Mission, Vision, & Values
Our Mission:
Jesus Transformation
We desire that everyone who calls Westminster Chapel their church home experience transformation as they walk and grow in their relationship with Jesus as His disciple.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matt 28:19
Our Vision:
Growing to Listen & Love like Jesus
If we are experiencing Jesus transformation, then we will live more like Him. We will love the lost, listen to their stories and share the Good News that He came to give everyone life, abundant & free!
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all yourmind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. “ Matt 22:37-40
Our Values
Our values reflect the unique identity God has given our church. Our heart values are rooted in our past and our core values in our present. Together, these values propel us into the mission & vision God has set for us.
At our Heart we are:
Rooted in God's Word
The Bible is God’s true word that does not change and anchors us in a world where truth is relative. Sound doctrine and Biblical teaching are at the heart of our church.
Growing Together in Christlikeness
People are our priority! Relationships are the reason for and the means by which we grow as a discipling church to experience Jesus transformation.
A Place of Belonging for All
We are a home for a diverse group of people to come, as they are, and find belonging in Christ-centered and grace-filled community. We are one Body with many parts and stories.
Spreading the Gospel of Jesus
Teaching and equipping every person to share the transformational gospel of Jesus to our community and world is embedded deep within the heart of our church.
At our Core we're committed to:
Practicing Humility
We are far from perfect and acknowledge our need for God and His greatness. When we live in dependence on Him and in service to others, we make Him known to a hurting and broken world.
Extending Hospitality
When we extend hospitality, we reflect the love of Jesus and create a safe and welcoming environment for people to be known and grow in relationship.
Investing in Families & Future Generations
We invest in children and families as they grow, cultivating the gifts God’s given them, so one day He will reap a harvest of righteousness for His Kingdom.
Beliefs & Statement of Faith
Denomination
Westminster Chapel is made up of people from several different denominations who hold to a common purpose and statement of faith. We refer to ourselves as a Christ-centered, non-denominational church.
Statement of Faith & Doctrine
- We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as being verbally inspired by God and completely inerrant in the original writings and of supreme and final authority in faith and life.
- We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, and is true God and true man.
- We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned, and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and, in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word, and deed.
- We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.
- We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into Heaven, and His present life for us as High Priest and Advocate.
- We believe in “that blessed hope,” the personal, premillenial, and imminent return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
- We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God, a relationship in which they are eternally secure.
- We believe that all who are born of the Holy Spirit belong to the one true Church, the Body of Christ.
- We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost.
Statement of Practice
- We believe that God created men and women equal and unique. Both are co-heirs in the grace and forgiveness of God with access by grace through faith to all the gifts God has given through His Son.
- We believe that God created the unique covenant of marriage as a life-long commitment between one man and one woman.
- We believe that God established local authority in the form of godly and qualified elders. The church functions best when the members exist under the authority of biblical eldership.
Our Story
How It Began
It all began in a funeral home. The year was 1964. Thirteen families gathered to form a Bible-based church in Bellevue, Washington—then a sleepy suburb of Seattle. Pastor Wilbur Antisdale, fondly known as “Pastor A”, led a growing fellowship of believers who desired a diverse community that would be faithful to God’s Word and courageous for His mission. A place of belonging for all in a community rooted in God’s unchanging Word. They called it Westminster Chapel, named after the historic Westminster confession which similarly sought to unify people of different backgrounds around a strong confession of faith. In that funeral home God birthed something beautiful.
Thankfully they outgrew the funeral home and by God’s grace, Westminster Chapel has continued to remain steadfast, becoming a faithful constant within the greater Eastside. Spreading the Gospel of Jesus has always been at the heart of Westminster, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the leadership of Westminster’s elders and preceding senior pastors, Mark Neuenschwander and Gary Gulbransen, they established partnerships both here, near and far away to meet the spiritual, physical and relational needs of all people. They took the Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all nations,” quite literally, because, simply put, we want to grow together in Christlikeness. And in 2020 Westminster welcomed Ryan Falls, his wife Liz, and their daughter to build upon this rich legacy and cast a vision for the good future God has for His people and this church.
How It Continues
Jesus Transformation
In our polarized world where truth is often subjective, we teach and stand upon the Word of God, the Bible, but with the humble and compassionate heart of Christ. We long to make Him known to this hurting and broken world, and our hope is for every person who calls Westminster Chapel their home to never stop growing in their ability to listen and love like our Savior, Jesus. And we know this can only happen if we are transformed by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Simply put, it’s Jesus Transformation.
A Church for all generations & all people
And this transformation is meant for every person, from the toddlers in the nursery to the great-grandparent in the pew. It’s good news for everyone! We want to be a church that equips families and raises the next generation in His truth and grace, to carry this great news of salvation—of true love, freedom & belonging—to their friends & families, schools & workplaces; to the farthest corners of this world that our Father made and called “very good.”
