in service to others.
Because our spiritual gifts come directly from God, there is no such
thing as an unnecessary or useless spiritual gift. Therefore, developing
our spiritual gifts means putting them to use. In this way we unleash
our love into action. Realizing this, we provide an abundance of opportunities
for members to use their gifts, such as worship services, Sunday school
classes, Operation Inasmuch, and other ongoing ministries and missions.
Using our spiritual gifts is essential to the formation of our character.
Just as our spiritual gifts signify God’s trust in us, using them
wisely to accomplish His purposes beautifully expresses our spiritual
maturity and faithfulness to His calling. Therefore, communicating the
truth of God’s word and the unconditional love of Jesus Christ,
through the wise and passionate use of our spiritual gifts, is God’s
unique strategy for building our relationships with Him and with one
another. In this, we believe God is glorified and greatly pleased.
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s
gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving,
let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let
him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously;
if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let
him do it cheerfully” (Romans 12: 6-8, NIV).
Discipleship
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When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we enter into a personal
relationship with Him as we seek to become more Christ-like ourselves.
Discipleship is growing in our Christian relationship with God and others
through studying, learning, and sharing God’s word. The process
of becoming a disciple can be described as our Spiritual Formation visualized
by the shape of a cross. A cross includes both a vertical and a horizontal
beam. The vertical beam points upward from the ground toward God, representing
the growth that we experience as we draw closer to Him through prayer,
worship, and Bible study. The horizontal beam extends outward, representing
the growth we experience as we draw closer to others by extending ourselves
to them through the service of ministries and missions.
Sunday School classes and Wednesday night Discipleship Training classes
focus on this process as we engage in in-depth Bible study and other
studies to help us grow spiritually stronger.
“A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so
you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another” (John 13:34-35, NIV).
Stewardship
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God created everything that exists and, therefore, rightfully owns it
all. Because God created us and is the owner of all of our tangible possessions
and intangible resources, we honor Him by giving a portion of these gifts
back to Him. When we wisely use God’s possessions, we prove that
God can trust us. As stewards or managers of God’s possessions,
we regularly and generously give our money to support the ministries
of our church, both locally and throughout the world.
Stewardship is a continual sacrifice of our time, gifts, and talents
to serve our fellow beings as God would have us do. We must be intentional,
consistent, and committed, as this behavior reflects our proper attitude
toward God. Jesus affirmed the Old Testament standard of giving a tithe
(1/10) of our income to God’s work. Our intention is to ground
our giving in conviction rather than obligation or impulse. “Each
of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
There is no true worship of God without the dispossession of self. Our
Heavenly Father has entrusted His resources to us in order that we might
experience the same pleasure in giving that He has known. We are to utilize
our resources as avenues of service. To love others by extending one’s
concern and resources in appropriate and helpful ways is equivalent to
extending the same to God.
Blessings such as social status, financial wealth, and other forms of
position are not merely to be enjoyed and pursued for one’s own
benefit. They are opportunities to benefit others. We encourage you to
serve those around you today with the gifts that are yours from God.
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly
or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make
all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that
you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8, NIV).
Unity
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We believe that unity is a hallmark of a healthy church and essential
for Christian spiritual growth. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers, enables,
and transforms us from a diverse group of believers into a unified fellowship,
committed and dedicated to carrying out the ministry of Jesus Christ
in the world. While many key factors contribute to unity within our church,
we believe several are primary.
First and foremost, unity occurs when we agree on the essentials of our
faith. We believe there is one Lord, who is Jesus Christ, one faith,
one baptism, and one God, who is our Father and Creator of all. Therefore,
because we are all saved in the same way –
on the basis of what Christ did for us on the cross – we are unified
in our relationship to God and toward one another.
Secondly, unity is a natural outgrowth of our desire to love one another,
as Christ first loved us. Just as we willingly submit to the Lordship
of Jesus Christ, we eagerly submit to one another with humility and compassion.
We value unity and choose not to jeopardize it by selfish behavior and
hurtful comments. By remaining open and fully receptive to the opinions
of one another, honest disagreements are handled face-to-face, remembering
we
can lovingly disagree about nonessential doctrine.
Lastly, unity in the body of Christ fulfills his will for us and energizes
us to accomplish our spiritual purpose. Christ himself prayed that we
would become one with Him, just as He is one with God. in unity shouts
to the world that we belong to God!
If our church is to fulfill her mission in the world, we must be unified.
And if we are truly unified, we will reflect a genuine likeness to Jesus
Christ, which will honor and glorify God.
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of
peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to
one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one
God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians
4: 3-6, NIV).
“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together unity” (Psalm
133:1 NIV).
Fellowship
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The word “fellowship” refers to the closeness that exists
in our church, based on the fact that our members all share in common
a personal faith in Jesus Christ. The New Testament uses the word “fellowship” translated
from the Greek word koinonia to describe the 1st Century Church.
It captures fully the essence of the relationship of the early church
members to their community and to one another. Like the believers of
the early church, our members enjoy participating in each other’s
lives. It is then a friendly association that demonstrates that we truly
love one another, as Christ commanded. We do things together, such as
group Bible study, competing together on our church softball team, or
just sharing in one another’s triumphs and sufferings. We experience
God’s love through other believers and find that their presence
creates a sweet, sweet spirit among us.
Our Christian fellowship can only exist when there is first an individual
fellowship with God through the Holy Spirit. The spirit of koinonia,
then, comes from within and is a matter of the heart. On that basis,
true fellowship that honors God is redemptive, unconditional, and nonjudgmental.
It is not selfish or puffed up with pride and arrogance. It celebrates
diversity—diversity of physical qualities; racial, social, or ethnic
background; and spiritual gifts—while at the same time promoting
unity. Individual service and participation are undergirded in a loving,
warm, and nurturing environment. We strive to provide a fellowship that
accepts one’s spiritual gifts on the basis of God-given grace.
We believe our church is effective because of our commitment to fellowship.
While it provides the framework for how our members worship and serve
together, it also creates an inviting atmosphere for our guests. It is
our sincere hope that anyone who enters our doors would sense this fellowship
and feel welcome at Snyder.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyday they continued to meet together
in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with
glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.
And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts
2:42 & 46, NIV).
Service Through Missions and Ministries
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We encourage every person to find a way to serve God. The primary objective
of the acts of service carried out through missions and ministries is
to honor God by showing His love to each other and to others who may
or may not be affiliated with the church in any way. We serve one another
in our church through ministries such as teaching, making music, working
with children or youth, serving on committees, and/or participating in
ministry teams. This same type of service performed away from our church
is referred to as missions, whether it is in North Carolina , another
state, or another country.
This Christian service reflects our desire to become humble servants
with the attitude of nurturing, sharing, giving, and serving others.
It is also a means of helping develop the spiritual potential of other
human beings as we share the love of Christ and encourage them to believe
in Him as their Lord and Savior.
In our history, Snyder Memorial Baptist Church has launched many innovative
ministries that have reached into the community, such as the Singing
Christmas Tree and Operation Inasmuch. In fact, Operation Inasmuch has
become an international mission project. Information regarding other
ministries can be obtained from the church office.
In addition to our local ministries, financial support is also given
to mission programs and missionaries who serve within the United States
and overseas.
“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty and ye gave
me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I
was sick and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. And the King
shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have
done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me”
(Matthew 25:35-36 & 40, KJV).
Outreach and Evangelism
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We fulfill the Great Commission that Jesus gave to His disciples when
he said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew
28:19-20). Our approach to evangelism is based on this command and also
on the fact that He loved us so much that He died on the cross for us
and for others. Since we have received His love through faith in Christ,
we want to tell others about His love and let them know how to receive
it themselves.
We reach out to all people in the greater Fayetteville area who do not
have a local church. We invite them to visit our congregation and encourage
them to join and grow closer to Christ through our ministries. We do
not try to draw active members away from other local churches but only
reach out to those who are not currently attending any church.
Just as Jesus called people to believe in Him, so we
also introduce nonbelievers to Jesus Christ and find effective ways to
encourage them to accept Him as Lord and Savior. We tell and show them
how to develop a personal relationship with Christ that will last a lifetime.
Our freedom to share our faith with others is based on the principle
of religious freedom in America . We honor the freedom of others to believe
or reject the gospel, and never try to coerce them to faith. Jesus encouraged
faith in His listeners but never coerced them. We follow His example.
We use outreach and evangelism to break down the barriers that divide
people such as race, socio-economic status, language, and ethnicity.
Truly in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male
nor female, for we are all one in Christ (Galatians 3:28).
“The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.…So go
and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of
the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that
I have taught you” (Luke 19:10 and Matthew 28:19-20, NCV).
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