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Vision, News & Updates

2018

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DEAR MEMBER OF SBC & FRIEND,

I’m grateful for how God is moving at our church and for members like you who are actively serving, ministering and leading others. In your unique ways, you are being the hands and feet of Jesus within our church body and beyond.

God has an amazing future planned for this church as we continue to develop a heart for the lost and partner with one another to reach them. Our preparation for this future includes developing leaders, planning new campuses, and making sure our governing documents are clear and up-to-date. Your Elder Board has spent nearly a year carefully evaluating these key documents, which were last revised in 2005, to ensure they are current, biblically sound, and able to guard our church’s ability to minister effectively in a shifting culture.

As a member of SBC, I want you to be well aware of the updates we’re recommending before you vote in late April. This booklet overviews the key changes you will be approving. Your Elders, Executive Leadership Team and staff are in full agreement with these updates, and we hope you will be, too!

Thank you again for your partnership, support and prayers. Please join me in asking the Lord to guide and illuminate our steps as we seek His will and continued blessing upon our church.

Your friend and pastor,

Jamie

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OUR VISION IS TO BE A COMMUNITY OF

CHRIST FOLLOWERS MARKED BY UNWAVERING FAITH

AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

GET GOD

GET REAL

GET OUT THERE

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H O W W E ’ R E D O I N G & W H E R E W E ’ R E H E A D E D

Powerfully Blessed and Used by God

We are growing in attendance at all services; thousands are engaging through service and discipleship; and hundreds are responding to the gospel, giving their lives to Christ and being baptized.

We’re experiencing some great problems, such as overcrowding in several services and a completely full parking lot at our Shea Campus.

Contributions are increasing, expenses are below budgeted amounts, and our cash balance is strong.

As we look toward plans for our next multisite, we’re excited to see how and where God will lead!

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Prepared for the Future

Part of readying ourselves for growth involves having wise structures in place. We’re making sure our key documents and bylaws will serve us well into the next chapter of SBC’s life. Some key updates highlighted in this booklet include:

• Bylaws that are current with AZ law and protect our church’s First Amendment rights and ability to minister effectively

• A cleaner, clearer Statement of Faith

• An updated statement about SBC’s beliefs concerning God’s design for marriage and sexuality

• A membership policy that includes more active management and participation

Positioned for Growth

To welcome and accommodate the people and growth God is bringing, we’re taking several important steps to prepare.

Our ministries are now more aligned and working together as a team, we’re training new pastors and leaders, and we’re enabling and equipping the body of Christ to do the work of the church.

We are also developing the depth of SBC’s team so that we can reach new parts of our city while continuing to offer excellent ministry at our existing locations.

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SBC’s Bylaws explain what the church believes and set standards for how we operate. They are incredibly important in times of crisis or transition, and help us maintain continuity and order on an ongoing basis.

Our bylaws also clearly spell out our church’s stance on issues in our culture that may conflict with biblical theology, protecting our ability to minister freely in Christ.

Last updated in 2005, many of SBC’s bylaws have remained unchanged since the 1960s. To stay current with Arizona law, adjust to our current multisite church model, and protect our church’s religious liberty, our Elder Board is proposing some updates.

A document showing specifics of all the changes is available to members, but the facing page summarizes the most significant updates.

B Y L A W U P D A T E S A N D C H A N G E S

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Article Subject Change/Reason

3.1 Mission & Core Values Removed because language of these is modified more frequently than the Bylaws themselves; and our Mission and Values are already addressed in our Articles of Incorporation.

4.1 Statement of Faith See page 8

5.1-6 Membership Process See page 12

6.1-10 Annual Meetings Changed specific requirements due to the size and multisite model of our church.

Voting Guidelines Will enable voting methods permitted by the AZ Nonprofit Corporate Act, including on-campus, mail-in and electronic voting.

Voting percentages Changed from required percentages of Elders present at meetings to entire Elder Board.

8.1-8 Election of Elder Officers Elections may occur immediately after new Elders are confirmed, rather than waiting until the fiscal year starts.

9.1-3 Elder Nominating Committee Updated to better reflect current practice.

10.1-4 Senior Pastor Becomes a voting member of the Elder Board. Affirmation by three-fourths of all Elders, rather than congregational vote, for dismissal (to preserve church unity).

Other Pastors Modified process for Elder Board approval to hire some pastors/ministers.

Key Updates to the Bylaws

B Y L A W U P D A T E S A N D C H A N G E S

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SBC’s Statement of Faith defines our core beliefs. On the facing page is the proposed Statement of Faith, with the minor changes indicated. These changes were made for clarification and to enable the statement to stand the test of time. This revised statement was voted on and approved by the entire Elder Board in February 2018.

O U R S T A T E M E N T O F F A I T H

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We believe in the Scripture of the Old and New Testament as being verbally and completely inerrant in the original writings and of supreme and final authority in faith and life.

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary and is true God and true man. The Holy Spirit was sent by the Father as promised to convict the world of sin, to glorify Jesus and to transform the lives of believers into the likeness of Christ.

We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also that spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature. and in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word and deed. *

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe personally place their faith in Him are redeemed and justified on the ground basis of His shed blood.

We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, His ascension into heaven, and His present life for us as our High Priest and Advocate.

We believe in that the ‘Blessed Hope;’ the personal, pre-millennial ** and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God, a relationship in which they are eternally secure.

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust; the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost along with Satan and the other fallen angels.

We believe that the Church is a spiritual organism made up of all believers in Christ; that in its local manifestation it is an autonomous assembly of believers and that its ordinances are baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

The Lord’s Supper. The Lords’ Supper shall be observed on a regular basis, generally on the first Sunday of the month. ***

Baptism. The mode of baptism is full immersion and it shall be administered only to individuals who have made a personal profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Every Member is encouraged to observe this ordinance. ***

*** Removed because the logistics are addressed in Article 4:10 of the bylaws. The final statement above clarifies that both baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances of the Church.

* This phrase was removed because Pastors Jamie and Darryl believe it is biblically inaccurate; and that the Bible teaches that we are afflicted with a sinful nature from birth, in thought, word and deed.

** Removed because this is not an issue that we as a church body would break fellowship over.

O U R S T A T E M E N T O F F A I T H

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S T A T E M E N T O N M A R R I A G E A N D S E X U A L I T Y

Because the Church’s definition of marriage increasingly differs from our culture’s definition, it’s important for us to proactively define marriage as part of our governing documents. Defining God’s design for marriage and sexuality based on biblical truths places the church in a better legal situation should a lawsuit be filed against us, and provides clarity for our congregation when discussing these issues. This statement was approved by the Elder Board in February 2018.

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At Scottsdale Bible Church, we welcome and extend God’s love to all people, affirming that all are created in His image and infinitely loved by Him. We invite everyone to seek and explore a relationship with Christ while developing relationships with others as part of our church community.

In all matters, we look to the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, believing it clearly communicates God’s design for life and behavior.

Regarding marriage and sexuality,

WE AFFIRM that God created Adam and Eve, the first human beings, in his own image, equal before God as persons, and distinct as male and female.

WE AFFIRM that God has designed marriage to be a relational, sexual, procreative, lifelong union of one man and one woman, as husband and wife, and is meant to signify the covenant love between Christ and his bride the church.

WE AFFIRM that God’s revealed will for all people is chastity outside of marriage and fidelity within marriage.

WE AFFIRM that divinely ordained differences between male and female reflect God’s original creation design and are meant for human good and human flourishing.

WE AFFIRM that the differences between male and female reproductive structures are integral to God’s design for self-perception as male or female, and that self-perception as male or female is defined by God’s holy purposes as revealed in Scripture.

WE AFFIRM that people who experience sexual attraction for the same sex can live a rich and fruitful life pleasing to God through faith in Jesus Christ, as they, like all Christians, walk in purity of life.

WE AFFIRM that sin distorts sexual desires by directing them away from the marriage covenant and toward sexual immorality— a distortion that includes both heterosexual and homosexual immorality.

WE AFFIRM our call to speak lovingly to each other at all times, including when we speak to or about one another as male or female.

SBC’s Statement on Marriage and Sexuality is based on the Nashville Statement, which was written in 2017 by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. This Council was founded in 1987 by Drs. Wayne Grudem, John Piper and other evangelical leaders and scholars, and sets forth the biblical truths about the complementary differences between men and women created equally in the image of God.

The Nashville Statement was written by the members of this Council in response to our post-Christian culture’s increasing rejection of God’s design for human life. It is designed to support the Church and give public witness to God’s plan for human sexuality as revealed in the Scriptures.

The Nashville Statement has been endorsed and signed by more than 20,000 evangelical pastors and leaders, including Drs. James Dobson, R.C. Sproul, D.A. Carson and others. The Statement is also endorsed by Pastor Jamie, our Elders, our Pastor Emeritus Dr. Darryl DelHousaye, and our pastoral staff.

To learn more, please visit cbmw.org/Nashville-statement

S T A T E M E N T O N M A R R I A G E A N D S E X U A L I T Y

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SBC encourages but does not require membership. Membership at SBC is required for certain lay leadership roles in the church, and, based on the requirements of the Bylaws, to approve certain resolutions that are called for.

Membership may be granted by the church, at the sole discretion of the Elders, after certain requirements have been met, as follows:

• Attend a required membership class. Classes will be hosted regularly and will be announced in the weekly bulletins and on the SBC website (scottsdalebible.com/membership).

• Fill out an online Membership Application, including:

- Salvation story

- Agreement with our Statement of Faith and other Elder-approved statements and policies

• Meet with an approved Elder/Pastor to discuss membership, including:

- Responsibilities of members, which include serving, giving, group participation (an expectation of discipleship), and regular SBC weekend worship attendance

- Review and discuss Statement of Faith and other statements

- Answer any questions

• Upon pastoral/Elder written recommendation and approval by the Elder Board, invited into membership at Scottsdale Bible Church

• Eligibility: Persons 18 and older are invited to apply to be considered for membership.

M E M B E R S H I P A P P L I C A T I O N A N D P R O C E S S

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Term

The term of membership shall last until the last day of June in each calendar year.

In May of each year, current members will be given the opportunity to re-affirm their membership status (preferably online). All members who re-affirm their status as members will be granted membership for another year. Re-affirmation includes:

• Re-affirming agreement with our Statement of Faith (which can only change by a membership vote) and Statements, as edited and approved from time to time by the Elders.

• Re-affirming a commitment to the church through financial support, service, involvement in authentic community, and regular weekend attendance.

Members who neglect to re-affirm their membership status by July 30 of each year will be placed on an ‘inactive members’ list.

Persons on the inactive members list lose their voting rights for that year, unless they go through the reactivation process (see below), but will be eligible for membership in the following year if they go through the re-affirmation process at that time.

If an inactive member fails to re-affirm their membership in the following year, they forfeit their membership, but are welcome to go through the full process to become a member again at a later time.

Reactivation Process

If a member has neglected to re-affirm their membership by July 30, the following steps need to be followed to reactivate the membership:

• Completely fill out the online membership application form, checking the box that indicates that it is a re-activation of membership.

• Upon pastoral review and recommendation, approval and membership rights will be restored by affirmative vote of the Elder Board.

Termination and Restoration

As stated in the current Bylaws, membership may terminate because of death, member request, or the affirmative vote of the Elder Board to remove a person from membership.

As needed, the Elders will engage in church discipline with members who:

• Hold or promote false and/or heretical doctrines contrary to the Statement of Faith or the Bible.

• Openly live in a manner inconsistent with a profession of faith in Christ and his teachings.

• Disturb the unity and peace of this church.

• Harm the mission of this church in any other way, as determined by the Elders.

Church discipline will be carried out in a manner consistent with our beliefs and values, always with the intent to restore relationship whenever possible.

This membership process was updated and approved by the Elder Board in February 2018.

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Q: Why do our bylaws need to be changed?

A: Most of our bylaws were written 55 years ago and have been revised only once since then, 13 years ago. In a changing culture that is increasingly at odds with the Evangelical Church, it is critical that our governing documents both adhere to biblical standards and keep up with current laws in a way that protects our church and our First Amendment rights.

Q: Our governance model seems to be working well – does it really matter that much?

A: It’s true that most people aren’t worrying about our bylaws, but that’s because things are going well. The first thing that gets pulled out when culture attempts to interfere legally with a church or when things aren’t going well are the bylaws. If we wait until a problem presents itself before looking at the bylaws, it will be too late. Some of our bylaws are simply out of step with current law, and other parts have not kept pace with our growth and expansion.

Q: What changed in our Statement of Faith?

A: It was our intent to make the Statement of Faith represent those things we would break fellowship over, if it came to it. We did not believe we would actually break fellowship over someone’s belief in the pre- or post-millennial return of Christ, for example. We also removed references to the logistics of baptism and the Lord’s Supper while keeping it clear that these are the ordinances of the church.

Q: Why are we changing the Membership process?

A: Our current system makes it difficult to manage and maintain a current list of active members. By moving to a yearly membership process, we can ensure that people on the membership list are actually participating members. We will use an electronic process for re-affirming membership each year, so it will be easy!

Q: Will existing members be required to re-qualify for membership?

A: Current members will remain members, and will be required to confirm their membership each year as outlined in the Membership Process approved by the Elders.

Q: Why are we removing the Mission and Core Values?

A: Our Articles of Incorporation, a separate document, clearly call out our purpose and intentions as a church, which made it redundant to restate our mission and value in the bylaws. Though these things don’t change, we do adjust how we refer to them over time, making the bylaws, a supposedly long-term document, not the best place for them. The fact that the mission and values are not specifically placed in the bylaws in no way minimizes their importance and value to our church.

Q: Our voting process seems kind of perfunctory. Will we make any changes in how this is done?

A: Yes. Our intentions are to provide more information for members prior to voting on the things that require a vote. We will continue to provide bios for Elder candidates up for election, and also give members access to more church financial information, if requested, resulting in a more open process. Also, because voting logistics in a multisite church can be complicated, the updated bylaws will give our Elders more flexibility in selecting voting methods to help increase membership participation in the voting process.

Y O U M I G H T B E A S K I N G …

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Q: Will membership votes related to the church’s financial condition change in any way?

A: The only change to voting opportunities revolves around our ability to borrow money. The current bylaws allow the Elder Board to only borrow up to 5% of the current approved budget, and they prohibit carrying more than $5 million in debt without membership approval. The new bylaws propose an Elder-approved debt level not to exceed 50% of the current member-approved budget without membership approval.

Although 50% of the budget may seem high, our strategic plan for future multisites requires SBC to have an ability to react relatively quickly when potential opportunities arise. With the proposed bylaw update, for example, our maximum indebtedness without member approval could be around $6 million – still a comparably small debt level compared to our net assets of nearly $28 million.

Note: We believe strongly that taking on debt should be rare and for short periods of time, when necessary to propel our mission forward.

Q: Are there other things members would no longer vote on?

A: To protect the unity of the church body, the decision to remove a Senior Pastor would be resolved between the Pastor and the Elder Board, rather than by a congregational vote, and would require a ¾ vote of the entire Elder Board. Our expectation is that we will never reach this juncture here at SBC, but the experience of other churches illustrates that this decision is most appropriately resolved between the Elders and the Senior Pastor to minimize exposing the entire congregation to what are often sensitive details.

Q: Does it make sense to have the Senior Pastor as a voting Elder?

A: Yes! Our church is Elder-led, and yet we place a high expectation on the Senior Pastor to lead the Body both spiritually and logistically. It simply makes sense to us that he should have an actual vote as an important and valuable member of the Board of Elders.

Q: Are there any other changes I need to know about?

A: There’s nothing in the list of changes that hasn’t been well thought out, prayed about, reviewed extensively with our legal counsel, and measured against Scripture, and we didn’t change things for the sake of change. You are welcome to review every proposed change. There are only a handful of important ones and then a number of little changes that involved cleaning up language and details that were out of date.

Q: Can I talk with someone about questions or concerns I have?

A: Yes. The Elder Board will be hosting several information sessions where members can learn more about details of the proposed changes and ask questions. You may also email elders@scottsdalebible.com or call the church office at 480.824.7200, and we will put you in contact with someone who can respond.

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SBC

I F Y O U H A V E Q U E S T I O N S O R W A N T T O TA L K

W I T H S O M E O N E , F E E L F R E E T O E M A I L Y O U R E L D E R

B O A R D AT E L D E R S @ S C O T T S D A L E B I B L E . C O M

APRIL 28 & 29

Members of our Elder Board will be available at each meeting for open dialogue, questions and feedback.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21 | 6-8PM | A6 SUNDAY, MARCH 25 | 1-2:30PM | A8 SATURDAY, APRIL 21 | 4:30-6:30PM | A1 SUNDAY, APRIL 22 | 8:30AM-12:30PM | A9

Information/Q & A Meetings