Murrieta Valley Church > Doctrine > Murrieta Valley Church
What's in a name?
The name Murrieta Valley is helpful, because it describes where we are located. God has seen fit to assemble this body of believers in Murrieta to exalt His son, Jesus Christ -- the One whose death and resurrection gives us peace with God and the hope of heaven.
You'll find that His grace is the common thread that runs through every ministry and expression of worship here.
The name Church, however, is paramount because of its absolute and utter uniqueness. While "Murrieta Valley" is our choice in defining who we are, Church was mandated by God -- as revealed in His Word. It is His designation for the assembly of people called by His name. As such, our course has been charted by God; our destiny has been planned by God; our members have been chosen by God; our purposes have been defined by God.
There is both a genuine fellowship within our church family and an open door to those around us. As members of one body, we seek to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). As a light in our community, we're a place of peace for those in chaos, a place of forgiveness for sinners, and a place of hope for the hopeless.
A Clear Vision
MVC will be a Biblical church where the Word of God is respected, preached, taught, and believed as the complete, sufficient Truth for life and godliness.
MVC will be an Evangelistic church where the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Gospel, will be shared with hundreds of thousands of residents in Riverside County.
MVC will be a Balanced church where the whole family can grow together in Christ, learning, loving, laughing, and living life to its greatest potential.
MVC will be a Mission-minded church where hundreds of Christians will be called, trained, and sent as missionaries, evangelists, pastors, and volunteers all around the world, starting with southern California.
MVC will be a Caring church where unbelievers will be loved, prayed for, and welcomed in hope that they will trust our loving Lord.
MVC will be a Worshipful church where our Lord Jesus Christ will be adorned, magnified, and praised through music, singing, giving, preaching, and sharing.
Our Distinctions
The purest expression of God this side of heaven is the incarnate Word – Jesus Christ. The clearest revelation of God and His Son is His written Word -- the Bible. We are unashamed of our faith and unafraid to share it. Therefore, Murrieta Valley Church is committed to: Preaching the Word, Praising Jesus Christ, Practicing the Truth.
Preaching: The focus of each worship service and Bible study class is the proclamation of God's matchless Word. It alone is the source of truth concerning the character of God, the nature of man, the way to salvation, and the hope of heaven. declaring Scripture's truth is our highest privilege as Christ's ambassadors.
Praising: Hebrews 1:3 declares Jesus Christ reflects God's own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven. Therefore, praising Him is at the center of all we do, every time we gather. Exalting our Lord through worshipful music, sacrificial giving, and faithful preaching is our highest expression of thanks and love towards the One Who saves us.
Practicing: People who have been called away from the power and penalty of sin, and to serving Jesus Christ and His church, are the greatest testimony of God's work. And it is God's Word, energized by His Spirit, that accomplishes His work. Lovingly serving one another and the world around is is our highest calling in a world in need of grace.
How We Are Led
In Scripture, we find three distinct groups of people who exercise some form of leadership in the church: the congregation, consisting of all church members; pastors, those men appointed to spiritual oversight in the church; and deacons, who serve the congregation in hands-on, practical ways. Additionally, while not explicitly called for in the Word, we believe that we are free to staff our church in order to do ministry more effectively. It is our understanding that these groups work in concert to lead. Bound to no outside association, body, or organization, the congregation is in authority over itself under God.
In their role as overseers, the pastors guide the church, particularly focusing on matters concerning teaching, preaching, and prayer. The pastors direct the spiritual life of the church at the pleasure of the congregation, handling matters relevant to the Word and prayer. The deacons, pictured not as a second legislative body but as a group of able servants, assist the pastors by facilitating ministry. Finally, the staff enables the daily ministry of the church in a variety of capacities, filling roles necessitated by our growing congregation.
The Congregation's Responsibility
The congregation represents the final authority on all matters of church life. Recognizing that both Jesus and Paul appealed to the congregation as the adjudicating body on matters of discipline, we structure our polity congregationally. We are a self-governing church with a pastor-led congregation who are captive only to the will of God (Matthew 18; 1 Cor. 5).
MVC strives to carry out these great responsibilities by calling members to involve themselves in one another's lives, holding at least quarterly member's meetings at which the congregation governs itself, and emphasizing in our teaching the centrality of the gathered body. Our vibrant congregational life serves as a testimony to the sense of communal responsibility we share.
"How much further a congregation decides to involve itself corporately in decisions about the leadership, the staff, and the budget, is then a matter of prudence and discretion for decision within individual congregations. Neither nominating committees nor trustees are found on the pages of the New Testament. You look in vain for finance committees or small group leadership teams. Belief in the sufficiency of Scripture, however, doesn't forbid such structures; it just relativizes their authority. It clearly demonstrates that they are not of the essence of the church, and that they must submit themselves to the wisdom of the whole congregation." – Mark Dever, A Display of God's Glory, p38.
Our Pastors' Responsibility
Our church has for years followed a leadership model we see prescribed for our benefit by Scripture. The "pastor-led" approach provides us with sound guidance from biblically-qualified men. MVC polity (church government) emphasizes that all of the elders are pastors of the congregation with our senior pastor, Jason Robertson, being first among equals. Some of our pastors are employed by the church, though most work in secular jobs. All pastors meet the stated qualifications for this office as laid out in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. They meet regularly to pray and provide spiritual oversight on matters concerning the church.
"Elders are to be recognized by the church as gifts from God for the good of the church. The church should therefore delegate to them the duties of teaching and leading the church. Those duties are only to be revoked when it is clear that the elders are acting in a way that is contrary to the Scriptures. And for their part, the elders must recognize the God-given authority of the congregation. (e.g., Matthew 18; I Cor. 5; II Cor. 2)
The church should trust, protect, respect and honor its elders. Thus Paul writes in I Timothy 5:17, "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is teaching and preaching." The elders should direct the affairs of the church, and the church should submit to their leadership. So the writer to the Hebrews wrote in 13:17, "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you."
We have seen the emphasis in Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus on the elders being "blameless." (In Titus 1:6 Paul wrote, "An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.") The elder, then, must be willing to have a life that is open to inspection and even a home that is actively open to outsiders, giving hospitality and enfolding others into their lives.
The elders should be marked by a use of their authority which shows that they understand that the church belongs not to them, but to Christ. Christ has purchased the church with His own blood, and therefore it should be cherished, treated carefully and gently, led faithfully and purely, for the glory of God and the good of the church. The elders will give an account to Christ for their stewardship.
Our own relationship with God, a humble recognition of rightful authority brings benefits. In a church, when authority is used with the consent of the congregation for the good of the congregation, the congregation will benefit as God builds His church through the teachers He gives to His church. Satan's lie – that authority is never to be trusted because it is always tyrannical and oppressive – will be subverted by the benevolent practice of and recognition of the elders' authority in the context of the congregation." – Mark Dever, A Display of God's Glory, pp.25–26.
The Gospel
What is the Gospel? It is the good news of Jesus Christ.
Building on the Foundation
Murrieta Valley Church has embarked on a building campaign called Building on the Foundation. With the new land purchased and architectual plans in the workings, this is an exciting time at MVC.
Our Leadership
Murrieta Valley Church is a pastor-led congregation. Our leadership positions are held by Biblically qualified Christians. Some churches are lead by a hierarchy and dictatorship-like boards; others lack leadership and are led by the "winds of opinion" twirling about the congregation. At MVC we strive for balanced and Biblical guidance in our leadership and decision making. May God continually grant His wisdom.
Below are the leaders of our ministries. Click on their names to learn more about them.
Jason Robertson - Senior Pastor
Scott Hill - Pastor
Phil Blackley - Pastor
Chris Hinton - Pastor
Steve Schneider - Pastor
Paul Cole - Chairman of Deacons