We Are Absolutely Apostolic!
At First Pentecostal Church of Oxford, we hold the precepts and principles of the original apostles to be relevant and vital today. We believe that God is One, as expressed in Deuteronomy 6:4, and that God created the universe by the power of His word. We believe that humanity is in need of redemption, which is made possible by God manifesting Himself in the person of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8-19). We believe that the Spirit of Christ lives within us and empowers us to live “self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,” while we are awaiting the imminent return of “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:12-13).
We Are Passionately Pentecostal!
When the New Testament church was born on the Jewish feast day of Pentecost (Acts 1, 2), it was characterized by exuberant worship, powerful demonstrations of the Spirit of God, and joyful, loving fellowship. At FPCO, our desire is to be a continuum of the faith and fervor of that first generation of born-again believers. Thus, we are striving to follow the Pentecostal precedent in attitude and in action, both in our daily lives and in our church services!
Our Worship
There is nothing like a Spirit-filled worship service. Many times we are exuberant in our worship. We express ourselves in singing, dancing, clapping, leaping, shouting, and through the playing of instruments. The Bible provides the model for such behavior:
We Pray Together Aloud because in the Bible we read, “They lifted up their voice to God with one accord.”-Acts 4:24
We Lift Our Hands in Praise because in the Bible we read, “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.”-Psalm 134:2
We Sing With All Our Hearts because in the Bible we read, “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.”-Psalm 98:4
We Play Musical Instruments because in the Bible we read, “And all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments.”-II Samuel 6:5
We Clap and Shout Unto God because in the Bible we read, “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.”-Psalm 47:1
We Dance Before the Lord because in the Bible we read, “Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.”-Psalm 150:4
We Testify Publicly because in the Bible we read, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.”-Psalm 22:22
We Anoint With Oil for divine healing because in the Bible we read, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”-James 5:14