Everthing you need to know about Family Church Albuquerque

Vision Statement:
OUR VISION AT FAMILY CHURCH CAN BE FOUND IN OUR PROCESS: CONNECTING PEOPLE TO GOD, COMMUNITY, SERVING AND THE SEARCHING.

Our weekend worship services are designed to connect you to God on an intimate level. We place a high priority on biblical teaching, engaging worship, and a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Because relationships are so important to us, we endeavor to create environments where people can connect with community. No one should stand alone. We offer community groups (small groups) designed to foster friendships with other people in a safe and caring environment.
We have a strong conviction that every follower of Christ should follow Jesus’ example of serving. Connecting to serving is vital for your spiritual growth, and you have the honor of impacting others. We offer strategic services teams so you can serve alongside others.
Expect to be encouraged and equipped to connect to the searching. We encourage people to reach out to others by investing in their lives and inviting them to Christ and the church.

Who We Are:
We are Family Church, a church committed to connecting to God, others, serving, and the searching. We do so each week in the following ways, and we invite you to join us on the journey…

Connect to God (Weekend services)
Our weekend services are designed to connect you to God through Biblical teaching and engaging worship.

Connect to Community (Community Groups)
Our small groups study the Bible, pray, and interact with each other. Adult Community Groups meet during the week in various locations. We also have Community Groups for students.

Connect to Serving
We believe every Christian should get to enjoy doing ministry (not just the "professional" ministers). We have volunteer ministry teams that serve this church and our community.

Connect to the Searching
We invest in the lives of our neighbors, coworkers, and friends and then invite them to Christ and church. We are also involved in missions all over the world.

What You Will Find:

Guest and Information Center. After you arrive on campus, you will see signs directing you to our Guest and Information Center. If you have any questions, we will be here for you.

Excellent Children's Ministry. We want this time to be the best time of your kid's week. We provide an age-specific environment designed with kids in mind. Kids have their very own worship service at Kidz Church! You may register your child in our children's ministry check-in at the main entrance.

To minimize distractions in our main worship service, we ask that children under 4 years of age participate in their age-specific program, instead of the main service.

Mission Affiliation: www.everynation.org

Core Values

1
We value SPIRITUAL GROWTH. In Keeping with the Great Commandment, we believe every member should commit to a lifestyle of consistent spiritual growth with honest accountability. A genuine love for God is always the first priority. Every Christian should yearn for continual spiritual growth. Therefore, discipleship through small groups, accountability, and open honesty is critical to maturing in our faith.

(Mark 12:29-31; Acts 2:44-47; 1 Peter 2:2; 1Timothy 4:7, 8; Proverbs 27:17)

2
We value PEOPLE. Every person, Christian and non-Christian alike, is valuable to God and to His Kingdom. Because people are eternally valuable to God, they are to us as well. Responsible evangelism will always be our cause and ongoing discipleship will always be the core of the ministry.

(Matthew 18:14; Matthew 25:45; 2 Peter 3:9)

3
We value EVANGELISM. We believe that the most effective evangelism happens through people inviting people. We believe that a life will reach a life. Each believer develops genuine relationships with friends and family and extends an invitation to them. Evangelism gets to be a normal, natural lifestyle of winning others to Christ, one by one.

(Proverbs 11:30; John 1:43-45; John 4:28-30)

4
We value RELATIONSHIPS. We believe that genuine love and caring relationships are key to the life of every endeavor. Refusing to give audience to a spirit of complaining, we will instead be courageous in solving every problem in a way that honors God and builds biblical character. We value healthy relationships by protecting the unity of the Spirit in our church.

(James 1:2, 3; 1 Peter 3:8, 9; 1Corinthians 13:8; Romans 16:17; Ephesians 4:3)

5
We value LEADERS. We believe in identifying and training emerging leaders who are fully committed to Christ and who will reach their generation with the Gospel. God is raising up men and women who will take the baton of godly character, authentic faith, and servant-hearted leadership into the next generation.

(2 Timothy 2:2; 1 Timothy 3:1; Titus 1:5-9; Psalm 78:6, 7)

6
We value TEAM. Doing church as a team is God's design for effective ministry.
A Spirit-empowered serving with the willing hearted involvement of every person is vital to God's plan being accomplished. Each believer will find his greatest joy and fulfillment when serving in his spiritual gifts and passion. Every believer is created for ministry, gifted for ministry, authorized for ministry, and needed for ministry.

(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Psalm 133:1; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1Peter 2:4-9, Mark 10:45; Ephesians 2:10; Romans 12; 1Corinthians 12:14-20)

7
We value EXCELLENCE. We believe that God is worthy of our very best.
Therefore, a growing spirit of excellence should permeate every activity. Not perfection but excellence with consistent evaluation and a willingness to improve for the sake of the Kingdom of God are distinctive of growing ministries.

(Psalm 78:72; Daniel 5:12; Colossians 3:17; Ecclesiastes 10:10)

8
We value CREATIVITY. A simple presentation of Jesus Christ in creative ways will impact and transform lives. Relating to our culture through creativity while remaining true to the Scriptures is a balance we will always keep. This allows us to present the Gospel in such a way that reaches the heart.

(1Corinthians 9:22, 23; Acts 17:22-34)

Our Staff

JR RUIZ – SENIOR PASTOR

Pastor J.R. was called into ministry four years after crossing the “thresh hold” of faith. He and his wife of thirty-two years, Sylvia, began to travel throughout Texas ministering in churches and speaking at conferences. In 1996, J.R. followed God’s call to leave his post as Director of Circulation for the Midland Reporter Telegram (Midland, Texas) and join the staff of Trinity Church Lubbock (Texas). J.R. served at Trinity Church as Facilitating Pastor over Evangelism, Assimilation, Communication, and Altar Ministry.
In 1997, J.R. then joined the staff of Mid-Cities Community Church (Midland, Texas) as Associate Pastor under Russ Austin and later Kevin York. J.R. remained on the staff of MCC until October 2000 when he and his family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico to plant the church he currently pastors. J.R. and Sylvia have three children, Eric, Jon-Michael and Brittany. J.R. and Sylvia have made it their aim to give their children a spiritual heritage and legacy. Currently, Eric serves as the Worship Leader and Outreach Team
Leader for Family Church. Jon-Michael and Brittany serve on the music team and other areas at Family Church Albuquerque.
My greatest passion in ministry is to see people experience a transforming relationship with Jesus Christ, connect practically with the Local Church and in turn, affect the world around them. My desire is to reach and influence our community by building a Bible-based Church, changing mindsets and empowering people to lead and make an impact in every sphere of life.

Sylvia Ruiz Women's and childrens Ministry

SYLVIA RUIZ – WOMEN'S MINISTRY AND CHILDREN'S MINSITRY DIRECTOR

Bio coming soon!

SHIRLY CASTANUELA – ADMINISTRATOR

Shirley Castanuela and her husband Jesse are former residents of Chicago, IL. They moved to Albuquerque in September, 2003 and they have two daughters and two grandchildren.. Shirley was a member of City Church International in Chicago for thirteen years and as of October, 2003 became a member of Family Church. Her current staff title is Family Church Administrator. She loves serving God and people. Her passion is prayer and missions. She leads a weekly prayer group at Family Church.