What Does Doxa Mean?
It sounds weird. It looks weird. It's not even English.
"Doxa" is a Greek word that means "glory" or "glorious." But, what does that mean?
The glory of God has been described as the "external elegance of the internal excellencies of God." That is just a fancy way of saying that the glory of God is when God goes public with His beauty. God created this world good and perfect. He created man in His own image. As both a part of creation and an image of God, we were created to reflect that image to the world as we built a society. Then we were to reflect the created world back to God in worship.
There's an old catechism that states that the chief end (or job) of man is "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." Think of that. We were created to enjoy a personal relationship with the almighty God and all that He has given us and express our thankfulness to Him in worship. That's a pretty sweet deal. But, Adam and every person since, has instead looked for joy, fulfillment, security and identity in something or someone other than the one for whom we were created. We chase the enchanting call of the sirens, only to find our lives dashed on the rocks before we know what happened. That's what the Bible calls digging empty cisterns.
But, there is hope. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God is calling people back to himself. He is calling us to reject the empty cisterns we have dug for ourselves. He is calling us to look at the most poignant display of His glory yet: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That was an act of unbelievable sacrificial love for an enemy that had never been seen before or since. When your eyes are opened to your utter lostness and need for a savior, and then you see all that Jesus did for you by dying in your place and paying your debt. You cannot help but respond in worship to Him.
That's why we picked the name "Doxa Church." We are a community of people who have been freed from the empty wells we had dug for ourselves and have begun the journey of a life spent enjoying and glorifying the One for whom we were created. We invite you to join us on that journey.
"Doxa" is a Greek word that means "glory" or "glorious." But, what does that mean?
The glory of God has been described as the "external elegance of the internal excellencies of God." That is just a fancy way of saying that the glory of God is when God goes public with His beauty. God created this world good and perfect. He created man in His own image. As both a part of creation and an image of God, we were created to reflect that image to the world as we built a society. Then we were to reflect the created world back to God in worship.
There's an old catechism that states that the chief end (or job) of man is "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." Think of that. We were created to enjoy a personal relationship with the almighty God and all that He has given us and express our thankfulness to Him in worship. That's a pretty sweet deal. But, Adam and every person since, has instead looked for joy, fulfillment, security and identity in something or someone other than the one for whom we were created. We chase the enchanting call of the sirens, only to find our lives dashed on the rocks before we know what happened. That's what the Bible calls digging empty cisterns.
But, there is hope. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God is calling people back to himself. He is calling us to reject the empty cisterns we have dug for ourselves. He is calling us to look at the most poignant display of His glory yet: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That was an act of unbelievable sacrificial love for an enemy that had never been seen before or since. When your eyes are opened to your utter lostness and need for a savior, and then you see all that Jesus did for you by dying in your place and paying your debt. You cannot help but respond in worship to Him.
That's why we picked the name "Doxa Church." We are a community of people who have been freed from the empty wells we had dug for ourselves and have begun the journey of a life spent enjoying and glorifying the One for whom we were created. We invite you to join us on that journey.
mission and values
Mission
Doxa Church exists to make disciples who joyfully worship Jesus with their whole lives.
Vision
By God's grace, we will be an awakened people who are sent by God to awaken others. We desire to be a sending center of God's presence and wholeness along the Grand Strand and beyond.
Doxa Church exists to make disciples who joyfully worship Jesus with their whole lives.
Vision
By God's grace, we will be an awakened people who are sent by God to awaken others. We desire to be a sending center of God's presence and wholeness along the Grand Strand and beyond.
Values
Jesus
The whole universe was created by, through, and for Jesus. We were created to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. The good news about the perfect life, substitutionary death, and victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ on our behalf is the message of the gospel. As such, we desire to be a people who are radically focused on proclaiming, celebrating, and enjoying who Jesus is and what He has done for us.
Worship
To worship means to be devoted to an object of esteem. We are all worshipers. We all find something or someone that is of the highest value to us, and we build our lives around it. To find Jesus is to find that which is truly of ultimate value. The only possible way to respond is to make our entire lives acts of worship that declare His beauty and glory.
Community
The purpose of God, since the beginning of time, has been to create a community of people with Himself at the center, a family. There is no concept in the Bible of Christianity apart from a deep sharing of each other's lives. In fact, it is only by the truth of the gospel and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit that sinful humans can truly live together in the kind of selfless love, authenticity, and lasting intimacy for which we all long.
Mission
When we are brought into the family of God, we are also brought into the mission of our Father. We join our Older Brother, Jesus, in His mission to save for Himself a people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. We are to follow His example. Just as He left the glories of Heaven to come to Earth as a cross-cultural missionary, we are to forego a life of comfort and ease and leverage our influence and resources to spread the gospel both in our community and around the world.
what we believe
EFCA Statement of Faith
We are a church affiliated with Evangelical Free Church of America. The Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of autonomous churches united around these theological convictions: As such, we affirm the EFCA Statement of Faith:
God
1. We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
The Bible
2. We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
The Human Condition
3. We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued,reconciled and renewed.
Jesus Christ
4. We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus—Israel's promised Messiah—was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
The Work of Christ
5. We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
The Holy Spirit
6. We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides,equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
The Church
7. We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which Heis the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’sSupper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
Christian Living
8. We believe that God's justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. WithGod’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
Christ's Return
9. We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.
Response and Eternal Destiny
10. We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
*Confession and Theological Vision
We also affirm the Confessional Statement and Theological Vision for Ministry of the Gospel Coalition.
The Confessional Statement and Theological Vision for Ministry, as well as an abundance of other great resources, can be accessed at the Gospel Coalition website.
