How are we organized?
- How do we operate? Embark is governed by a board of male elders who are ultimately responsible for all aspects of Embark. The lead pastor serves as the one of the elders, moderator of the board, and tasked with leading the daily operations and staffing of the church.
- How do we get elders? Our process is:
- When a vacancy is open the congregation suggests but does not vote on, who they believe should be potential elders based on Biblical and church-wide criteria.
- The current board of elders receive the congregational suggestions, review the candidates and upon discussion, select potential candidates for an examination.
- Pending a successful examination, the current board of elders selects and invites, depending on how many elder vacancies there are, candidates to become “candidate elders.”
- “Candidate elders” serve for 1 year in a candidate status. The candidate elder functions as an elder with the exception of voting on the board.
- At the conclusion of the candidacy year, the "voting / installed" elders decide, in consultation with the candidate elder, whether to make the candidate elder a full voting elder or not.
- Why this process? We recognize that in this day, most people in a congregation lack a level of spiritual, Biblical, and theological understanding. For example, most have not read the Bible completely through or have an active prayer life. When this requisite knowledge is not understood, the congregation will naturally default to the 3 things they think will make a good leader – how much someone contributes, how visible they are, and how loud they speak. This is where church politics enter. Embark is committed to having strong Biblical leadership where those who are representing others have the requisite vision, theology, and spiritual knowledge of the church.
Are we part of a denomination?
Embark is a non-denominational church. This means we are not associated with a particular denomination. However, we are a part of network of like-minded churches who resource one another called the mPACT network. mPACT churches routinely gather together, conduct routine training for one another, resource the pastors, and fellowship with one another. Unlike a denomination, Embark does not send any money to the network. This means every dollar you give stays at the local church. For more information on the mPACT network,visit https://mpactchurches.com.
Who is our lead pastor?
Jud Jordan is our founding and lead pastor. He and his wife Cathy planted the church in 2014. Although Embark is a non-denomination church, Jud is an ordained Presbyterian minister with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) denomination and mPact network. He graduated from Columbia Theological Seminary with a Masters of Divinity.
How do we handle the finances?
Embark has a finance team that at a minimum consists of the financial secretary, an elder, and the pastor. They are responsible for establishing an annual budget and keeping to that budget. Every year the budget is set at 10% less than the previous year’s revenue. For example, if Embark took in $100,000 in revenue in 2021, the 2022 budget is established at $90,000. Although we still anticipate, at a minimum, a $100,000 revenue, the budget now has a 10% “cushion," ensuring financial health.
What do we believe?
This is a brief summary of our beliefs. You can find a more expanded version by clicking here - Embark Statement of Beliefs Expanded Version.
Trinity - One God who simultaneously lives and works in the three different persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
God - The Father created, established, ordered, and continues to work in the world.
Sin and Creation - God created the world and deemed it good. Through man’s willful disobedience, sin corrupted and utterly defaced the image of God in us, infecting all of humanity and creation.
Jesus - God the Father showed unfathomable love for us by entering the world in Jesus Christ who, being equal with God, was both fully human and fully divine.
Holy Spirit - God broke into our sinful lives in the person of the Holy Spirit who is fully God, equal with the Father and Son.
Salvation - We are granted eternal life in Christ alone, by grace alone and through faith alone.
Scripture. Written by humans and inspired by the Holy Spirit, Scripture is true and never fails. It is the believers’ rule and authority for life.
Church - Believers through the Holy Spirit and constitute His body on earth. Through the collective interworking of individual gifts, the church furthers the mission and kingdom of God.
Sacraments - Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, both instituted by Jesus Christ, are celebrated in God’s church as outward signs of an inward, invisible grace.
Male Leadership - In keeping with the consistent pattern of male leadership among God’s people throughout the Scriptures, the roles of a church’s senior pastors and elders are to be fulfilled by men.
Christian Living - At salvation, the believer’s life begins to change as God works in him and as he continues to submit to Him. The Christian life is marked by obedience to the Lord and a desire to live life the way the Bible says.
Trinity - One God who simultaneously lives and works in the three different persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
God - The Father created, established, ordered, and continues to work in the world.
Sin and Creation - God created the world and deemed it good. Through man’s willful disobedience, sin corrupted and utterly defaced the image of God in us, infecting all of humanity and creation.
Jesus - God the Father showed unfathomable love for us by entering the world in Jesus Christ who, being equal with God, was both fully human and fully divine.
Holy Spirit - God broke into our sinful lives in the person of the Holy Spirit who is fully God, equal with the Father and Son.
Salvation - We are granted eternal life in Christ alone, by grace alone and through faith alone.
Scripture. Written by humans and inspired by the Holy Spirit, Scripture is true and never fails. It is the believers’ rule and authority for life.
Church - Believers through the Holy Spirit and constitute His body on earth. Through the collective interworking of individual gifts, the church furthers the mission and kingdom of God.
Sacraments - Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, both instituted by Jesus Christ, are celebrated in God’s church as outward signs of an inward, invisible grace.
Male Leadership - In keeping with the consistent pattern of male leadership among God’s people throughout the Scriptures, the roles of a church’s senior pastors and elders are to be fulfilled by men.
Christian Living - At salvation, the believer’s life begins to change as God works in him and as he continues to submit to Him. The Christian life is marked by obedience to the Lord and a desire to live life the way the Bible says.
How do I take the next step and become a ministry partner?
Embark does not have members, we have Ministry Partners. Ministry partners partner with one another to do the mission, ministry and work of the church together. They partner with each other in encouraging each other spiritual growth, friendship and carrying the culture of who we are. The process is intentionally long so that when someone is recognized as a ministry partner, the rest of the congregation should say, “I thought they already were.”
How do you become a Ministry Partner?
How do you become a Ministry Partner?
- Be a baptized believer
- Attend First Steps 1.0 & 2.0 and complete the Spiritual Gifts Discussion
- Serve on a SERVE team
- Complete Spiritual Life 1.0 grow group
- Complete the Ministry Partner class