WHO WE ARE

Expressing gratitude and hope as a unified people through worship of God. There is something special about gathering with others to worship our God. It’s a high value and catalytic for our growth as individuals and corporately - whether online or in person, we want our people to worship God in community, not isolation.

Growing daily in relationship with Jesus and others here at Bent Tree. An innate need we all have is to be known. To be known is an invitation to initiate being discipled, knowing others, and disicipling others as well. We believe that groups will cultivate life-changing relationships at Bent Tree.

Sharing the Love of Jesus in our church, community, and around the world. As we experience the transforming love of Jesus, he leads us to live, available for him to share his love with everyone around us so that they may experience him as well. This includes serving, giving, missions, and regularly having spiritual conversations with those in our community.

We believe that the Scriptures are inspired by God, inerrant and authoritative, without error in the original writing, and the divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

We believe in one God, creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Matthew 28:19

We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, born of the virgin Mary; we believe that Christ shed his blood on the cross, dying for our sins as a substitutionary sacrifice, and that he arose bodily from the grave and ascended into heaven; we believe that individuals find salvation only through faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. We believe Jesus will return.

John 1:1-14, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Acts 1:9-11

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity, equal with God the Father and God the Son; he indwells every believer from the moment of salvation and empowers the Christian for a life that is honoring to God.

John 14:15-17, Acts 1:8

We believe that all true believers are members of the universal church, regardless of organizational affiliation.

Ephesians 2:19-22, Colossians 1:18

We value Jesus above all else because it’s Jesus who reveals the Father and sent the Spirit.

Not only a concept of Jesus - we’re inviting people to know Jesus and to experience a genuine, authentic, living relationship with him because our identity, as believers, has been relocated to be in Christ. (Hebrews 1:1-4)

The life of the believer is expressive, abiding, empowered, and transformed through the Spirit.

Is expressive: gifts are given for serving each other and meant to be shared. Is abiding: we live in the New Covenant and believe every believer is indwelt with Christ. Is empowered: given a life on mission and with purpose. Is the transformed life: expressing the fruit of the Spirit in our personal and social lives. (Galatians5:22-23)

We put an emphasis on Truth, evidenced through biblical teaching on every stage and space – Scripture is our source for teaching, not one among other resources.

We see the Spirit and Scripture connected as Jesus says that those who worship him will worship in Spirit and truth. (John 4:24)

Love makes us contributors not consumers – to serve faithfully, live generously, and see people differently. We lead with love in every relationship and bring God’s love into every space we’re invited.

We love because we’ve been loved fully, without hesitation or reservation. We’re fully loved by Christ with true love, which enables us to love God and gives us the power and ability to love others - to love them as he loves them through us - Jesus sharing his life through us to others. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

We embrace a variety of differences and celebrate the unique perspectives God gives to people through their varied experiences, backgrounds, and places in life.

We believe we are better, and more aligned with Heaven, as we gather in ethnically, politically, economically, gender, and generationally diverse gatherings.

We don’t look for uniformity in thought or action but embrace unity through our shared faith in Jesus. (Romans 15:7)

Our missional identity from Jesus is living sent. It’s who we are, not just what we do. In this, we don’t see people as projects but rather as Jesus sees them. We see this mission expressed in our workplace, with our neighbors, and into the world.

We are a sending church – intentionally sending people from Bent Tree into the world where God leads them to go, sharing his love. (John 20:21, Matthew 9:36)

Every believer is gifted (women, men, young, old, special needs, etc.). We believe the Holy Spirit is the source of gifts and continues to empowers believers today. All gifts matter equally and are all needed in the Church.

His gifts are given to encourage, edify, and for others to experience the dynamic love of Jesus as he shares through those who believe. (Ephesians 2:10)

We believe all believers are equipped with spiritual gifts that are given by the Lord for the express purpose of building up the church. These gifts are given irrespective of age, gender, race, background, or experience, and it is our conviction that these gifts be used fully for leadership and ministry. In some traditions, the roles of leadership and teaching have been reserved for men. This is not the case at Bent Tree. Here, women are encouraged to exercise their gifts freely for the edification of the church.

Resources
Statement on "Shared Leadership"

We don’t believe it is appropriate, nor biblical, to tell anyone how to vote, but we do believe it is a part of the role of the Church to help and remind us how to think in times like this. It is an incredible privilege and responsibility to participate in our democracy. Most have a political party that they feel more aligned, yet oftentimes we decide to turn a blind eye to the things within that party that are against the way of Jesus and contrary to his Kingdom. We reject political idolatry but encourage political engagement. When Christians on all sides of the political spectrum are committed to this, then we will see reformation and transformation in the political sphere in our country.

Resources
Jesus and Politics Sermon Series
Our Hope in Jesus, Not Politics

As a church, we welcome anyone seeking a relationship with Jesus and will provide biblical guidance concerning holy living for all who call Bent Tree home. As we evaluate all matters of faith and conduct with Scripture, we believe the Bible speaks to the nature of human beings and their sexuality. We desire to help everyone firmly root their core identity in their relationship with Jesus, as opposed to anywhere else, including gender or sexuality.

The Elders of Bent Tree affirm the biblical understanding of marriage as a sacred covenant between one man (created by God and born as a man) and one woman (created by God and born as a woman). We recognize where we are, culturally, and the challenges facing any conversation around marriage, gender, and sexuality. Celibacy, marriage, sexual immorality, sexual identity, sexual orientation, and sexual redemption are all addressed in Scripture.

Our approach is led by love, grace, truth, hope, and a desire for all to know they are fully loved by Jesus.

Resources
Jesus in Scriptures Sermon
Bent Tree Stance on Sexuality Video

Bent Tree affirms racial equality and justice. This belief is rooted in Scripture and the nature of God. All humans are created in God's image, reflecting their intrinsic worth. Sinful choices have led to division and death. God's story of redemption, culminating in Jesus, aims to restore unity among all people. While this ideal exists, it often falls short in culture, society, and even the Church. Bent Tree is committed to valuing people above politics, love above division, and God's truth above opinions. This requires carrying burdens, listening, learning, mourning, and working for justice and equality.

Resources
We Are One
Statement on Racial Equality
Cross Cultural Ministry

Since the beginning, Bent Tree has been committed to reaching as many as possible with the message that it’s only in Jesus that a person finds forgiveness and reconciliation with God, so that people everywhere can experience the life and love of Christ.

We are committed to transparency and empowerment in our Missions Fund. This is an entirely separate fund from our General Fund, and every dollar given to our Missions Fund goes directly to mission work here and around the world; none of it goes to staffing or overhead.

Resources
benttree.org/missions