ATLAS exists to help those in our county who are hurting or in need by providing a welcoming place of contact, assessing needs, providing resources to meet needs and develop skills, referring to other professional services as needed, sharing Jesus as the way to life and lasting change and providing a connection to a local church. Our Statement of Faith
We are called by God to partner with everyone
He brings to us so that we might bring the very presence of Jesus Christ to the hurting and lost. Understanding this, we are devoted to work side by side with all people who are committed to helping others attain truth, love, and self-control. We believe that people will attain truth, love, and self-control through the power and love of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we want everyone we work with to understand our core beliefs. We believe in one eternal God who has revealed Himself in the persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Deut. 6:4; Mt. 28:19)
We believe the Bible is the true and inspired Word of God, and that it is without error in all that it affirms. We believe God's Word is our one authority for the practice of life and faith. (Is. 55:11; 2 Tim. 3:16)
We believe that the historical Jesus of Nazareth is the Lord and Savior of all humanity and that He is fully God and fully man. We believe Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary and that He lived a perfect and sinless life. We believe He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead to pay for our sins and give us eternal life and that He now sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven. (Mt. 1:18; John 1:1, 14; Heb. 9:11-15)
We believe there is only one Name given under heaven and earth by which people might be saved, and that Jesus Christ is the one way to have a relationship with the God of eternity. (John 14:6; Acts 4:12)
We believe God has called us to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with all people. We believe every person must understand the following truths: eternal life is a free gift of grace, all people are sinners in need of grace, God is loving but He is also just and will punish sin, therefore, God sent Jesus Christ into creation to take upon himself the punishment for our sin, and that all who believe in Jesus Christ with their whole heart and mind and confess their faith in him will be saved. (Matt. 28:19-20; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 1 John 4:8; Ex. 34:7; John 6:47)
We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives. The Holy Spirit comes to guide, sanctify, convict, and grow each believer in Christ's likeness and to lead the lost into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe God has called us in prayer to intercede for our communities, our churches, our leaders, and our world. (Gen. 18:16-33; 1 Thess. 5:17; James 5:16)
We believe Jesus Christ established the Church so that through it He might proclaim the love of God to all the peoples of the earth. We exist to serve the Church in her mission to share the love of God. We believe that all Christians are called by God to be active participants in a local church by sharing in the mission of Jesus Christ in that church and participating in the fellowship of believers. (Gen. 12:1-3; Eph. 4:11-16)
We believe God has called us to equip believers in Jesus Christ to disciple all people and that we have a responsibility to work for justice and reconciliation in all aspects of our community. (Mt. 25:31-46)
We believe the return of Jesus Christ is imminent, and therefore, every Christian should resolutely determine to be about the work of the Kingdom of God. (Matt. 24:22-24
Core Values
The following non-negotiable core principles comprise the very heart of ATLAS Group and are the foundational principles upon which each new ATLAS will be developed:
1. Christ-Centered
Luke 19 states, "Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost." Following in Christ's footsteps, ATLAS Group and each community it has the privilege of working along side will focus on helping the hurting and lost find redemption, restoring broken relationships and uniting the body of believers. John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." John 15;4-5 "Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
2. Prayer-Based
ATLAS group seeks to "Go where Christ is working." That being said we need to be in constant prayer and communion with God to discern His will and direction for our ministry. Each team member is greatly encouraged to make prayer a part of their workday. I Thessalonians 5: 17-18 "Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with all thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
3. Spirit-Led
We feel strongly that the impact of ATLAS Group relies solely on the Holy Spirit providing the needed wisdom and counsel to transform lives and communities. God tells us in His Word that it is "neither might nor human power, but by His Spirit that great things will be done." Zechariah 4:6
II Corinthians 4:7 "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." Isaiah 61: 1-4 "The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all those who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."
4. Grounded in Mentoring
God demonstrates the importance of living in community and relationship with others by giving us the example of Jesus' ministry. Jesus was willing to go off His intended path to invest in those people who needed him. In the book Connecting, Larry Crabb writes, "There is power in community. It is the power of connection, of entering someone's life with the energy of Christ, of seeing someone's heart with the mind of Christ, of touching someone's soul with the love of Christ." Galatians 6:2 "Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." I Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
5. Inter-Denominational
Christ's body refers to the entire body of believers, not just one particular denomination. It is crucial for the effectiveness and sustainability of ATLAS to work hard at connecting with each Christ-centered church in the community, making sure there is representation on our board from different churches and that we are keeping each congregation informed about the work and progress of ATLAS. We must seek to be unified for the sake of advancing the Kingdom. Ephesians 4:12-13 "To prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." I Corinthians 1:10 "I appeal to you brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." Ephesians 4: 3-5 "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
