There are a lot of ideas out there about how people should function as a church. We believe that God gives principles in the Bible for us to follow as a healthy, active, missional community of believers. Here are some simple explanations for how Second Mile chooses to function in order to follow patterns we see in the Bible. If you have further questions about any of these areas, please contact an elder. If you have questions about Second Mile's theology, check out our theology page.

Leadership

Second Mile is lead by a group of elders because we believe this is the Biblical way to set up church leadership. The elders are men who meet the qualifications for leadership found in the Bible. They take on the task of casting vision, making community decisions, carrying out church discipline, shepherding members, and teaching the church.

Gathering

In the book of Ephesians, the church is described as a body seeking unity in Jesus. We gather to learn and worship as members of that body hoping to know each other, learn together, praise God together, and then go out into our city to do what God would have us do. This continues three activities that happen throughout the Bible: meeting together as a large spiritual community, learning from teaching and preaching, and actively glorifying God in worship.

Core Communities

Throughout the week, small groups of people from Second Mile meet regularly and consistently in homes around Tucson. We call these community groups. The book of Acts shows people at each other’s homes, eating together, talking about what God has done, discussing the teaching they hear from their leaders, supporting each other, and enjoying friendship. We set up community groups to help build community among the members of Second Mile and provide a place for new believers or people with questions about Jesus to ask questions.

Baptism

Baptism is an outward expression of inward faith. The word “baptism” comes from the Greek word baptizo, which literally means “to plunge, immerse, or dip.” The practice started with a man named John who starting telling people about Jesus and immersing them in a river and bringing them back up as a symbol of leaving behind an old self and becoming a new person in Jesus. Second Mile baptizes people who have made the decision to follow Jesus because we believe baptism is an act of obedience, a visible declaration of the gospel, and an act of association with Jesus and his church. If you have questions about baptism or would like to be baptized, talk to an elder.