About Us

Our Purpose

Our purpose is for all ages to discover identity and activate purpose for local and global Kingdom impact

our motivation

A person’s values are the true motivation behind what they do. At Giving Light, we have a defined set of values that you will find woven through every part of our unique expression. Our passion is to see shared values connect and for great partnerships to be formed. This collaboration creates an atmosphere where mutual validation and growth are fostered, as well as an empowering culture where personal purpose is activated and corporate vision fulfilled.

Our core values

Bravery

We are passionately committed to and demonstrating the Word, presence, and power of God. Because of this, we courageously and continually pursue Him to partner with what He is doing. Our mission is to pioneer and build platforms for God’s Kingdom to be established on the earth. This passion creates a prophetic apostolic environment where faith is increased and the supernatural released. We believe in a God of the impossible and we will boldly go where He leads.

Covenant

Giving Light is a living family organism where relationship matters. We believe in cultivating and demonstrating the exchange of healthy life. We honor, challenge, validate, defend, and care for one another through deep relationships of the heart. These ties transcend geographical location, but bind through a deep commitment to one another’s success.

Influence

We firmly believe in the training and activation of every believer to establish the Kingdom of God wherever they go. Our hope is that Giving Light’s equipping culture becomes a breeding ground for purpose, creativity, and strategy to be revealed, developed, and fulfilled. As this takes place, our goal is to see people of all ages continue to cultivate and activate what they receive—to be a righteous influence in every area of society and to see lives and cultures positively transformed.

The Foundation of a Brave Culture

by Pastor Joel Hilton | Giving Light Core Values

The Foundation of a Covenantal Culture

by Pastor Joel Hilton | Giving Light Core Values

The Foundation of Influence

by Pastor Joel Hilton | Giving Light Core Values

our Code of Conduct

We believe that the culture of the Kingdom is healthy, safe, secure and prosperous.

Therefore, our code of conduct is:

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We are a gossip-free zone

We are validating and encouraging in our communication.

We are a prejudice-free zone

We celebrate the unique God-given identity and purpose in each one.

We value infrastructure

We believe in systems and structures that foster health, growth, and safety.

We promote healthy boundaries

We believe in honoring one another and building trust.

What we believe

Giving Light is an aposotlic and prophetic church. 

These are our foundational beliefs…

We Believe that The Bible is the inspired Word of God and the revealed will of God.

The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths. It is the infallible rule of faith and conduct. In its original writing, it is inspired, infallible and inerrant (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:23-25; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26; Hebrews 4:12).

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We Believe that there is one true Godhead comprised of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All are coequal and coeternal.

There is one God, eternally existent and self-revealed in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and co-eternal, comprised of three separate and distinct personalities and function as one entity. Jesus Christ, who is God manifested in the flesh, is the second member of the Godhead, co-equal and co-eternal with The Father and The Holy Spirit. (John 1:1, 14; 1 John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11).

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We Believe that Jesus Christ is God the Son who was born of a virgin and lived a sinless life.

Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. He was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, and born of a virgin; therefore, He is the Son of God. He performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. According to the Scriptures, He rose from the dead on the third day, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory (John 1:1,14, 20:28; 1 Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; 1 Timothy 2:5; Matthew 1:18, 25; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35).

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We Believe in salvation through the redemptive work of the shed blood of Jesus.

Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he fell; his only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death (1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29).

On the cross, Jesus Christ became sin and sickness providing both salvation and divine healing for all mankind. We are justified and saved freely by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts. Salvation is activated by confessing with your mouth the Lord Jesus. And believing with your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. (Genesis 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22; Psalm 103:3; Romans 3:24; ).

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We Believe that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead in three days.

Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross. In addition, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation (Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Acts 24:15; Revelation 20:11-15; 1 Corinthians 15:42, 44; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21).

We Believe that Jesus Christ indwells all Believers.

Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and live inside them by His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority of their lives over to him thus making Jesus the Lord of their life as well as Savior. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead (John 1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelations 3:20).

We Believe in the committed process of repentance, regeneration, and sanctification.

Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation (Acts 2:21, 3:19; 1 John 1:9).

The washing of regeneration refers to being born again. Being made a New Creation in Christ. In Titus 3:5, washing means cleaning something thoroughly. Regeneration means taking an already existing thing and making it new. For anyone to know God, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential (John 6:44, 65; Titus 3:5).

Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life (1 Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11).

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We Believe that the Church is the Body of Christ and that each believer is an integral part.

The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ great commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the Church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23).

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We Believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are still alive and active for all Believers today.

The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of Biblical parameters (Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11, 12 :4-8; Ephesians 4:16; 2 Timothy 1:5-16, 4:14; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; 1 Peter 4:10).

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We Believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

Given at Pentecost, baptism in the Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension, to empower the church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth. The full consummation of the Baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is evidenced by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance, and by the subsequent manifestation of spiritual power in public testimony and service. We Believe that all believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek, the promise of the Father, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to the command of Jesus Christ. With this comes the endowment of power for life and service, the bestowment of gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry. This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Joel 2:28-29; Luke 24:49; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:4-8, 2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:14-17, 15:7-9; 19:1-6; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31).

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We Believe that Jesus is still healing the sick through Believers today.

Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus, and included in the commission of Jesus to all His disciples. It is given as a sign which is to follow believers. It is also a part of Jesus’ work on the Cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit (Psalm 103:2-3; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 8:6-7; James 5:14-16; 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28; Romans 11:29).

We Believe in living like Jesus and fostering Kingdom community.

The inward evidence to the believer is the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of true holiness and love (1 John 3:23; John 13:35).

We Believe in fostering a Kingdom culture that thrives through love, trust, honor, and unity. Gossip, dissention and criticism are not a part of our community, therefore, we believe in accountability and loving correction to support our covenant values of healthy, life-giving relationship (Matthew 18:15-18; 1 Timothy 5:19-20; 2 Timothy 4:1-2; Titus 1:12-13; Titus 2:13-15; Revelation 3:19).

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We Believe in the powerful public declaration of water baptism.

Baptism in water is a declaration to the world that a believer has died with Christ and that they have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Believer is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Acts 10:47-48; Romans 6:4).

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We Believe in partaking of the Lord's Supper.

We Believe in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper by eating of the bread and drinking of the cup (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) as a remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. We call this practice, “communion.” (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-30).

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We Believe in the sacrament of foot washing.

The ordinance of foot washing shall be observed as seen fit by all established places of worship, as enjoined in the Scriptures (John 13:1-17; Luke 7:36-50).

We Believe that Jesus is coming to earth again.

Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom. This date is unknown by anyone but the Father and undisclosed by the Scriptures (Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7).

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We Believe in eternity with Christ in Heaven for all Believers.

Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; John 17:24; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; 1 Peter 1:4).

We Believe in the choice to reject the Gospel of Jesus and receive the eternal consequences of Hell.

After living one life on earth, those who have not received or have chosen to reject the Gospel of Jesus will be judged by God, eternally separated from the Godhead, and sent to Hell where they will be eternally tormented with the Devil and the Fallen Angels (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 14:9-11, 19:20; 20:12-15, 21:8).

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We Believe that God's desire for Believers is abundant life.

It is the Father’s will for believers to become whole, healthy, and successful in all areas of life. But because of the fall, many may not receive the full benefits of God’s will while on Earth. That fact, though, should never prevent all believers from seeking the full benefits of Christ’s provision in order to better serve others. We Believe in total prosperity: spiritually, mentally, physically, financially, and socially (John 3:3, 11; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10; 2 Timothy 1:7, 2:11; Philippians 4:7-8, 19; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3; Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:17; I Peter 2:24; 3 John 1:2; Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 9:6-10 Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Proverbs 3:4; Joshua 1:8; Psalm 34:10).

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We Believe marriage is a sacred union between one man and one woman.

We believe in the historically Christian view of marriage and sexual expression; namely, that marriage is a lifelong one-flesh covenant union between two sexually different persons (male and female) from different families, and that all sexual practice outside of marriage is sin. (Mark 10:6-9; Genesis 2:24; 1 Corinthians 7:2; 1 Timothy 3:2; Leviticus 20:13; 1 Corinthians 7:2-3; Leviticus 18:6-18)

We Believe in both men and women in leadership.

Grounded in the truth that in Christ there is neither male nor female (Galatians 3:28), we believe that God equips and empowers all believers for ministry. Therefore, we believe wholeheartedly that men and women are equally gifted and qualified to lead and serve as co-laborers in the church. We do not simply permit, but expressly value, the presence of both men and women in these various facets of church leadership, including the role of elder.

  • We believe that full equality between women and men does not mean women and men are completely the same. There is goodness and beauty uniquely represented in each gender that profoundly reflects and glorifies God.
  • We believe God gives leadership in the church on the basis of grace, calling, spiritual gifts, obedience, and character.
  • We believe both women and men can and should lead, preach, pastor, and minister within the church. We believe women and men doing this together will result in a more robust ministry of love and grace than one gender can sustain alone.

Examples with Scriptures of Women in Church Leadership:

  • A woman is the first person that Jesus comes out and tells He is the Messiah. She is also responsible for telling a whole town about Jesus and they believe in Him (John 4:25, 26, 29, 30).
  • Women are included in receiving the Holy Spirit as well as men. Women will prophesy as well as men (Acts 2:17, 18).
  • Priscilla, with her husband, taught Apollos the way of the Lord more accurately (Acts 18:24-26).
  • The women Euodia and Syntyche ministered with the Apostle Paul in spreading the Gospel (Philippians 4:2, 3).
  • Women Prophets: 
    • Miriam (Exodus 15:20).
    • Deborah judged all of Israel as well as being a prophet (Judges 4:4).
    • Anna, a prophet in the Temple recognized and declared Jesus as the Messiah when His parents brought Him as a Child to be circumcised (Luke 2:36-38).
    • Philips had 4 daughters that prophesied (Acts 21:8, 9).

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We Believe in a lifestyle of worship.

God does not need for us to worship Him, however, our worship, thanks, and praise to Him demonstrate the condition of our hearts, and our understanding of who He is, who we are, and what we have received through Him. In other words, what we truly believe in our hearts is what we will say with our mouths and do with our actions. Our gratitude and worship, even in the midst of difficult circumstances, demonstrate our understanding of what we believe we have received, and what we believe to be truth.

It actually helps us as an act or step of faith to worship Him, give thanks to Him, and to praise Him, no matter what things seem like in the natural. We thank, praise, and worship God extravagantly, as we meditate on Who He is and what He has done. It keeps our thoughts and heart focused on Him, our only answer and salvation. (Luke 6:45; Hebrews 12:28).

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We Believe that God has called us to co-labor with Him.

As children and heirs of God, as kings and priests that serve God and His Kingdom, we have been given dominion, authority, and responsibility to spread His Kingdom—the Kingdom of Heaven—on this earth. Co-laboring with God to bring His Kingdom to earth in its fullness is not just a suggestion. We have been empowered to do it, and we have been given the command to do it. He is our Head that has dominion and authority over all things, and we are His body walking in that dominion and authority on this earth. (Genesis 1:26-28; Matthew 10:5,7-8; Matthew 28:16-20; 1 Peter 2:9; Mark 4:30-32).

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