OUR CORE VALUES
We unashamedly and uncompromisingly strive to be:
Biblically-Based
God's Word is our guide, authority and conscience in everything. We stand firm where it stands firm and remain flexible where it is flexible.
Christ-Centered
Jesus is Lord and head of the church, and it is for Him that we exist. Full devotion to Him is normal for the believer.
Grounded in Grace
We acknowledge our complete dependence on the goodness and grace of God in everything. We ourselves have benefited from the kind intention of His will; therefore we eagerly extend it to others.
Passionate about Prayer
We do not believe that prayer is merely preparation for the work. We believe prayer is continually an essential part of the work.
Authentic in Our Walk
Authenticity, integrity, openness and sincerity will define us. "The goal of our instruction is love, from a good conscience, a pure heart and a sincere faith."
Committed to the Uncommitted
We believe that lost people matter to God; therefore they matter to us. Jesus came to seek and save the lost and has left us here in part to do the same. Our individual lives and corporate efforts will reflect this conviction.
Relevant & Innovative
The Bible does not tell us to use only certain styles of music, or to present our message only through words. The Bible does make it clear, however, that we are to find ways to effectively bring the message "into all the world" in order to make disciples. We believe this will require careful scrutiny of everything we do - new practices and old - and a willingness to change when necessary within biblical parameters, in order that we, "by all possible means might save some."
We value openness to change and flexibility, believing that such a climate is conducive to personal, relational and spiritual growth. We will be structured to allow for change, freshness and innovation. We strive to keep tradition in perspective. We constantly ask whether every tradition or practice is optimally serving the biblical purpose for which it was originally designed. If it is, we keep it. If it is not, and if the Scriptures give us leeway on how to accomplish that purpose, then we aggressively work to find a better way.
Committed to Community
Belonging to our community requires a visible commitment to being intentionally involved with others in accountable and encouraging relationships. We believe life-change happens best in the context of relationships. In clusters of caring people, participants share and encourage each other toward spiritual growth. Here people can experience both the benefits of a larger church and yet enjoy the kind of relationships that only develop in small, safe settings.
Membership in our body requires a tangible commitment to our purposes and our vision as outlined in our membership class. Everyone is welcome to attend our church and participate in our times of celebration and encouragement. It is our intention, however, to call all believers in our midst into membership.
We desire our fellowship to be a caring family that values community, informality, spontaneity, freedom of expression, humor, fun, commitment and loyalty. In our pursuit of holiness, we will acknowledge our imperfection and provide an environment in which people are free to risk, fail and find grace and encouragement in time of need.
Focused on Ministry & Service
We believe that each believer has received a special gift and should employ it in serving others, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
OTHER POSITIONS WE HOLD:
Pursuit of God
We desire all to be in a passionate, relentless pursuit of God's heart, mind, presence, voice and to follow after Him.
Preeminence of Jesus Christ
We believe full devotion to Christ is normal for the believer. We desire to emulate the attributes of Christ and be increasingly conformed to His image.
Dependence on the Spirit of God
We acknowledge our need to be completely yielded to and guided by the Spirit. God's purposes will be accomplished here not by our great efforts, but by His great work through us and in us.
Application of God's Word
We believe the Bible is to be taught and applied to lives with equal passion. We seek to know and live the Scriptures. The best theology is an applied theology.
Servant Leadership
We acknowledge the significant leadership authority Christ has put in the hands of the pastor and the elders. We expect all leaders to exercise that authority by modeling humility, selflessness, grace, care for His sheep and sacrifice, so that others might advance in their faith and faithfulness.
Worship
We do not desire to mandate or be identified by any particular form or practice in worship, but to create a worship environment that resonates with the soul of the worshipers. This will occur in an atmosphere of freedom, in which people can express their heart for God while at all times maintaining sensitivity to others.
Children
We view children not only as the future, but as a significant part of the church right now. Our goal is to raise passionate followers of Christ, so we believe our children are worth all the time and energy we can invest in them.
Training & Discipleship
Intentional participation in relationships with others at different levels of spiritual maturity is essential. While we provide many formal occasions for growth, we place a higher priority on the value of relationships. Jesus apprenticed His disciples, even as His disciples today are called to mentor or be mentored by others.
Relationships
We believe life-change happens best in the context of relationships. We value honest relationships where truth is spoken in love and every member takes responsibility for the well-being and reputation of others they know in the body.
Diversity
We agree that churches more easily attract others with similar preferences and/or life experiences and therefore acknowledge that simply by being who we are we are necessarily "targeting" a certain segment of our society. Our desire, however, is that the Holy Spirit will bless us with a rich diversity of ages, life-stages, religious, racial, educational and socioeconomic backgrounds. We desire to foster an atmosphere of unity that communicates warmth and acceptance of all that care to join us. It is our hope that the things that ultimately define us are those that speak to the needs of the entire human race, not only specific ethnic or demographic ones. Therefore, we stress such universal concerns as forgiveness, redemption, significance, peace, meaning and truth above styles, tastes and preferences.
Unity
We embrace diversity but require unity in the essentials, understanding in the non-essentials and seek in every way to love others as Christ has first loved us. We have a great commitment to the great commandment and the great commission, believing by this alone God will make us a great church.
Simplicity
We wish to do nothing "for religious effect" but rather to live, serve and worship in an authentic and natural way.
Missions
In response to Christ's directive to spread His Good News, we pursue a multi-faceted approach in helping reach people everywhere. Our church desires to take a servant approach in equipping and supporting various indigenous ministries that have proven effective in their own culture. We encourage members to serve locally and abroad. In addition, we seek to involve our church in projects to communicate the Gospel, and share our resources to empower the church locally, nationally and worldwide.
The Poor
We are God's extended hands. We must, with vision and servant leadership, increasingly learn to minister directly to the poor, sometimes with our money, sometimes with our lives. We must live in fellowship with an awareness of our blessings and corresponding responsibility to others.
Excellence
We believe excellence honors God and reflects His character. We strive for excellence without compromise in all areas of our ministry and lives.