Our Distinctives

What makes Southbridge unique?

While these distinctives may not be different from every church, we believe that when you see all of our distinctives happening in one place, you will think we are a very unique group of people.

1. The Authority and Application of the Scriptures
   • Expository Teaching

     God has revealed Himself in this incredibly relevant, supernatural book called the Bible. We don't want to miss anything He has to say about Himself or how we relate to Him. Therefore, expository teaching is the primary way we teach. This is not the only way we teach, but it is the primary way.

   • Elder Leadership

     The church is to be governed by a plurality of biblically qualified elders who provide spiritual oversight and guard the mission and values of the body. In prayerful dependence and diligent commitment to the authority of God's Word, the elders' role is to determine how the Lord, Who is the Head of the body, wishes to direct His church.

   • Team Ministry

     The New Testament church was led by teams. Our approach to leadership follows this same model. We are served by a pastoral team of individuals who function in specific roles based upon gifting and calling. In various ministries, teams comprised of pastoral staff and lay leadership give direction and oversight.

   • Asking Questions
     1. Asking tough questions

        Southbridge Fellowship is a safe place to ask tough questions. Some people believe they can't ask questions because it might reveal they do not "have it all together." At Southbridge we believe that asking questions (and yes, we mean tough questions), is a healthy way to grow.

     2. Asking "So What?!" questions

        Because Truth must be applied to be experienced, we will call people to apply the Truth and provide opportunities for people to live out the Truth. We will regularly ask ourselves, "So What?!," as a means of moving the Truth beyond something we know in our heads, to something we believe in our hearts and live through our hands and feet.

2. Believing a Big God!

   We believe that our God is so big that there is nothing He cannot do. We are a community of people who have seen and desire to see God do big things. When we say "big," we mean the kind of things that we have to step back and give Him credit for. Have you ever seen, done, or experienced something that left you wondering, "How in the world was that possible?"

   Those are the God-things that we trust, remember, and praise Him for. We desire to see people realize that nothing is too big or too small for God. He is the God who creates new life, parts the sea, knows our words before we speak them, and knows the number of hairs on our head.

3. The Priority and Power of Relationships

   One mark of our maturity is the measure of our relational depth and integrity. We will not ignore conflict or relational problems. Rather, we will embrace them as a pathway to intimacy by learning to resolve conflict, forgive, and live in true committed friendships.

   Genuine relational intimacy and significant spiritual growth are inseparable. God changes people and reveals Himself in the context of people learning to live life together. This is why we see community groups as an essential ministry.

4. The Responsibility and Importance of Equipping

   The role of the pastoral team is to equip every Christ-follower to live life biblically, experience the joy of spiritual influence, and embrace the privilege of being used by God for a transcendent cause. Rather than focusing on events that people invite others to attend, our emphasis is on equipping people to be confidently unleashed to be an irresistible influence where they live, work, and play.