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CCV is a church that is seeking hard after God and growing in the gifts of the Spirit. However, as a church we find our understanding of the gifts to not fit neatly into either the traditional "charismatic" box or the "non-charismatic" box. Therefore, the following statements regarding our understanding of the spiritual gifts may be helpful.
We believe in the Holy Spirit.
We believe the Holy Spirit is fully God and an important part of the Trinity. We believe the Holy Spirit has a vital role to play in God's plan for each disciple of Jesus...and for God's church.
We believe in all the spiritual gifts.
Spiritual gifts are really an overflow of the Holy Spirit being in one's life. The Bible lists many of these gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 and Romans 12:6-8. We believe all the gifts of the Spirit are for today and are significant for what God would do in and through his church.
We believe we are to accept and celebrate the unique expression of the Spirit in each believer.
Scripture teaches that God gives different spiritual gifts to the different members of the church body. Not everyone will have the same experience with God's Spirit when it comes to the spiritual gifts. Yet, because the various gifts are from God, we celebrate the unique way in which the grace of God overflows into each believer's life through the Spirit's ministry. (Romans 12:6)
We believe God imparts to each believer the specific gift(s) He desires, at the time He desires.
Many today teach that every believer who is filled with God's Spirit will manifest the gift of tongues. While we do believe God invites each believer to an ever-deepening experience with the Holy Spirit, we find scripture indicating that God gives a variety of gifts...of which no single gift (including the gift of tongues) will be experienced by everyone. (1 Corinthians 12:27-30).
We believe spiritual gifts are something we should desire.
While we do not believe we should ever pursue the gifts as a means of validating ourselves to others— or to serve some other self-serving purpose, we do believe that out of a pure heart we should seek the Lord for what He would bless us with through the Spirit. The scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:1 to "Follow the way of love and eagerly desire the spiritual gifts…"
We believe the gifts are to be used in an orderly and sensitive manner.
The scripture is very clear that God is not a God of disorder, but of order. 1 Corinthians 13-14 lays down some important principles for God's people to follow when ministering with the gifts. Below you will find some guidelines for the appropriate use of the spiritual gifts in our church life here at CCV.
We believe spiritual discernment is vital to a healthy Spirit-formed ministry.
God's word is clear that not every "gift" of the spirit is from the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we believe that all spiritual gifts have to be evaluated and judged according to the Scripture.
We believe that gifts, while important to how God's church functions, are not the heart of the gospel message.
While we embrace the gifts, we want to be careful that the gifts do not become our "focus" as a church. The heart of the gospel is not the gifts...but the cross of Jesus Christ. For this reason, our hope is that you will find CCV to be a church focused on Christ, grounded in the Word, walking with the Spirit, and loving a lost world to Jesus.
We believe we are on a journey, still growing in our understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
We certainly don't have all the answers when it comes to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Nor do we expect each person to be at exactly the same place on their spiritual journey as others are. Our invitation is to come and grow with us as we discover together the enormous riches of God's grace towards us through His Spirit.
Guidelines for Spiritual Gifts at CCV
At CCV, we want to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to the church and create an atmosphere where He is free to do what He wants. We know, though, that God is not a God of disorder or abuse, that the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets, and that all spiritual gifts have to be evaluated and judged by the Word of God.
So, to help us walk powerfully in the gifts of the Holy Spirit while we grow to maturity as a body, the Pastors and Elders at CCV ask that everyone attending CCV observe the following guidelines when moving in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
¨ We ask that you use the gifts in a loving way. 1 Corinthians 13 teaches that how we use the gifts has a greater impact than the gift itself. Please review this passage so that each expression of the gifts is bathed in love for those we are ministering to and with. Ultimately all expression of the gifts must be done with view toward the good and growth of God's church.
¨ Engaging in ministry by using our spiritual gifts is not to be done in a way which intends to draw attention to one's self. Always keep in mind that the gifts God has given are to be used in a way that points people to Jesus and lifts Him up. The best way to do this is to minister in a humble and direct way that avoids any attempt at being "sensationalistic" or overly-spiritual looking. The Lord will work through you just fine when you are simply yourself. Remember...kookiness is not what God is looking for...nor is it a spiritual quality. Sincerity and authenticity work just fine.
¨ Whenever you move in the gifts of the Spirit, please remember to remain teachable in the use of your gifting. Occasionally one of the leaders may believe there is an area you may need to mature in so that you can use your gift more effectively. Please do not take this as a personal affront. The leaders at CCV will always try to do what is best for the congregation as a whole and for you personally as you mature in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We, as the leadership of CCV, ask for your prayers as we continue to learn how to move in the gifts of the Spirit as well.
¨ The gift of spiritual language (tongues) is a gift God gives to certain people to deepen their prayer and praise as they walk with Him. This gift, the Bible indicates, is directed to God and is primarily for personal edification, not for the edification of the church. However, God also makes provision for its use in the public life of the church. We believe that generally the most appropriate context for the public use of this gift in our church life is in our small groups, our retreats, or in services such as The Gathering. However, there may be appropriate times in our Sunday service as well. As 1 Corinthians 14:27-28 indicates, when this gift is shared publicly, it should be accompanied by an interpretation so that those present can be encouraged and strengthened.
¨ Please remember, in any public expression of the gifts, to be careful so that you don't dramatically shift the focus and direction of the group meeting, gathering or assembly in which you are sharing. Let God orchestrate the gathering through the leadership of that group or assembly.
¨ If you believe you have a prophetic word during an assembly, please make your way to one of our pastors or elders and submit this word to them for their discernment. The pastor's or elder's role is to help you discern if what you heard is for the whole body and when (or if) it should be shared in the assembly. Please remember, if you have heard the Lord and submitted His word to a leader, then you have done your part obediently whether the word is shared publicly or not.
¨ Keep in mind that in our Sunday morning services, there are many people who are either unbelievers, or who have had little teaching regarding the gifts of the Spirit. For this reason we would encourage those with the gift of tongues to use the gift more quietly during our Sunday morning services unless there is an appropriate time and place to do it from the microphone at the front during times of prayer and worship. If you have a prayer/praise in tongues at other times during the service which you believe is to be shared with the body, please submit this to one of the pastors or elders. If the pastor believes this is appropriate to share with the entire body, they will ask you to give the tongue and/or interpretation over the microphone for the whole congregation to be able to hear.
¨ Finally, please keep in mind that the gifts are grace gifts. Therefore, let every expression of the gifts at CCV be done in a way that honors Jesus and expresses his grace to those to whom you are ministering.
