The Pentecostal “movement,” as it has been called, is about God’s power in us and for us, not just speaking in tongues. So what you’re reading is meant to help clarify what we’re about at CHC as we follow the Apostle Paul’s lead in teaching on this topic. God gives many “spiritual gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:1) to the Church so that we can live in God's power. This is for the ultimate purpose of knowing Him better, living life with hope, and telling others the good news of Jesus. At no time in history has God stopped giving these gifts, but there have been times when believers have not been receptive to them. Speaking in tongues is an important gift, but it is no more important to us than other gifts. Speaking in tongues is the way that the disciples first declared the good news of Jesus at Pentecost in Acts 2, miraculously speaking the actual languages of foreign Jews visiting Jerusalem. Many first converts responded to being instantly “filled” with the Holy Spirit by speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues is how some Christians personally edify or encourage themselves by the Spirit (1 Cor. 14:4) and communicate thanksgiving (1 Cor. 14:16-17). You might call this a “prayer language.” These tongues can be interpreted so that others may understand what is being said and, in turn, be encouraged and give thanks. Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians that he “would like everyone to speak in tongues,” although he would rather have them prophesy, speaking a message to everyone from God that can be understood without the need for interpretation (1 Cor. 14:5).

Historically, there’s been a lot of confusion about tongues. Over time, some traditions have developed in the Pentecostal movement. Here are a few:

• Tongues being used as a form of prophecy (a “message in tongues”) that is understood as God himself speaking through tongues to the church.
• Speaking in tongues disruptively during worship, often doing so without interpretation. We believe that speaking in tongues is perfectly appropriate in worship, but should ideally happen in a quiet manner because of its personal nature.
• Speaking in tongues has been described as the way to tell whether or not someone has been filled with the Holy Spirit. 
• Being Pentecostal has often meant avoiding order, clarity, education or intellectual thinking just because the gifts are mysterious.

We believe it is good to move beyond these traditions that are not firmly anchored in the Bible. In fact, we want to learn from the Corinthians’ mistakes, as they were firmly corrected by Paul for an overemphasis on tongues. We are excited that God’s people can be filled with the Holy Spirit, an awesome experience that is available to all Christians when they’ve come to faith in Jesus. Not all will speak in tongues as a result (1 Cor. 12:30) and not all have to, but we should desire to receive whatever spiritual gifts God wants to give us. This “filling” can happen sooner or later, it can happen often and it can happen anywhere. In the Bible, it often occurred when great power was needed for a task, for facing trouble, for encountering God more deeply, or for overcoming areas of personal sin or doubt. Being “filled” with the Holy Spirit, however, is different than baptism in (or with) the Holy Spirit. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is an initiation into the new life and indwelling presence of God, promised by Jesus before he ascended to the Father’s side (John 16:7, 1 Cor. 12:13).

Conclusion: This topic has a way of raising lots of questions, so please understand that what you’ve just read isn’t everything there is to know, but hopefully it will help you begin to see what being Pentecostal is all about. We hope you will soon discover how God wants to pour out his power on you, help you to love him and his people more and to be effective for him in your world. After all, it’s the fruit of the Spirit that tells us and others we know the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control! (Galatians 5:22).

Excerpted from our Membership Packet 

Spirit-Filled People - VIDEO
The video below is a an informative teaching on our understanding of what it means to be faithful to Christ and his word as Pentecostal believers.