Mineral Springs Baptist Church
1030 Bible Lane Vinton, VA 24179 540-890-4465
Gathering the Harvest
as We Grow in Grace
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About Mineral Springs Baptist
Brief History
Mineral Springs was founded in 1937 with a total of 30 charter members and has grown to a present membership of well over 500. From a one-room building with a pot-bellied stove to multiple modern buildings with all the amenities, the Lord has brought us a long way. We have gone from a single pastor ministry to a staff of two serving full time.
In 1989 the Mineral Springs Christian School was founded which has grown from a weekday early learning program for 3 and 4 year olds into a student body of about 140 with classes through the eight grade. Twelve teachers and aids that do a wonderful job because of their love for the student’s staff the school.
The joy and glory of Mineral Springs is not the buildings or programs but the Christ centered worship and the desire of the people to bring glory and honor to the One who has delivered them from darkness and given them a home in heaven.
Our focus at Mineral Springs is not upon the past but the future. We are not dwelling upon what God has done but believing Him for even greater things for tomorrow. We are thankful for what God has done and excited to be a part of what He is going to do in the future.
Philosophy
The church is very precious to Jesus because he tells us that, “He loved the church and gave Himself for it...” and that, “He will build His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Even though the church is special to Jesus there is some confusion among believers concerning the purpose and functions of the church. There is a great deal of interest in the purpose of the church and the Christian life. We are thankful for the interest, but disappointed that so many have missed the clear Biblical purpose for both the church and the individual Christian. The purpose of Mineral Springs Baptist Church is to glorify God! To glorify God means to magnify, praise, honor, exalt, or give fame or recognition to Him as the most supreme, wonderful, powerful, and merciful being who deserves the center of attention. This is taught in almost every passage of the Bible but is explicitly revealed inPsalm 86:8-13; Matthew 5:16; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 4:15; Judges 7:2; Isaiah 42:8; Jeremiah 9:23-24; and Galatians 1:24. The Westminister Catechism that has been used extensively by our forefathers begins with the question, “What is the chief end of man?” or we might modernize it to ask, “What is the primary purpose for man’s existence?” The answer they gave was, “To glorify God and enjoy him for ever.” This is our purpose at Mineral Springs.
The functions of the church are some of the primary ways in which our congregation seeks to glorify God. These functions are the pattern God has given for us in His Word. The congregation following the God given pattern set forth in the New Testament, is a church, which worships, evangelizes, experiences fellowship, takes discipleship seriously, and serves each other and the community effectively. I shall attempt to summarize these five functions God has given to His church because understanding and living out these are essential to who we are in Christ.
The church is to be committed to the priority of worship. As Jesus was speaking with the woman of Samaria He pointed out the importance of worship when He said, “The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24).” Throughout the book of Acts and the Epistles we see this priority set forth in both the practice and teaching in the life of the early church.
The church must recognize the need for evangelism. We were commissioned by Jesus to give the gospel to everyone in our community and in the entire world (Matthew 28:18-20). This is not something we need to pray about. We are either obedient or disobedient. If we are not busy telling others about Jesus, as a church, we are not what we should be.
The church is a body in which love, communication and trust are evident. This is true fellowship and it results in much needed edification. Fellowship is not just a meal together but the sharing of our lives. A church in which there is no fellowship will be cold and impersonal no matter how orthodox.
The church is also the place were disciples are made. Many groups have attempted to make disciples and emphasis discipleship unsuccessfully. The reasons for failure in this area is because Christ has instructed the church to fulfill this responsibility and not some special organization or school. For the church to be the church it is essential that the church be a place where the saved are growing and becoming more like Jesus. At the same time it is possible to be a church and not be fulfilling the function of discipleship. Are you growing in your relationship with the Lord? Is God using you to help others grow also? A professional is not the primary means for making disciples. We must each discipline ourselves and assist others in disciplining themselves.
Lastly, the church is a group of servants. Is it possible to read the New Testament and conceive of a church were people look to be served rather than serve? How many ministers serve our church? Two, ten, or twenty? Any church that is following the words of Jesus instructs all its members to be sacrificial servants.
The success of Mineral Springs Baptist is not dependant upon a certain program but upon each of us recognizing our God given functions and then putting those functions into practice.
Beliefs
The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, which can be read at the following link, best summarize our beliefs. http://www.sbc.net/bfm/default.asp
Mineral Springs Baptist Church 1030 Bible Lane Vinton, VA 24179 540-890-4465