We cannot afford confusion on the gospel, because the gospel is the very heart of our faith: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3–4). 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. The gospel is the pulsing center of our life as a church, and it’s transforming power the basis of everything we do.

The preaching of the Bible stands at the very heart of our gatherings. For this reason, the preaching at The Fields Church will primarily be “expository.” Such preaching 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. We are convinced that it is the Word of God, not the cool ideas or ingenuity of man, that truly transforms lives. God’s Word, after all, is what brings spiritual life and growth to God’s people. It is essential, then, that we preach and hear “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).

At The Fields Church our primary aim as we gather together on Sundays is to worship King Jesus. These gatherings will include music that will be neither wholly “traditional” nor solely “contemporary”—but will feature both time-tested hymns and modern praise songs. Key, for us, is our commitment to “congregational singing,” where the primary instrument is the voice of the church. The whole church, then, is the worship team. Our worship style is not rooted in tradition or preference; it’s our attempt to obey the command to sing not just upward to God, but also outward to one another (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16). So we prioritize songs that are biblically true, theologically rich, musically beautiful, and eminently singable.

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 The Fields 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 local church, can bring forth the growth we desire. Our discipleship is designed to facilitate such growth and entails four “ranked” priorities for each member: (1) corporate worship; (2) corporate prayer; (3) small groups; and (4) other opportunities (e.g., classes/seminars, men’s and women’s groups, events and retreats, one-on-one discipling relationships, etc.).

Church membership isn’t just having your name on a roll; it’s a living-and-breathing community 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 The Fields Church are not “professional Christians,” nor is it their job to do the ministry of the church. 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.

We do not exist 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.

We believe the church is the people of God born and brought together by the work of God. Our church, then, is wholly dependent on God. Such dependence must move us to sincere and steadfast prayer. In the New Testament, we see the priority not only of personal prayer, but also of corporate prayer. As the body gathers regularly to pray, we have increasing ways to praise God for answers to prayer, to see him at work in our midst, to express care for each other, and to cry out for his help as we seek to be faithful gospel ministers in Westfield and around the world. To that end, we desire to fill our gatherings with prayer, and seek to gather regularly to pray.

We don’t want The Fields Church to be a museum, and we don’t want it to be a mere laboratory. We want it to be a launching pad—both to our neighborhoods and to the nations. We believe that the central mission of the church is found in Jesus’s “Great Commission”: to make disciples among the nations. We serve a missionary God who is gathering a people for his glory from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Our missions philosophy at The Fields Church is to support strategic gospel workers with finances, prayers, encouragement, and care. Our hope is that God would raise up many, many leaders to go out from our body to proclaim the gospel and establish other healthy churches— both here in Indianapolis and across the earth.