The Christian life is a life of worship---as daily and continually, individually and corporately, believers join all of creation in responding to the goodness of God. In the tradition of the early believers, Oakland gathers for worship on Sunday, the Day of Resurrection, to corporately remember God's love through Christ and to actively celebrate God's presence through the Spirit.

Affirming that worship is the most important activity of humans and that it has no other purpose than to glorify God, we joyfully respond to the ancient decree of worshiping God "with all of our hearts, minds, souls and strength," (Deuteronomy 6:5; Mark 12:30) approaching worship as a means of giving to God. We do not seek in worship to receive, but to make an offering---a congregational offering of our best and complete selves in God's worship.

Being a community of faith that calls itself "Baptist" means that we claim our heritage among those churches that call themselves "free." Congregations in the "free church" tradition, have no prescribed order of worship, no common worship book, or any binding instructions on how the common worship of God should take place. Therefore, we have the tremendous and humbling responsibility of developing congregational worship that is faithful to our theology while understanding that our theology and worship should always be in a state of maturing growth and constant renewal.

A church seriously seeking renewal in worship is assisted by questions that help determine the theological integrity of its corporate worship:

• Is our worship faithful to the Word of God? (our continuing experience with the Living Word, Christ, as well as the Bible)

• Is our worship in touch with the roots from which it has sprung? (historic Christian worship practices throughout the centuries)

• Is our worship an expression of contemporary experience? (connected to the vital events and concerns of people's lives)

• Does our worship engage the fullness of humanity? (using all of our God-given senses and abilities to think, feel and act)

• Does our worship include all members of the community? (considering and involving all persons and age groups in the worshipping body)