Church is people not a building – We believe that people are the building blocks of a church, not wood and nails. We believe that church is an assembly of people who have been changed from the inside out by God’s love and Spirit. We believe that we are all in progress and God will accomplish his perfect will through imperfect people. (1 Peter 2:4-6; 1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12:3-21)
Church is a person – We are the body of Christ: his arms, his hands, his legs, and his feet. We want people to meet Jesus when they meet His Church. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
Church is a verb – Who we are is defined by what we do. We are not defined by where we meet or by the name above the door. Jesus Christ is the one who qualifies us and defines who we are. As his adopted family, we are called to love and serve the world for which Jesus died. We believe a healthy church is one where every believer is living out their God-given abilities and desires to bring life-giving influence to our world. (Colossians 1:9-14; Romans 8:14-16, Matthew 5:13-15)
Our Purpose – Love God, Love People (Mark 12:28-31) As we grow in our understanding and experience God’s love for us, we are compelled to love him with our first and our best. We love God by looking to him as our source of life and complete satisfaction of all our soul desires. Our love for God is reflected in our trust and obedience to his living and active word, the Bible. (1 John 4:19; Matthew 22:36-40; John 14:15) How we love people is a reflection of how we have experienced God’s love for us. We want to help others experience God’s love, acceptance, and forgiveness so that they will reflect God’s love in all of their relationships. (John 13:34; John 15:9; Luke 7:47;
Colossians 3:13)
We value the Word of God – as the source of truth and life and the revealer of God’s heart for his creation through his son Jesus Christ. (John 14:5-6; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12-13)
We value God’s Good News – of hope, healing, and rescue from death through his son Jesus Christ. (Luke 4:14-21)
We value Prayer – as submission and acknowledgment of our desperate need for and gratefulness to God for his grace and mercy to help us. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Philippians 4:4-7; Matthew 6:5-13, Hebrews 4:16)
We value People – regardless of age, skill, looks, history, or language; God loves every one of us the same. (Matthew 5:43-48; Matthew 19:13-14; Ephesians 2:10)
We value Community – and using our time and resources in ways that reflect the value of relationships and people in our church and city. Community is built as we come to know each other in significant ways which allows us to encourage, pray for, serve, and love well. (1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12)
We value Real – and fight the urge to pose or represent anything other than authentic relationships that reflect honesty and integrity in our journey to be all that God intends for us. (Romans 12:3; James 1:22-24)
We value Growth – as the goal, not perfection. We are all in process of being created into the likeness of Christ. (Philippians 1:6)
We value Intentional – and look to know why we do what we do. We make choices to honor God through thoughtful stewardship of our time, resources, and relationships. (2 Corinthians 9:6-11; Joshua 4:14-15)
We value Leadership Development – because God has called every one of us to grow in our faith, influence and disciple making. (Matthew 28:18-20, Titus 1:5-9)
We value Excellence – and choose to bring God our first and our best in everything we do and say. (Colossians 3:17; Proverbs 3:9-10)
