Our History:

In June of 2002 a group of people, hungry for revival and Apostolic renewal, joined Rev. Ken Dillingham, a former twelve-year evangelist, and embarked on the journey of a lifetime. That group which began with 19 members in the basement of a charter members home felt a sense of awakened destiny and made a covenant to drive toward the vision that God placed in our hearts. We arrived at our first goal (to have 100 in service by Christmas) in December 2002 with a Sunday attendance of 108. From there we travel this road of destiny with continued faith, focusing on the fulfillment of all that God has promised.

Our Purpose:

We realize that the church was designed on purpose and with a purpose. This purpose, as defined by Jesus himself, requires that we be vigilant about the condition of our souls and aware of the reason for our existence. We realize that we are to be salt and light, that we have a responsibility to a lost world, and that we are to invest our strengths, our talents, our resources, even our very lives in a unified effort to accomplish the mission that Jesus has placed before us. Therefore churches are established that the Kingdom of God and the work that Jesus began two millennia ago would continue to thrive. Our goal is to become what God called us to be. At LifeWay, the Pentecostals of Miami Valley are endeavoring to successfully perform the "first function" of the church by synchronizing every available talent and resource toward the focused fulfillment of "Our Shared Vision "… To declare the whole gospel of Jesus Christ and demonstrate God's love to our world."

The People behind the Purpose:

It would be hard to give the history of a church without recognizing that God's Church consists of people from various backgrounds. They are men, women, and children who have found ultimate meaning in Jesus Christ. The Pentecostals of Miami Valley are people from all walks of life: some with rich Apostolic heritage, some with none; some have come seeking salvation, some seeking renewal, and some seeking a refuge, all simply seeking Jesus.

What We Believe

The One Eternal God: (1 Tim 3:16)
We believe that the Word of God declares that God is one in both essence and person. His essence and substance is an omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent spirit which cannot be contained or separated. He is the Almighty God-the eternal, self-existent one. His deity is not shared with any other and His name one. In this, God's essence and substance has never changed. Since God is a Spirit and we cannot visibly see Him, God created many earthly manifestations of his presence. The most notable of these was God coming in human form as the begotten son, Jesus Christ. (John 1:1, 14, Heb. 1:3) God also uses earthly relationships which express His role in human existence. He expressed Himself as our Heavenly Father who created us. He expressed Himself as the Son of God/ Son of Man who redeems us. And He is the Holy Spirit which lives in us. All of these of course being the invisible God in transitory roles of relationship not three personalities or persons.

The Blood of Jesus Christ:
We believe that the blood of Jesus Christ atones for our sins and iniquity. It is through His shed blood that we are saved, healed and set free from bondage and the forces of darkness (Romans 5:9-11; Ephesians 1:7; Revelation 12:11). The blood of Jesus is more than religious symbolism but the very essence of Jesus' saving qualities. The Bible is plain that without the shedding of blood there is no remission and the this came only by and through the perfect sinless blood of Jesus. Because the blood of Jesus is invoked in baptism we only baptize in the name of Jesus whose blood alone can cleanse sin. (Heb 10:4) For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. (Heb 10:5) Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: (Acts 20:28) Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

The Holy Bible/Word of God:
We believe that the Bible is the true infallible Word of God. God's Word is complete and without error. There can be no further additions or modifications without tainting its purity and truth. The Word of God does not change with time. Having God as its author, His word is perpetual and applicable to all people, generations, civilizations and times. It is mankind's responsibility to conform to God's word. It is definitive and will not be compromised. Within the Word of God, the only source of peace and eternal life can be found. It holds the words of eternal life and the keys of the Kingdom of God. The Bible shows us God's principles and standards for living; and it is the food that sustains us in all circumstances (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 John 2:5-6). We believe that we are to wash and renew our minds daily by the Word of God.

Full Salvation:
Acts 2:38 includes for us the full plan of salvation. Jesus told Peter that unto him would be given the keys to open the doors to the kingdom. Those keys became the foundation of the Apostles message and include Repentance: a total change of heart and mind; Baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins: a submersion in water calling on the saving name of God; Being Filled with the Holy Ghost (Spirit): spiritual regeneration and the seal of God upon the heart.
Water Baptism:
We believe scripture teaches that believers are commanded to be water baptized by immersion and in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and the "circumcision of our hearts." It is through baptism that we personally, experientially and effectually identify with the death and burial of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:3-6; Colossians 2:11-14; Acts 2:38).

Holy Living:
We believe in justification by faith. We believe that salvation is free and apart from any work of man as a result of the sovereign grace of God. (Eph 2:8-9, Gal 5:5, Rom 5:1) Just as Abram did not merit the call of God upon His life to become the chosen patriarch of the Hebrew people we do not merit the salvation of God. But just as obedience to the call of God required action on Abram's part so we believe that a holy lifestyle is our obligated response to this free gift of salvation. This is not works unto salvation but works of faith and obedience. We must learn His ways and exchange our way of thinking for His. We must not be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our minds. We are to be conformed to the Kingdom of God by the molding and shaping of His Hands (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:23-29; Philippians4:8).
We believe that in Godly living and the pursuit of a holy life should be the goal of every believer. (Heb 12:14, Phil 3:14)

Infilling of the Holy Spirit:
We believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is evidenced by the initial the sign of speaking in other tongues. We believe that Christians must be filled daily, but the manifestation of the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence is a changed life (Acts 2:4; Ephesians 5:18-21).
We believe in the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He ministers to His people through tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy; words of knowledge and wisdom, discerning of spirits, faith, working of miracles, and healing (Mark 16:15-18; Acts 5:16; 2 Corinthians 12:1-11).

Divine Healing and Spiritual Authority:
We believe that it is God's will to heal and deliver His people today as He did in the days of the first Apostles. It is by the stripes of Jesus that we are healed, delivered and made whole. We have authority over sickness, disease, demons, curses, and every circumstance in life (Luke 10:19; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5; 1 Peter 2:24).
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature... And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mark 16:15-18)

Worship:
We believe in worshipping the Lord in spirit, song, dance and with the raising of our hands. We believe that we are to praise and worship Him with our whole being (Psalms 150:1-6; John 4:24).

The Soon Return of Our Lord
The personal, premillenial, and imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ is our hope and has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer.
There will be a bodily resurrection of all the dead; of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord, and of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment.