A Vision for the Alston Road Church (formerly the Alief Church)

Fully recognizing our shortcomings, we hold this vision of what we should be and what we want to be:

Committed

-- a church where every member is committed to serve the Lord Jesus

Our allegiance is first and foremost to the Lord, above all else. We demonstrate that allegiance to our Lord by the way we live each day.

Worshipful

-- a church that praises and worships God heartily

We express our praise and worship to God not only in the way we live our lives, but through collective praise, meditation on God's word, and the remembrance of our Lord's death. We gladly meet frequently and consistently to offer praise to God.

Loving

-- a church that is truly a family

We welcome every committed disciple into our fellowship, irrespective of spiritual maturity or background. We treat each other like family - demonstrating our love for each other in how we interact and taking the time to know each other. We take care of - and depend on - each other.

Growing and Learning

-- a church where every member is growing and helping others grow

We recognize that the life of every disciple is one of continuous growth. We possess both the desire and the willingness to grow by following after truth rather than tradition. We welcome and foster open dialog in the pursuit of truth. We value learning from each other. We recognize our responsibility to be both teacher and learner as the occasion demands, and therefore seek both to build up and to be built up by interactions with others in the group.

Serving

-- a church where every member uses his particular talents to serve others

We recognize that each one of us has a gift from God which should be used to serve the needs of others, whether in the assemblies or outside of them. We are each committed to serving God whenever and wherever He calls us to service, and committed to doing our part for the good of the body. Those who are more mature in the gospel serve by understanding and exercising good leadership.

Evangelistic

-- a church that reaches out warmly to unbelievers

We are active in reaching out not only to those in our community, but also to people around the world. We have a genuine desire for all people to willingly pursue salvation by honoring Jesus as the Christ and their Lord.