If we get this wrong, we might as well go home. We never want to outgrow the wonder of God’s rescuing grace. The way to grow as Christians, after all, is not to move beyond the gospel; it is to move deeper into it. And what is this gospel? It is the thrilling news of what God has accomplished—through the life, death, and resurrection of his Son—to redeem and restore a lost world to himself. And the most amazing part is that anyone can get in on this. The gospel is the pulsing center of our life as a church, and its transforming power the basis of everything we do.

This ancient approach seeks to expose God’s people to God’s Word, one passage at a time. Our commitment to expository sermons is more than a preference—it is a conviction. Why? Because we are convinced that it is the words of God that truly transform lives. We don’t want to get in the way of God’s voice.

Whether they realize it or not, every human needs to hear the full range of what God has to say—from Genesis to Revelation, each part understood in context and applied to the heart. God’s Word, after all, is what brings spiritual life and growth to God’s people. Given that even inspired apostles felt constrained to preach “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), we won’t try to improve on that.

As Jesus says, “My house shall be a house of prayer.” There are few things more important that a church can do together than pray. In the New Testament, we see the priority not only of personal prayer, but also of corporate prayer. We desire Emmaus to be a church marked by private and corporate prayer-fulness. We hope to cultivate prayerfulness by teaching, practicing, and emphasizing private and corporate prayer, as well as encouraging individual and collective seasons of fasting and prayer.

Following Jesus is not a solo endeavor; it is a community effort. Nor is it confined to a weekly event; it is a lifestyle. At Emmaus Church we don’t want our growth in Christ to be haphazard and thin, but deliberate and deep. We want our members to flourish in their knowledge of Scripture and theology so that the roots of their faith grow deep and strong. None of this can be manufactured or microwaved. Only God’s Word, reverberating through the life of the covenant community, can bring forth the growth we desire.

We believe that born-again Christians are welcomed into membership through baptism upon a credible profession of faith. Our local church is an autonomous entity, but we voluntarily cooperate with local, national, and international Baptists to fulfill the Great Commission for the purpose of missions and supporting future pastors in their seminary education.

Not only do we orient upward and inward, but also outward in mission in the place God has called us, this larger tract of soil called Georgetown. We exist not just for ourselves, but for those who do not yet know Jesus. One of the most compelling ways to introduce our neighbors to him is by serving them in practical ways. Though the central mission of a local church is not to cure poverty or rehabilitate neighborhoods, we will encourage and equip our members to be salt and light in our broken and hurting world. A study of the Gospels reveals that Jesus displayed one emotion more than any other: compassion. And we are called to walk in his steps. So we will regularly rehearse what life was like before we knew Christ, and where we would be without him. In light of his undeserved love, we delight to meet tangible needs in his name. With our words we speak the gospel; with our lives we show its grace.

Church membership isn’t just having your name on a roll; it’s a living-and-breathing web of relationships. It’s an eagerness to say, “I am my brothers’ and sisters’ keeper—and they are mine.” It’s a commitment to intentionally serve and help others, to take responsibility for their well-being. It’s a willingness to submit to the oversight of church leaders and to the care and accountability of fellow members.

Elders at Emmaus are not “professional Christians.” Nor is their job to do everything themselves. Scripture makes clear that elders are to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). The members are responsible for the mission. If pastors are the supply line, members are the front line.

At Emmaus, we will prioritize songs that are biblically true, theologically rich, musically beautiful, and “congregation-singable.” No matter what song we’re singing we want to worship passionately, singing with joy as if Christ’s tomb really is vacant. Our singing will be blended, featuring both time-tested hymns and modern praise songs. We are committed to “congregational singing,” where the primary instrument is the church’s collective voice. We do have musicians, but their role is more to accompany than to perform. This style simply our attempt to obey the command to sing not just upward to God, but also outward to one another (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16).