About
Church
The book of Acts provides a historical account of the growth and expansion of the early church, and shows the Holy Spirit carrying out the mission of Jesus Christ through the Apostles. As the church grew, servants (deacons) were chosen to tend to peoples' needs so the Apostles could focus on prayer and teaching the Word of God. As the church expanded, elders were appointed to oversee the local churches and continue the work of the Apostles.
We follow the biblical model of Acts, and adhere to the authoritative wisdom shared in the epistles. Our goal is "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12), in order to fulfill our mission:
Desert Winds Community Church exists to reach unchurched people in the Antelope Valley and the unreached of the world, helping them to become fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
Members
We help members to Christian maturity by supporting them physically with Christ’s love through His called servants, nourishing them spiritually with the word of God, and building discipling relationships for continued development of a Jesus-shaped life (Discipleship).
Members commit to:
Begin
To start and help others start to follow Jesus Christ.
Belong
To connect in community and commit to each other.
Believe
To grow in our understanding of Jesus and what it means to follow Him.
Become
To be transformed in every way to reflect Jesus in our lives and to lead others.
Deacons
Our Ministering Deacons lead through service, providing an example of Christian maturity to follow. They tend to the needs of the church by maintaining the facilities, managing its use, and administering the finances. They tend to the needs of our people with hospitality and benevolence. They are peacemakers, seeking any cause of division and fostering agreement to protect the unity of our church. They support the elders by carrying out tasks necessary to allow prayer and ministry to remain their primary focus.
Their commitment is to:
Encourage
To share the love of Christ instilled in them by the Holy Spirit through acts of kindness, mercy, and peacemaking.
Enable
To enable and accelerate the mission by tending to tasks that distract from prayer and ministry of the word.
Serve
To provide for the needs of our people to allow unimpeded growth in Christian maturity.
Elders
Our Ministering Elders serve by leading. They model Christian maturity. They ensure the messages given to our people are scripturally sound, relevant to our current situation, and relevant to our mission. They administer the sacraments of baptism and communion to keep our members connected to God and spiritually healthy. They teach the Word to promote spiritual growth to Christian maturity. They shepherd God’s flock by seeking the lost, tending to the sick or injured, and correcting the errant. They pray for our church, joining Jesus in asking the Father for his grace and mercy to be given in abundance to our members.
Their commitment is to:
Teach
To help people grow in Christian maturity by exclaiming Jesus’ commands through scripture.
Protect
To guard from false teaching through vigilant monitoring, and to ensure continued obedience through administration of Christian discipline and constant prayer to the Father.
Nourish
To guard from false teaching through vigilant monitoring, and to ensure continued obedience through administration of Christian discipline and constant prayer to the Father.
Doctrine
We Believe . . .
The Bible (both Old & New Testament) is the Inspired Word of God, and is the final authority for Christian faith and living.
God exists in three persons: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit; and has revealed Himself to be perfect in love, and righteousness in all His ways, and the creator of all things.
Jesus Christ is God's eternal Son.
As true God and true man, He allowed Himself to be born of a virgin, taught us how to live through His sinless life, was crucified as a sacrifice for our sins, arose bodily from the dead, was seen by over 500 persons, and returned to Heaven to prepare a place for us.
Men and women were created in God's image, tempted by Satan and rebelled against God.
Through the repentance and personal faith in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven our sins, reborn by the Holy Spirit, and we become children of God.
The Holy Spirit persuades us to repent of our sins and confess Jesus as Lord.
He lives in us, teaches us, and enables us to live godly lives.
The Church is the Living Body of Christ on earth; Christ is its head and the source of its life.
The body is composed of those who have received Him as Savior and Lord.
The church exists to celebrate the life of God, cultivate personal growth in Christ, care about one another in Christ, and communicate Christ to the world.
Jesus Christ will return to earth to raise the dead, judge the world, and establish His glorious Kingdom. This is the hope of the church and its encouragement for ministry.
Those who have been reborn will be with Him forever.
See the Apostles’ Creed, The Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, The Heidelberg Catechism, The Belgic Confession, and The Canons of Dort for a more in-depth theological understanding of what we believe.