The Kingdom of God submits to the rule and reign of Jesus Christ. Wherever the will of God is being done, the Kingdom is manifested. We are to "seek first the Kingdom of God" so that His will might be done "on earth as it is in Heaven." In order to pursue God's Kingdom, you must first KNOW JESUS.
A disciple is a follower of Jesus who hears and obeys what He has taught and as the Holy Spirit leads. Each disciple is a "citizen" of God’s Kingdom. We help equip disciples by encouraging everyone to
JOIN A GROUP and
SERVE ON A TEAM.
Society consists of various domains where people live and work. Our primary place of service is the domain in which God has placed us every day. Disciples, then, serve as ambassadors for God’s Kingdom to the world that others may come to know Him. We provide training and opportunities so you can ENGAGE YOUR WORLD.
The Church is God’s people, a spiritual family. We are His agent of transformation in the world and the display case for His greatness. Jesus said, "... I will build my Church," and He does this by drawing people to Himself who are far from God. Church is the result of kingdom-minded disciples engaging society.
God is the One and Only True God, Sovereign Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God, the Holy Trinity. (Genesis 1:1,26,27, 3:22 | Psalm 90:2 | Matthew 28:19 | 1 Peter 1:2)
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ born of a virgin, lived a sinless human life and, by dying on the cross, offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all who would believe in Him. On the third day, He arose from the dead, demonstrating His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to Earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Matthew 1:22,23 | Isaiah 9:6 | John 1:1-15, 3:16,17 | John 14:10-30 | Hebrews 4:14,15 | 1 Corinthians 15:3,4 | Romans 1:3,4 | Acts 1:9-11 | 1 Timothy 6:14,15 | Titus 2:13)
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, conviction of sin and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer at least one spiritual gift when they are saved. By continually being filled with the Spirit Christians seek to live daily under His control. 2 Corinthians 3:17 | John 14:16,17 | John 16:7-13 | Acts 1:8 | 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16 | Ephesians 1:13 | Galatians 5:25 | Ephesians 5:18)
The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for all Christian beliefs and living. God’s Word supersedes all human guidelines. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error. It is inerrant (without error in its original form). (2 Timothy 3:16 | 2 Peter 1:20,21 | 2 Timothy 1:13 | Psalm 12:6 | Psalm 119:105,160 | Proverbs 30:5)
Salvation is God’s free gift to us but we must believe in Jesus to receive it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. When we agree with God that we are separated from Him by sin and we believe (place our faith) in Jesus Christ, we are saved by grace. Only by believing that as God’s provision Jesus Christ died for us and rose from the dead can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. Eternal life begins the moment someone by faith believes in Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:23 | Ephesians 2:8,9 | John 1:12 | John 14:6 | Titus 3:5 | Galatians 3:26 | Romans 5:1)
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper. (Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 3:23; Acts 2:41; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12)
After Jesus, our Elders and Pastorsare the senior leaders of the church. Elders are the senior male leaders of the church who are also synonymously called “pastors,” “bishops,” and “overseers” throughout the New Testament. Elders are men chosen for their ministry according to clear biblical requirements. Acts 20:28 | Ephesians 4:11 | 1 Peter 5:2
To avoid becoming overburdened and to allow sufficient time in prayer and Bible study, Senior spiritual leadership (Elders/Pastors) appoint pastoral assistants; these assistants are deacons. Acts 6:1-7 Unlike elder duties, the responsibilities of deacons are not stated in Scripture though their qualifications are. “Deacon” simply means “servant,” so our deacons exist to serve the body where needed. 1 Timothy 3:8-13
HNW is an autonomous congregation that voluntarily cooperates with other Kingdom-minded churches and ministries in order to see the gospel spread in Houston and the world. We baptize by immersion and govern ourselves through congregational polity and elders. We are not part of a denominational hierarchy.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit that we see on display in the New Testament are still active within the life of the church (1 Cor. 12:1-11).
HNW practices an “ancient/future” form of worship, meaning we have many modern elements (lighting, music, etc.), but we seek to tie those with ancient practices of the church (recitation of creeds, regular taking of the Lord’s Supper, etc.) in order to remind ourselves that we live in a particular context, but we are tied to something far larger than our individual congregation.
Men and women are absolutely equal in essence, dignity and value but are distinct by divine design. As part of God’s good created order, men and women are different, yet complementary. As it relates to the church, men and women are both expected to lead; however, our best understanding of the New Testament says that the office of elder is reserved for qualified men (1 Tim. 3; Titus 1). Women are allowed and encouraged to serve in any role at HNW with the exception of elder.
The salvation of humanity is fundamentally the work of God. Before the foundation of the world, God set His affection and grace upon his people (Rom. 8:29-30). In love God predestined His people for adoption (Eph. 1:4-6). Faith is a gift of grace that is given by the mercy and pleasure of God, so that no one may boast. Apart from the intervention of God, humanity cannot choose of his own accord to worship God and pursue righteousness (Rom. 3; Eph. 2:1-3). God’s sovereignty in salvation is comprehensive: from first to last, all of salvation is the work of God.z