Our DNA
WE ARE ON A MISSION
to help ordinary people become passionate followers of Jesus Christ.
We try to do this by inspiring and leading our people to
- Love God with all of their lives
- Establish firm foundations in their faith
- Engage other believers in community
- Empower these communities to serve the church, the lost, and the least
OUR VISION
We see…
a church of real disciples, not part-time believers … people that love God as Father, follow Him as Rabbi, and honor Him as King … people that give themselves for one another, and the cause of the lost and the least.
a church of passion … people who stand so amazed at God’s grace that they can’t help but live lives of adventure and generosity. We see God leading us to spend ourselves for those who could never pay us back … strong with children, students, missions, and the poor. We have been sent.
a church where people feel like they can belong before they believe and believe before they behave. We also see a body with too much brown to be called a white church, and too much Hispanic to be called a black church; with too many kids to be called an old church, and too many wise ones to be called a young church – a church that models the diversity of God’s kingdom.
a congregation that loves God with more than Sundays and cares for people with more than words. We see a characteristically Spirit-filled church that moves in undeniable power yet stays non-religious and creative. We see a church where people become whole – in spirit, soul, and body.
a community where the potential of every member gets realized, as people recognize that they are called, whether they work in a church building or the marketplace. We see a team that is led by people that are greater on the inside than they are on the outside.
a mentoring church and a missions outpost, a worshipping family and authentic community. We see a house of prayer. We see a church as supernatural as its Master … because He promised nothing less.
We believe that people make up the church. Not buildings, titles, or budgets. When believers come together and demonstrate real communion (or worship), community, and commission, they are the church. We unpack these three essentials with the following core values:
Communion (Loving God)
God’s Word– hearing God speak
Believers need opportunities to hear God speak. Despite human weakness we believe that God is competent enough to preserve His Word. He has spoken and continues to speak through the Hebrew and New Testament Scriptures. We teach, preach, and base all decisions on God’s Word. We deeply encourage personal searching, discovery, and interaction with God through Scripture.
Prayer– responding to God
Prayer is our response and conversation with God. He “delights” in the prayers of His people. Scripture is full of promises to those that connect with Him in prayer. This response to God may manifest itself in a variety of ways (e.g. corporate or private, spontaneous or structured, praise or petitions). All activities of our church ought to be characterized by our dependence upon God, in both planning and execution.
Spirit Experience– connecting with our Source
We are amazed at how neglected the experience of the Spirit is in our day. We are convinced that the presence, power, and gifts of the Spirit must be the reality and regular experience of the church. Although we cannot predict or control how the Spirit may move, we pray for and open ourselves to His promptings. We especially encourage the stirring of every member’s gifts in their microchurches.
Community (Loving Insiders)
Authenticity– getting real with others
We are tired of the superficial. Because the way of Jesus cannot be lived alone, authentic community must saturate every part of our congregation’s life. Nothing hinders such community like the mask-wearing, image maintenance now prevalent in organized religious circles. We strive to create an environment and a structure that encourages the genuine sharing of life. This will include the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Accountability– learning from others
Cheap conversions are not our aim; true Christ-followers are. The way of Jesus is one of learning and accountability, not just listening to the lectures of our teachers. We expect ongoing spiritual formation to take place in every believer’s life and we recognize that this takes place primarily in the process of doing, not just hearing. Within an environment of authenticity and safety, this requires real people making face-to-face and heart-to-heart contact with each other. This is why we believe that we need both the large group and the small group to make true disciples.
Diversity– displaying the beauty of God’s mosaic
Scripture reveals the reality of a heaven comprised of every tribe and every tongue. We feel passionately about being a church that reflects the beauty of God’s mosaic. While this often requires great effort and understanding, we are convinced that God’s people are called to demonstrate the power of the gospel through reconciliation and unity in a world of hatred and division. We value every people, language, and culture of our city and world.
Commission (Loving Outsiders)
Evangelism– loving the lost
We know that lost souls matter to God so they need to matter to us. We strive to create an environment that is non-threatening, open to questions, and saturated with love; yet we do not run from the command to bring the life-changing Jesus message to every person in our lives. Individually, we encourage and expect all members to take part in relational and prayer evangelism. At a city level, we regularly coordinate and support united efforts to reach our area. Globally, we strive to keep world missions a strong priority, especially remembering the unreached.
Justice– loving the least
We hear the call of God to make a prophetic stand against all forms of evil in our city and our world. Because Jesus made our problems His problems, we understand that following Him means that we make this world’s problems our problems. As a congregation we intend to take action where we have power: speaking for the voiceless, empowering the downcast, and helping the oppressed.
Generosity– recognizing our place in history
Never has there been a world in such profound need. Never has there been a culture of such profound affluence and opportunity. We either connect the dots and use our privilege while we have it, or we will be judged harshly when history tells the story of the 21st century. In a culture held captive by greed, we renounce the idolatry of materialism and embrace the call to give of ourselves and our possessions.