FAQ’s
What is the vision & direction of Berean Baptist?
Our goal is to model our ministry after the ministry the Lord Jesus Christ had on earth and the practices and teachings of the early church. We believe the Bible is current and applicable for all ages and this is the standard for our beliefs, teachings, and practices.
Which denomination does Berean Baptist belong to?
Berean Baptist is an independent Baptist church and we are not affiliated with a denomination or convention but we do fellowship with other churches of like faith and order. We select and support our own missionaries, leaders, and institutions that believe as we believe. Berean Baptist Church answers only to the headship of Jesus Christ and God’s Word. We are Baptist – believing and practicing the historic and Biblical distinctives of Baptists such as: The Bible is our final authority in faith and practice; salvation by faith through grace alone; baptism of believers by immersion; autonomy of the local church; priesthood of all believers; and separation of church and state.
What are services like at Berean?
We come together to hear God’s Word, the Bible, being read and explained and to encourage each other in our faith. The most important thing at Berean Baptist Church is that we follow the Word of God. In relation to that we seek to provide plain Bible preaching and Christ honoring music. The music is always followed by a clear, helpful, and challenging Bible message. Our services last a little more than an hour. The pastor’s message in all services is Bible-based and will give you practical ways to apply God’s Word to your life. The ultimate aim of this preaching is to show how a person can have eternal life and then how God can help in day to day living.
When are your services?
Sunday School for all ages is at 10:00 a.m. There’s a class for every member of your family. If you would prefer not to send your children to Sunday School they are welcome to stay with you in the adult Sunday School with you.
Sunday service is at 11:00 a.m. You will enjoy singing favorite hymns as well as a challenging and helpful message from Pastor Vaal. Also in conjunction with the service is Trailblazers for ages 4 through 10.
We have a Sunday evening service (completely different from Sunday morning) that begins at 5:00 p.m. Again, in this service you’ll enjoy singing favorite hymns as well as a stimulating message from Pastor Kuiper.
We also meet on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. for a mid-week Bible study and prayer time. This service is a little less formal as we aim to study the Bible together.
If you can’t be our guest on Sunday morning, we hope you’ll visit with us during another service time.
What should I wear to your services?
We were recently asked if a person has to wear a suit to church. Our church leaders and many of our regular attendees wear traditional Sunday clothing but we have no expectations for our visitors.
Am I expected to give a donation?
No. We don’t invite you to Berean Baptist Church for your offering. We want our service to be a gift to you. We hope you will find in this place a warm family spirit, truth from God’s Word, and a place where you can grow in God’s grace. Please don’t feel any obligation to give an offering as a guest.
What version of the Bible is used during the services?
We use the King James version (KJV) by conviction and not preference. The reason we use this Bible is that by careful study we have come to the conclusion that it is the only reliable translation in the English language. The vast majority of the other translations are based on a totally different set of manuscripts which remove many cardinal doctrines from their version. The issues go far beyond how easy it is to read and understand other versions. While we only use this version we are not caustic to those who use other versions. Each person must decide for themselves. If you have any questions about the textual issues we would be happy to explain our position and the reasons for it.
What about all the sin and hypocrisy in the churches?
It is not fair to judge all churches by the hypocrisy seen in some. Our goal is to talk, walk, live and breath the Christian life consistently, not just on Sunday, but throughout the rest of the week. We aim to be fair and just in our business dealings, to work hard for our employers and to be kind and considerate to our fellow man. We do these things for a number of reasons. The primary reason is out of love for Christ and a desire to serve him the best way we know how. Another reason is that we love our fellow mankind and want to show our love for them. We hope we can honestly say, before God, we are not living double standards but are living the way God would have us live.
We believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He came over two thousand years ago to die on the cross and provide salvation through his blood.
When choosing a faith and a particular church there are many questions to be answered. If you are genuinely interested in asking some questions please email us through our contact page below. (Please note that we have no interest in debating our beliefs or polity for the sake of argument.)