Our History
In the mid two thousands, Pastor Chuck Towersey experienced a lengthy and intense period with God where he began to see the church differently from what he had known over the course of his life and ministry. Instead of a mainly self-serving institution within four walls, Pastor Chuck came to see the church and its’ purpose more missionally, looking beyond itself to the needs of the community. In the meantime, Pastor Chuck, his wife, Susan and their children, Katie and Collin, came to see profound needs in people and families in Benzie County and the surrounding area, needs which could most effectively be addressed by the love, grace and transforming and healing power of Jesus Christ. They saw not only the need for a church which could break out of the trappings of maintaining the status quo, but were also clearly called by God to the community and to the formation of a church that would be true to scripture and committed to being the hands and feet of Christ to a broken and hurting world.
In the spring of 2008, Pastor Chuck and his family were led by God’s Spirit to leave a long history of denominational ministry and formed Fresh Wind Christian Community as a Bible based, Spirit filled non-denominational church with a heart for Benzie County and the surrounding area. The first worship service was held on April 13 in the Benzie Central High School Auditorium. Pastor Chuck’s office and the food pantry were first located in a very small space on US 31 in Beulah. Later, the Ministry Center was opened in a former restaurant and gift shop adjacent to the Cherry Bowl Drive-In in Honor.
In 2014, Fresh Wind Christian Community purchased the former All Animal Veterinary Clinic on US 31 six miles west of Interlochen and began renovations. The first worship service was held there in the new sanctuary in May of 2015. In September of 2015, a Christian School, envisioned and supported by Fresh Wind, opened its’ doors in the front half of the “Red Barn” educating kindergarten through sixth grade in a safe, loving environment and with a Christian worldview. New Covenant Christian Academy has since grown, educating students through the twelfth grade with plans to expand the school.
In the midst of all this, the Fresh Wind Christian Community has grown to include persons from a five county area. In addition to the numerical growth, and, most importantly, has been the continual growth of missional and outreach ministries, including ministry in the food and baby pantry, ministry in the Benzie County jail, children and youth ministries and a caring ministry which offers counseling for people who desire to experience healing and freedom in Christ. Personal and Spiritual growth has also happened for many through neighborhood life groups and a deepened commitment to live for Christ and beyond self.
Our Mission
It is the Mission of the Fresh Wind Christian Community to raise up disciples (Fully devoted followers of Jesus) to go beyond the walls of the church to bring the love and grace of God to people by meeting them and addressing their needs where they are at.
What is the “Missional” Church?
On the verge of his public ministry, Jesus came to his hometown of Nazareth and proclaimed what his ministry was to be. He turned to the words of Isaiah and read,
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)
The “Missional” church embraces and carries on the ministry of Jesus. It calls upon people to live beyond themselves for the sake of others. Just as Christ did, it meets people where they are at and addresses immediate needs, which, in turn, allows them to hear more fully of God’s love for them and embrace the gospel of grace, healing and wholeness.
While Fresh Wind does indeed have buildings and an infrastructure, the missional church is less about maintaining the institution of church and much more about addressing the needs of the community beyond the walls of the church. We are intentional about being Fresh Wind Christian “Community” and not merely “church”. Since our formation, 65-67% of our resources have consistently gone beyond the support of our infrastructure and out into the community through a variety of outreach ministries, caring ministries and financial assistance. Furthermore, our pastors, staff, leaders and all those within the Fresh Wind family understand their ministry to be, in great part, to the community and not simply the inner workings of the church. Bearing this in mind, the missional church is a “bottom up” ministry, where the pastors, leadership and staff serve God by serving the people, rather than a “top down” approach where the church exists to serve the leadership.
An illustration exists which helps put the concept of “missional” in perspective. At the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, there is a massive steam locomotive on display. The plaque in front of the locomotive says something along the lines of “Given the size and inefficiency of the locomotive, it took ninety percent of the energy it produced to move the locomotive, leaving only ten percent of the energy produced to pull the train.” Whereas it increasingly takes the vast amount of energy produced in the modern church to simply keep the institution going, the goal of the missional church is to utilize minimal resources on its’ infrastructure, leaving the vast majority for ministry, outreach, transforming the community and changing lives.
How Do I Participate?
When we are excited and passionate about something and when our souls are stirred, we want to be involved. There is something within us which yearns to live a life bigger than ourselves. Being actively involved in the ministry and mission of the Fresh Wind Christian Community gives us that opportunity.
At Fresh Wind, we do not have “membership”, per se. All who give their lives to Jesus and live to serve him are members of the larger “Body of Christ”. In many cases, church “membership” does not make disciples, mature people or lead to lives of service. Instead, it often leads to the embracing of minimal expectations and apathy. At Fresh Wind, we are committed to the making of disciples; “fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ,” and helping people attain the full measure of the life to which God has called each one. We are created by God for relationship, not religion, so the occasional performance of religious acts is not where we want our Christian Community and those who participate to be. Rather, we encourage all who call Fresh Wind their Spiritual home to be actively involved and engaged in the following areas.
· Worship – While we aren’t looking for people to simply worship God on occasion and call it good, the life of a Christian Community does begin with weekly, corporate worship. Being connected regularly in weekly worship not only honors God, it strengthens the family of faith, connecting us as one and provides the needed foundation from which all the other ministries and outreaches flow. Even an outward focused missional church cannot exist without a deep commitment to weekly worship.
· Service – Beyond Sunday morning, as a missional church, we ask that each one in the Fresh Wind family find a place in the midst of our numerous ministries, to serve beyond self. Again, this is not a church where we go through minimal religious motions, but rather are called to reach beyond the walls of the church to meet people where they are at. Even serving within the church through ministries which help sustain a healthy congregation aids in the ability to offer strong outreach ministries. The FW app, website and Sunday announcements provide information of all the existing and emerging ministries and who to contact if interested in serving in those areas. If you have an idea for a new ministry, contact a pastor, elder or deacon, as most of our ministries emerge as God lays a passion for it on someone’s heart.
· Fellowship and Growth – While we ask that all who are a part of Fresh Wind be faithful in weekly worship, it is only the beginning of growing into mature believers. A strength of the early church, as we read in Acts 2, is that the believers met regularly in each other’s homes and grew together. It is vital and expected that we come together regularly beyond Sunday to build relationships and to grow in the Word and in the Spirit. There are numerous ministries in place for men, women, young adults, teens and children to come together and grow. Understanding that we are coming from a wide geographical area, we also have home fellowships; “Life Groups”, meeting in each community represented in Fresh Wind. It is an ultimate goal that all within the Fresh Wind family participate in a Life Group. Again, information regarding these opportunities can be found in the bulletin, website and in the Sunday announcements.
· Personal, Daily Growth and Service – At the conclusion of each Sunday service, we hear the words, “It’s been great worshipping God, now it’s time to go to church.” This is a key concept to the missional church and the life of a disciple. Christianity doesn’t end with Sunday worship or participating in a ministry of the church, it begins there. Ministry happens day by day, wherever you are and whomever you are with. Wherever you are, there is the church. We speak of looking for “Divine Appointments”; situations in which God places us on a daily basis to love and serve someone in the moment with Christ’s love. We are prepared for these opportunities as we spend time each day in the Word and in prayer, deepening our relationship with our Lord.
· Health and Wholeness – Jesus meets us where we are at, but doesn’t want us to stay where we are at. Jesus heals and is called the “great physician”, but we have to want to be healed and whole, restored back into our original “pre – fall” condition. Fresh Wind is a healing place and all are encouraged to not settle for anything less than the health and wholeness God desires for us all. Spiritual counsel, altar ministry, “Freedom in Christ”, not to mention the healing that is offered in the midst of our other ministries, is available to all who are struggling with any form of physical, Spiritual, emotional and generational issues. A healthy Christian Community begins with each one in it being healed.
· Generosity – God has been generous with us and we respond by joyfully being generous with Him as we share our gifts, our talents and our treasure through the ministry of the church. We are called to give the first and the best of our time, our talents and our finances as opposed to what is simply left over. In God’s economy, we grow immensely and we never “run out” as we share radically and faithfully. We have been “blessed to be a blessing” and, naturally, the ability for the missional church to offer the ministries we do is contingent upon the faithfulness and generosity of those in the church community. We do not “beg for money” at Fresh Wind or make it our primary focus. Instead, we trust God and the Spiritual maturity and faithfulness of all who call Fresh Wind home, to provide through the weekly offerings and other opportunities to share.
Tenets of Faith
“Tenets” are core principles and beliefs. In this case, they are what we affirm at Fresh Wind Christian Community as our foundational understandings of the Christian faith and life and are the guiding theological principles and ordinances of the church. Throughout Christendom, there is much disagreement regarding theology and Biblical interpretation. Recognizing this, we place, as Fresh Wind, our tenets into two categories; primary and secondary. The primary tenets, we believe, are essential for all persons who would follow Christ. The secondary tenets, while not essential to salvation, are reflections of what we additionally embrace Biblically as Fresh Wind Christian Community. While we would expect all who call Fresh Wind Christian Community their church home to agree on the primary tenets, there is certainly room for diversity of thought regarding the secondary tenets, understanding, though, that the theology reflected therein is embraced by the pastors and leaders of Fresh Wind. Furthermore, there are countless theological positions which could be considered beyond these tenets, but these are the core beliefs and ordinances we encounter and proclaim most frequently.
Primary Tenets
1. The Bible.
The Bible is the ultimate authority in the life of a believer and is God’s living word for all people. Written by God through divinely inspired men and women, the Bible is the complete story of God’s love, instruction and plan for each person. It reveals God’s absolute truths and is as relevant today as when it was first written. The Bible says “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
2. The Trinitarian nature of God
God is three persons in one, each person unique yet inseparable as a creating and sustaining entity. The trinity consists of…
…God the Father, who, with the Son and the Spirit, created all things. There is but one God, the God who is made known in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible; who said of Himself “I AM WHO I AM.” (Exodus 7:14) God is forever sovereign and owner, sustainer and master of the universe.
…God the Son, manifest in the person of Jesus Christ. God came into the world to reveal Himself though the person of Jesus. Jesus was and is fully both God and man. Born of a virgin who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Jesus taught, healed and lived as man yet was without sin. He died on the cross, taking upon himself the punishment for our sins, rose on the third day in glorious resurrection and ascended into heaven where he sits at the right hand of God until he returns. Jesus will return twice. First, in the rapture, Jesus will come in the clouds and raise up his church into heaven. Jesus will later come to the earth for the “millennial” thousand year reign before God brings all things to completion. He is, as evidenced by his very name, Jesus, the savior of the world, for “…he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
…God the Holy Spirit, who is the ongoing presence of God on earth. By His Spirit, God dwells within all those who have received the love and forgiveness of Jesus into their lives. The Spirit guides, comforts, empowers and gives gifts to be enjoyed and shared. It is the work of the Holy Spirit which draws persons into relationship with God through belief in Jesus. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was present at specific times with specific people for specific reasons. At Pentecost, The Holy Spirit came to be available to all people, fulfilling the promise by Jesus, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:25-26)
3. Salvation comes through Grace by Faith in Jesus Christ
Under the “New Covenant” (See Jeremiah 31), we are no longer under the “law” but rather “grace”. God’s grace involves extending forgiveness and a reconciled relationship with Him not by works, but by repentance and faith in Jesus, who died on the cross as penalty for our sins, thus “saving” us from the consequence of our sins. Salvation is only available through the relationship with Jesus, by accepting him as savior as Lord. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6)
4. Eternal Life
Eternal life is a reality for all persons. Without a saving faith in Jesus, eternity exists in hell as consequence for our sinful condition, which all are born into as a result of the original fall of man. For those who have embraced a saving relationship with Jesus, eternity occurs in heaven, where believers will dwell for all time with God and others who have also embraced Jesus as savior and Lord. “For the wages of sin is death (hell), but the gift of God is eternal life (heaven) in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Jesus put it this way, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Secondary Tenets
1. The Church is the living and ongoing manifestation that we are the “body of Christ”. It is also ordained by Christ as His life giving and life changing agency in the world. The church is not a building or an institution but rather a community of people committed to Jesus, to one another and to those yet to be saved, building each other up and sharing their gifts and resources for the sake of God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 16:18, Acts 2:42-47, 1 Corinthians 12)
2. Discipleship is the goal of Christianity, not merely conversion. Disciples are students and learners and, rather than practicing a part time religion, disciples are to grow spiritually and serve the Lord as fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Discipleship is a lifelong process of deepening one’s relationship with God through Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20)
3. Water Baptism is an important act of faith following one’s acceptance of Jesus as Lord and savior. As Christ was crucified, buried and rose again, in baptism, we proclaim death to our old, sinful self and emerge as new creations in Christ Jesus. We practice full immersion believer baptism in the manner in which Christ himself was baptized. (Acts 8:36-38)
4. Baptism of the Holy Spirit is embraced as the full indwelling of God’s Spirit in those who have received Jesus into their lives. While all who believe in Jesus have the Holy Spirit, the scriptures detail frequently the invitation for the Spirit to totally saturate the believer beyond what was attained at salvation. With the Baptism of the Holy Spirit comes the power that Jesus promised his followers as well as the manifestation of the Spiritual gifts. We embrace all the spiritual gifts, both natural in nature and supernatural, and trust God for their manifestation in ways which edify the church and witness to unbelievers while ensuring they are used in proper order. (Matthew 3:11, Acts 1:8, 2:1-13, 10:44-48)
5. Holy Communion is experienced at Fresh Wind at fairly regular intervals. Jesus encourages us to come to His table in communion with him and each other and partake bread and juice to remember that his body was given for us and his blood shed for our sins on the cross. We believe that Jesus is present with us in a powerful way when we come to the Lord’s Table. Communion is offered to all who believe and have confessed and repented of their sins. Practically speaking, grape juice is offered as opposed to wine that all who desire, including those refraining from alcohol, may partake. (Luke 22:14-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
6. Healings and Miracles are considered as real and relevant today as when Christ walked the earth in the flesh. Healing prayer is embraced as an important piece of seeing God lovingly and completely transform lives. (John 14:12-13, James 5:14-15)
Core Values
As we seek to live in community one with the other and to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a broken and hurting world, these are the ideals and principles which are most important to us and against which all things are measured. They are consistent, as well, with the core values embraced by the New Covenant Christian Academy, bringing continuity between the church and the school it supports.
1. Missional
More important than buildings and programs and other components of infrastructure is the understanding that we are a “sent” people, reaching out into the community and world for the sake of God’s Kingdom, its people and its growth. It is putting faith into action by ministering and serving beyond ourselves and seeing ourselves as a “church without walls.” This value also includes a strong commitment to “evangelism”, which involves sharing the “Good News” of God’s grace through Jesus Christ through our witness and testimony, resulting in the salvation of others.
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” Romans 10:14-1
2. Biblical Worldview
Instead of the church being shaped and influenced by the culture, the church is to shape and influence the culture in which it has been placed. Everything that is taught and learned at Fresh Wind Christian Community is presented and seen through the lens of Scripture.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
3. Love
Everything we say and do flows out of the love we have experienced in Christ Jesus, which encompasses all the great virtues of living life in community, including grace, mercy, forgiveness, patience, respect and compassion.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
4. Faith
By faith, we not only have salvation, but it is also by faith that we embrace a life and a ministry which is bigger than us but not bigger than God. We expect God to do again and again what otherwise would seem impossible.
“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13
5. Worth
Every person is of infinite worth and value to God, thus, every person is to be treasured and treated as a precious child of God.
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 5:26
6. Purpose
Helping each one discover his or her unique God given design and purpose is paramount to the development of the whole person.
“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jeremiah 29:11
7. Discipleship
We are committed to being life-long learners and to be continually growing in our faith and in our relationship with Jesus, developing into “fully devoted followers” of Jesus Christ. We are open to being “discipled” by those who are more mature in the faith as we also “disciple” others who are newer to faith.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” Matthew 28:19
8. Truth
In God’s created order, there are “absolute truths” which are not merely true for some but are true for all, even if they are rejected by some as truth. Knowing who one is in Christ, what these truths are and why we believe them is critical to the raising up of new generations of Christian leaders in a growing culture of relativism.
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32
9. Prayer
It is imperative that we be a people of prayer, that we might know the heart of God and His plans, that we be in His will and that we are relying on His strength and power and not ours.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
10. Unity
As we may come into connection with the Fresh Wind Christian Community from a diversity of traditions and theological perspectives, we seek a unity in the Holy Spirit which allows us to focus on what unites us as opposed to what might divide us. We also apply this to our relationship with other Christians, congregations and denominations. As an operating principle, we employ the centuries old wisdom “In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things charity.”
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:3
11. Church
In an age and in a culture which increasingly rejects the need and importance for Christians to be connected together in the “Body of Christ,” we affirm that the “church” is just as vital and important as ever. We were not created by God to be in isolation, but rather to be in community. The church continues to be Christ’s agency on earth for the presentation and living out of the Gospel. “…and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Matthew 16:18
12. Excellence
According to the high calling we have in Christ Jesus, we will pursue excellence in all that we do, offering to God, the larger community and each other our first and our best, both collectively and individually.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23
Church Structure
The church, as created and ordained by Christ, was never intended to be a democracy but rather a theocracy; that is, getting to the will of God, not man. The governing structure of Fresh Wind reflects our desire to be in the will of God and under the authority of Jesus Christ. There are many forms of church governance. We operate most closely within what would be considered an Independent Church Government. Three key factors work together to not only make this the best form of governance for us as Fresh Wind, but also causes us to approach this form of governance in a unique way. These factors are…
Non – Denominational – We are not under the authority of a “mother” church or denomination but that of Jesus himself. We answer to Christ and are accountable to him. While all believers are capable of hearing from God and certainly being in his will, the “Independent Church Government” recognizes the need for specific positions and individuals to help collectively guide and direct the congregation into the will and plans of God. Furthermore, having a variety of positions and individuals in place helps provide a degree of checks and balances should any one group or individual stray beyond the will of God. Thus, the following positions exist and are each affirmed and informed by scripture…
· Pastors – While God can and does speak through all believers, it is ultimately the pastor’s responsibility to hear from God and cast vision and direction for the church. The pastors provide Spiritual and Biblical oversight and serve as “shepherds” to the “flock.” Nonetheless, we also embrace a shared ministry, consistent with Ephesians four, where pastors are called to be “equippers” of the church, training and building each one up for the work of ministry.
· Elders – The elders come alongside the pastors and support and affirm the ministry set by God for the congregation. The elders deal primarily with the Spiritual well-being of the congregation and each one in it. They prayerfully consider ministry direction and help to ensure that we are in order Biblically.
· Deacons – The deacons also come alongside the pastors and support and affirm the ministry set by God for the congregation. The deacons deal primarily with the structural and financial well-being of the church, including buildings and grounds, the implementation of ministries and the budget.
Missional – The Independent form of church government typically follows a business or corporate model, with the pastor serving as “president” and the elders and deacons as the “vice- presidents”, yet, while Spiritual oversight and clear direction do need to come from a central source, the missional church, again, seeks to be “bottom – up” and not “top – down.” While it is important to recognize the God given authority of the pastors, elders and deacons, these persons and positions exist to serve God by serving the congregation and the larger community, not to be served. While it is important to have a clear and Biblically based structure of governance, the ministry of Fresh Wind is a shared ministry. We are all called to be ministers and disciples. We have a staff in place not to do all the work of ministry, but to help the congregation as a whole engage in the ministry of the Gospel. We have wonderful men and women in all sorts of leadership roles, most of them bearing no worldly title. We don’t focus on titles, but rather on the joy of collectively serving the Lord, each with his or her own gifts, as designated by the Holy Spirit. A governing structure is needed and is in place, but it is secondary to the daily living out of our faith, each one doing his or her part as expressed in 1 Corinthians 12.
Order – It is imperative, as we seek to be in God’s will and receive His continued blessing for ministry, that we always be in proper Biblical order. We will be tempted at times to compromise in order to look more like the world, but we are committed to influencing the world and not being influenced by it. There are three key principles we adhere to remain in order…
· Biblical Accuracy – While there are many places in Scripture where people might disagree with one another theologically and doctrinally, there are also many places which are crystal clear and leave really no room for debate. On these issues we stand firm, especially those related to salvation and God’s created order, including sexuality and the sanctity of all human life.
· Discernment and Prayer – Again, the church is a theocracy, not a democracy. We need to be in God’s will, not man’s will. As a result, the pastors, elders and deacons, as they meet and seek God’s will and direction for the church, have never taken a vote and never will. Instead, we pray and discern together. We do not move ahead unless all are in Spiritual agreement. We listen to God and we listen as God speaks through the people of the Fresh Wind Christian Community. Furthermore, the selection of pastors, elders and deacons is also prayerfully and spiritually affirmed by those placed by God into those same positions. On occasion, when a major decision needs to be made, such as the purchase of property or undertaking of a building project, the entire congregation may be invited to gather together, again, not for a congregational “vote”, but rather to talk, share, listen, pray and collectively seek to discern God’s will.
· Spiritual Headship – The Fresh Wind Christian Community is comprised of amazing women and men with many gifts. We have women who can teach and preach and many who are in leadership positions. We affirm that, in God’s created order, men and women are equal yet different in terms of roles responsibilities. We embrace, in God’s created order, confirmed by Scripture, the male headship of the home and family, supported and helped by the female, as perfectly ordered and designed by our loving God. (Ephesians 5:21-33) As a result, this translates, as affirmed in 1 Timothy 3, into male headship in the offices of pastor, elder and deacon, who provide a Spiritual “covering” for the church family.
Statement of Sexuality, Sexual Orientation and Marriage
In this era of pluralism and confusion regarding marriage, sexuality and sexual orientation, and in light of the Supreme Courts recent ruling on same sex marriage, we make the following affirmations, citing God’s created order, and hold all the Fresh Wind Christian Community staff, leaders and volunteers, as well as the New Covenant Christian Academy students, staff and volunteers to its standard…
· Sexuality is a gift from God and is reserved in God’s created order for those in marriage covenant. The expression of sexuality outside of the marriage covenant is incompatible with Scripture. We lay claim to our freedom to exercise our Christian religion as provided by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. In so doing, we assert that those participating in sexual relationships outside of the marriage covenant will be forbidden to hold positons of leadership in the Fresh Wind Christian Community and the New Covenant Christian Academy, including but not limited to paid staff
· Homosexuality is considered incompatible with Scripture. We lay claim to our freedom to exercise our Christian religion as provided by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. In so doing, we assert that those who embrace a homosexual lifestyle will be forbidden to hold positons of leadership in the Fresh Wind Christian Community and the New Covenant Christian Academy, including but not limited to paid staff
· Marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman. While the law of the land now allows for same sex marriage, we subject ourselves to the highest authority, creator God, and his created order as defined in Scripture. We lay claim to our freedom to exercise our Christian religion as provided by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. In so doing, we assert that those who enter into same sex unions will be forbidden to hold positons of leadership in the Fresh Wind Christian Community and the New Covenant Christian Academy, including but not limited to paid staff. Furthermore…
o Weddings performed in and/or by the pastors of the Fresh Wind Christian Community are Christian services and will be in line with the Scripture’s assertion that marriage is between one man and one woman.
o The facilities of the Fresh Wind Christian Community are solely reserved for the purposes of its’ Christian ministry.