ABOUT US

Love God, Love Others, Make Disciples

What we believe, our core values, and our mission in the Kingdom.

<span style="letter-spacing: 0.2rem;">PRAIRIE GROVE CHRISTIAN CHURCH</span>

PRAIRIE GROVE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Our Story

Our story began in 1885 when a small group of faithful believers began meeting on the corner of Kate Smith and Bush Streets in downtown Prairie Grove, AR. The name at that time was First Christian Church. It was part of the American Restoration Movement of churches that were seeking to bring unity within Christianity by calling people back to the basics of the Bible. The church had a solid foundation and a commitment to proclaiming the Word and serving the community. 

In the 1980s, the church began to experience significant growth and the leadership cast a vision to serve even more people by developing a dynamic ministry toward children, youth, and families. In 1993 this growing band of believers took a huge step of faith and purchased eight acres of land that at that time was out on the edge of the city limits. In 1994 we moved to our location here at 611 Wayne Villines Rd and built our present auditorium, classrooms and gym. Along with the move came a change of name to Prairie Grove Christian Church. Since that time, we have been blessed to expand the campus to include an additional eight acres along with constructing dedicated ministry areas for children and youth. As the city has grown it became clear that God was strategically locating us along a major thoroughfare allowing us to serve all of the communities of Western Washington County.

God has continued to bless us with growth and we are holding true to our roots as an independent, non-denominational congregation that lifts up Christ and stays faithful to the Bible as the Word of God. We work to cooperate with other churches, to participate in the universal church’s task of making Spirit-led disciples of Jesus Christ, and to serve as a moral light to the community. We believe it is now our time to write the next chapter of faith. We pray you will join us.

OUR VISION

Our vision is to restore hope in the lives of all people who are far from God by bringing them into a dynamic growing relationship with Jesus Christ. 

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to Love God, Love Others, and Make Disciples.

WHAT SHAPES US

Our Values

What God wants us to emphasize:

We will welcome all people just as they are without having to “clean-up” before coming to Christ and help them grow into all God wants them to be.

We will hold the Bible above us as our authority while striving to help everyone understand it.

We will use our influence to share the love of Jesus with all those God brings into our path believing everyone can reach someone.

We will promote discipleship by moving people into healthy relational small group environments designed to connect people to God, others, and service.

We will humbly serve others locally and globally in as many hands-on practical ways as possible in order to demonstrate the love of Jesus for all.

We will joyfully share our time, talent and treasure for Kingdom purposes because God has been so radically generous to us.

We will share God’s love to close the gap in broken relationships and connect people to God and each other.

We will work to strengthen marriages and partner with parents and caregivers to create healthy home environments.

At Prairie Grove Christian Church, we strive to live by one motto: Love God, Love Others, Make Disciples.
 We want to fulfill the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)

OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH

What We Believe

  • We believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of all things visible and invisible. (Gen. 1:1; Matt. 5:16,45; 6:1,4,8-9; Heb. 11:3; Acts 17:24-28; James 1:17)

  • We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the eternal Word, the one and only Savior. (John 1:1,14,29; 3:16; Philippians 2:6-11; Colossians 1:15-19; I John 4:9)

  • Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, both fully human and fully divine; Who lived a sinless life; Who suffered and was crucified as an atonement for sin; Who rose again bodily from the dead on the third day; Who ascended into Heaven; and Who will return in victory to rule forever. (Luke 1:26-35; Col. 2:9; Heb. 4:15; Rom. 5:15-17; Luke 22:47-24:53; John 20:24-29; I Cor. 15:3-8; Acts 1:1-9; Col. 3:1; Rev. 1:7-8; 11:15)

  • We believe in the Holy Spirit.
    Who convicts of sin; Who indwells every Christian; Who helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us in prayer; and Who empowers us to a fruitful Christian life. (John 16:8; I Cor. 3:16; 6:19; II Tim. 1:14; Rom. 8:26; Gal. 5:22-23)
  • We believe God inspired the original writings of the Scripture and those original writings were consequently without error. (Mark 12:36; John 14:26; 16:12-15; Acts 1:16; I Cor. 2:12-13; II Tim. 3:14-16; II Peter 1:20-21)

  • We believe that the Bible is the final authority for all matters of faith, truth, morality, and Christian living. (Isa. 4:8; Ps. 119:11,105; Matt. 5:18;24:35; Rom. 15:4)

  • We believe the Bible teaches that God is the Creator and Sustainer of human life; that God creates each person in His image; and that life is therefore sacred, from conception to natural death. We believe that God creates each person as male or female; that these two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the “image of God” in humankind; and that each person’s biological gender is an intrinsic, immutable aspect of his or her nature and identity. (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7, 21-22; Ps. 139:13-18)

  • We believe the Bible teaches that God established marriage in the beginning as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one man and one woman; that He has reserved sexual intimacy as an expression of love and commitment between married couples; and that any intimate expression of sexuality outside of Biblical marriage is sin. (Gen. 2:23-25; Ex. 20:14,17; Lev. 18:1-20, 22-23, 20:11-21; Matt. 19:4-6, 9; Rom. 1:18-31; I Cor. 6:9-11, 15-20; I Tim. 1:8-11; Jude 7)
  • That man, created by God, willfully sinned against God and is consequently lost and without hope apart from Jesus Christ. (Isa. 53:6; Acts 4:12; Rom. 3:23)

  • That salvation—the forgiveness of sins—is only by grace through the blood of Jesus Christ. (Matt. 26:28; Rom 5:9; Eph. 2:8-9; I Peter 1:18-19; I John 1:7)

  • That one receives salvation by putting faith in Christ, repenting of sin, and confessing Christ, and that the Bible commands every believer in Christ to be baptized by immersion; (Matt. 28:18-20; Rom 5:1-2, 10:9; Eph. 2:8-9; Acts 2:38; 3:19; Gal. 3:27; Col. 2:12; I Pet. 3:21)

  • That those who have received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ are sent into the world to proclaim the gospel and to love and serve the world just as Jesus Himself did. (II Cor. 5:11-21; Eph. 2:10; Matt. 28:18-20; Jn. 20:21)
  • We believe the Bible teaches that every Christian should be an active member of a local church. (Heb. 10:24-25)

  • We believe that the Elders of the church are the overseers of its affairs and the shepherds of its members; that they are the final interpretive authority of the Bible’s meaning and application for the church; and that they are responsible for the oversight, instruction, edification, discipline, and restoration of church members. (I Pet. 5:1-4; Titus 1:9,2:1-15; Heb. 13:17; Matt. 18:15-17; Gal. 6:1; I Cor. 5:11-13)
  • Use our natural abilities and spiritual gifts to serve one another. (Rom. 12; I Pet. 4:10; Gal. 5:13)

  • Love one another, bear with one another, accept one another, and forgive one another. (John 13:34-35; 15:17; I John 4:7; Rom. 13:8, 15:7; Eph. 4:2,32; Col. 3:14;

  • Seek unity, agreement, and peace with one another. (Rom. 12:16-18; I Thess. 5:13; Phil. 2:2; II Cor. 13:11)

  • Encourage and build up one another. (I Thess. 5:11)

  • Bear one another’s burdens and pray for one another. (Gal. 6:2; James 5:16)

  • Spur one another to love and good deeds. (Heb. 10:4)

  • Submit to the authority of the elders of the church. (Heb. 13:17)

  • Support the church financially. (II Cor. 8:7; I Tim. 5:17-18)

  • Pursue personal holiness and obedience to God’s Word. (II Cor. 7:1; I Thess. 4:17; I Pet. 1:15)

  • Strive together to fulfill the Great Commission. (Matt. 28:18-20)