Our vision for worship is to lift up Jesus Christ as the center of our lives, our church, and our ministry, and to pursue passionately Jesus Himself, His Word and His Spirit.
Arise Worship Is Christ-Centered. Based on the words of Jesus, “But I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Me” (John 12:32).
- Worship is Presence-focused, because exalting the presence of Jesus Christ draws people to Him. In the words of A.W. Tozer, “The presence of God is more important than the program.” We nurture an atmosphere in which God can manifest His presence in powerful and tangible ways.
- Worship is drawing near to God. We seek to lead people into the heights and depths of worship, into the Holiest of Holies, the chamber room of the King of Kings, the place of intimate communion with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Arise Worship is Biblically-Based. Word, worship, and Spirit go hand-in-hand. We teach biblical truth as the gold standard for life and doctrine (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 4:12). “Devoted to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42), it is our desire to passionately pursue the Word of God like the Bereans: “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11). We practice this through Word-based expository messages with practical applications on Sunday mornings, Bible studies during the week, intentional discipleship/ mentoring ministries, and encouraging daily personal Bible reading and study.
Arise Worship is Life-Encompassing. All of life is worship. Scripture does not divide between the sacred and the secular. As the Word and worship go hand-in-hand, we look to the Scriptures for biblical patterns and practices of worship. Biblical worship includes the following:
- Worship is a way of life. Worship is a daily way of life: Thinking, eating & drinking, sleeping/rest, working at your job, doing things with excellence, playing/enjoying life, giving, spending money wisely, and serving God are all acts of worship. “Whether then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
- Worship involves the whole person. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). And so, we encourage the entire range of biblical practices of raising hands, kneeling, bowing prostrate, clapping, shouting, dancing, waving banners, expressing emotion, and being still before God.
Arise Worship is Spirit-led. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24).
- Worship exercises the gifts of the Spirit. We believe in and encourage appropriate exercise of all of the gifts, manifestations, and ministries of the Spirit with discernment to build up believers and as signs to unbelievers (1 Corinthians 12:3-10; 14:26; Mark 16:16-20).
- Worship blends old and new in the Spirit. Jesus said, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old” (Matthew 13:52). We thus blend together the old and new treasures of worship—ancient worship songs and practices and new worship songs and practices, both inspired by the Spirit.