About Us
Immanuel is a diverse, multi-generational people who love God, one another, and our community. We hope that when you walk in our doors, you can echo what so many before you have said - 'this feels like home away from home.' Whoever you are, and wherever you are in your faith journey, you are welcome here!
We Strive To...
Keep Jesus as Our Center
We want to live, teach, and become like Jesus Christ in all we say and do. Our relationship with Jesus will be reflected in our love for God, ourselves, and our neighbors. We want to know what Jesus really taught, and live this out into our communities and world.
Be Welcome, Open, and Inclusive of All
We hope that everyone who walks through our doors experiences the love of God and knows they are welcomed, loved, accepted, and included by our church community.
“Above all, love each other deeply" - 1 Peter 4:8
Embrace Our Own Diversity!
In an ever polarizing world, we have learned to accept the fact that just like a family, we won't always agree. It's not uncommon to find yourself sitting next to someone in worship who voted differently than you, holds different beliefs than you, and even finds themselves in a very different salary bracket than you. We are rich and poor, ethnically diverse, young, and old, theologically traditional, and theologically progressive... you get the point! We believe this is one thing that makes our church unique. Even in our differences, you are welcome to join our diverse community of faith, as together we promise to walk with you in your own faith journey just as you are!”
Our vision as we look towards the future is...
To Love Our Neighborhood Well
Whether it is our neighbors at East Carolina University, or in the Greenville area, we hope to build meaningful relationships and serve the spiritual, relational, and physical needs of the community around us.
To Empower the Next Generations and Empathize with Our Young People
We want to empower our young people in leadership roles and support their gifts and talents in the church and community.
We want our church to be a safe place for hard questions and difficult conversations.
To Prioritize Young Families, While Continuing to Care for All Ages
While we care for every age demographic, we want to be intentional about investing into the spiritual and relational needs of young families.
How do we accomplish this vision?
Through our Worship
We want you to come to worship in a relaxed, "come as you are" atmosphere. Our worship is a blend of modern and traditional music, as we together connect to the spirit of God in worship. We believe that we were created to worship God, our Creator. We will worship through a spirit of giving - through our tithes and resources as we give back to God through our mission.
Through our Missions and Outreach
We want to proactively serve and love our community with the love of Jesus, not just in words, but in action. ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ - Matthew 25:40 Become better neighbors by serving the people of Greenville and beyond while also finding and developing relationships in the process. We will maximize our mission efforts with our closest neighbor, East Carolina University!
Through Fellowship and Small Groups
We believe there is a need for personal connection more now than peraps ever before. We will develop both Sunday School groups at church and Small Groups in homes for all ages to encourage discipleship, relationship, spiritual formation, and community. The early church called this "fellowship". We will encourage hard conversations in safe environments as we together explore faith and spirituality. We will coordinate church wide functions, events, and meals that help build better intergenerational relationships in the church and surrounding community.
Through the use of our facilities
It can be sad to see large church facilities unused. We realize that this building and property is one of the greatest gifts God has given us. We hope to help give back to our community by allowing our space to be a site for ministry, mission, and outreach.
Through staff and volunteers like you!
Doing the things we believe that God has called us to through fellowship, mission, and worship takes a lot of work. We believe that faith was not meant to be done alone. We would love for you to join us in this mission to love God and love our community!
What We Believe
Why are we Baptist?
We are proud to be Baptist. It is a designation with a rich heritage of religious freedom. It was founded by those who knew that matters of faith were ultimately matters of personal conviction, that no one – family, minister, denomination, or government – could determine another’s faith. In recent times, however, many have come to associate “Baptist” with a variety of negative terms, positions, and practices, that do not reflect who we are at Immanuel. We hope that our example, and the baptist affiliations we serve beside will change this narrative into one that is both positive and transformational.
Who are our partners in ministry?
Our primary partner in ministry is the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina.
You can find their website here.
We also help support our local baptist associations with various local and global mission needs.
God
We believe the One living God, who is holy, infinite, and true. God is the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of all things in heaven and earth. To God we give the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal God is revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence, or being.
