Distinctives – Ashland Community Church

We exist to treasure and spread a passion for the supremacy of Christ in all things for the joy of
all peoples.

The following distinctives help us pursue our mission faithfully:

Christ-Centered
Christ is the focal point of human history and God’s revelation (Luke 24:13–35; John 5:39; Eph.
1:10; Col. 1:16). Therefore, he must be the focus of our lives, ministry, and worship, both as
individual Christians and as the gathered church. All earthly loyalties are subservient to our
ultimate allegiance to Christ as Lord. We are both saved and sanctified by Christ. The good
news of Christ as the crucified, resurrected, and ascended King shapes every aspect of our lives.

Historically Baptist
Ashland Community Church, though autonomous, exists in friendly cooperation with the
Southern Baptist Convention. As Baptists, historically defined, we enthusiastically affirm
regenerate church membership, believer’s baptism, congregational church polity, and religious
freedom.

Means of Grace
God has appointed certain instruments by which the Holy Spirit enables believers to receive
Christ and his benefits. In our worship gatherings, we practice expository preaching (verse-by-
verse, through the Bible) and weekly Lord’s Supper observance. Expository preaching ensures
that we receive the whole counsel of God and invites God’s word to set the agenda for his
church. Our expository preaching also magnifies Christ as the focus of both Old and New
Testaments. We observe the Lord’s Supper weekly because we want the gospel to be as
tangible as possible for our members. For more on weekly communion, click here.

Community
The church is not a building, nor is it a worship service. The church is the gathered community
of Christ’s redeemed people. The Bible describes the church as a family, the household of God
(Eph. 2:19), as well as the bride (Eph. 5:32) and body (1 Cor. 12:27) of Christ. The Bible reminds
us that we need one another to fulfill Christ’s calling on our lives. We, therefore, reject the
individualism of our age and strive to live in dependence on one another.

Missions
Christ calls his church to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19). At Ashland, we believe
that the whole church must together pursue this call. Each member of Christ’s body has a role
to play in sacrificing to make Christ known where he is not yet known. Whether by praying,
giving, going, or welcoming, we are committed to bearing witness to the crucified, resurrected,
and ascended Christ.

Gospel Implications
As we proclaim the gospel, we also live out the implications of the gospel where God has placed
us. The gospel does not simply clarify how to avoid hell and final judgment, it speaks to every
life issue in every age. Below are some of the implications of the gospel in our current age:
* Because we have been spiritually adopted by God’s sovereign grace through Christ, we
are committed to caring for the orphan and building a culture of adoption in our church.
* Because Jesus has won the victory of life over death, we stand for life universally and
oppose abortion.
* Because Christ has made us spiritually rich, we care for the poor.
* Because Christ has torn down the dividing wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile, we
oppose every form of superiority based on race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or
cultural favoritism.