The chief purpose of mankind is to glorify God by loving Him with the entire heart, soul, mind and might -- Deuteronomy 6:5; Isaiah 43:7; Matthew 22:37. All believing men, women and children are to glorify God and thus fulfill the purpose of their existence. Worship glorifies God through adoration -- Psalm 95:6, praise -- Psalm 99:5, prayer -- Daniel 6:10-11, thanksgiving (Nehemiah 12:46) and a complete yielding to Him (Romans 12:1). Worship declares His worth, pays Him homage and celebrates Him in a life of devotion. We seek to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth -- Exodus 15:1-21; 2 Samuel 6:14-16; Psalm 5:7; John 4:23-24; Revelation 4:11; 5:12.

Several tenets guide our worship. We seek to:

* lift high the name of Jesus Christ -- John 4:22-26; John12:32; John 14:6
* lead God's people to lift their hearts and voices to Him, giving Him praise and thanks in music and lyric (Nehemiah 12:45-46; Psalm 66:1-4; Psalm 95:1-2);
* prepare hearts to hear the Lord speak through the proclamation of Scripture (Psalm 95:6-9; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42);
* emphasize fresh and contemporary expressions while retaining traditional elements that recognize the richness of our heritage in the faith (Deuteronomy 32:7; Psalm 33:3; Isaiah 46:8-9; Matthew 13:32, Ephesians 5:19; Revelation 5:9);
* pursue excellence in worship, knowing that God is worthy of our best (Exodus 12; Deuteronomy 17:1; Psalm 33:3, 1 Timothy 4:14-15; Hebrews 11:4).