Our cultural identity is found in our values. They define who we are. These values connect us with our past and provide our foundation for the future. 

Our identity is a combination of factors including:

• What we believe 
• What we value 
• How we are affiliated 

Oakland is an autonomous Baptist church which aligns with the Southern Baptist Convention.  We have shared beliefs and value the cooperative partnership to advance the gospel around the world. Statement of Faith.

AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE

We value the Bible and believe it is God’s Word to us. The Bible is divinely inspired, inerrant and factually true. As a church and individual, we study it, believe it, and submit to its authority. 

WORSHIP

We value authentic worship as the ultimate end for which we were created. Rejoicing in the infinite, inexhaustible power, holiness, and beauty of God, we experience the height of joy as we celebrate Him. 

PRAYER

We value scripture fed, Spirit led, worship based prayer as a privilege and means for the child of God to connect to Him in relationship. It is through prayer we display our dependence upon Him and advance the Kingdom of God.

OUTREACH

We value the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ by every believer and are committed to training, equipping and mobilizing disciples in sharing their faith locally and globally.  

DISCIPLESHIP

We value believers growing in faith to become mature followers of Jesus Christ who can mentor others in their faith journey. 

COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS

We value fellowship that encourages, builds up and serves one an-other through relationship, partnership, companionship, and stewardship. 

FAMILY

We value strong families as foundational for a strong church and are committed to providing resources and helping hands to grow God centered families.

We believe that in order to move to where God want us to go, we must prioritize and focus our efforts. These initiatives align to our Mission and move us toward our Vision.  We need the entire church family to plug in to where God had uniquely prepared them to service within the body of Christ here at Oakland. 

Our mission is given by God and our efforts need to be dependent on  God.  Our great accomplishment is to become a “House of Pray-er” where God is central to all. To that end, we will increase our understanding and practice of prayer through various corporate forums, Small Groups, and ministries.  (Leader: Pastor Cliff) 

Our weekly gatherings are a time to worship God and to seek His work in our lives. We will explore ways to deepen our praise to God and enhance our individual participation. We desire worship services that are transformational through the dynamic teaching of the Word, music, prayer, testimonies, and other means to bring glory to God.  (Leader: Pastor Cliff) 

All of our ministries will establish plans to align and promote Oak-land’s Mission to Make Disciples.  They will prioritize their core ministry functions and identify secondary opportunities where prayer, mentoring, mobilizing people, and outreach can be accomplished in the course of accomplishing their primary objectives.  (Leader: Pastor Cliff) 

Making Disciples is at the core of our mission.  We will establish a shared understanding of a disciple and encourage all to grow on the journey.  We will use instruction from the pulpit and through our Small Groups ministry.  We will use a course (OBC 201) to launch or relaunch on the journey.  We will promote and facilitate mentoring to encourage and grow disciples.  (Leader: Pastor Cliff) 

Every member is a minister. We will develop and implement a process  to help people understand how God has shaped their lives for ministry and service.  We will provide a course (OBC301) to aid in this discovery.  We will identify opportunities for people to become familiar with Oakland ministries to find their God-given fit.  (Leader: Cliff Simmons) 

We will encourage and equip our people to share the good news of Christ.  We will establish a course (OBC 401) to prepare individuals on how to share their testimony and a simple gospel message. We will be intentional in seeking opportunities to share the gospel. We will pray diligently for the lost. We will pray for our hearts to be softened to their condition.  (Leader: Ben Franklin) 

We  envision a church of people who are passion-ate about knowing God, loving God’s people, and making Him known to the world. Our people are connected with God through Salvation in Jesus Christ and spend their lives growing deeper in knowing and experiencing God in  encourage them to grow in Christ. Our people are constantly growing and being transformed in Christ’s likeness.  People take individual steps of faith and mentor others on the discipleship journey. Our people are equipped and passion-ate to share the good news of Jesus Christ.  As a church, we intentionally reach out to those in our community and around the world. Our people seek to show Christ’s love by ministering to the needy.  We serve in our community so that the light of Christ shines as a beacon to all.