WHAT WE BELIEVE

Christ Centered

We believe in Jesus because He is the hope of the world.  He is part of the Trinity along with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.  We believe He loved us enough to die for us.  A personal relationship with Jesus Christ and an obedient walk with Him characterize what we value.  There is no relationship with God apart from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  If Jesus isn't our Lord, He cannot be our Savior. Consequently, we are committed to become living examples of our love for Jesus Christ and to work for the advancement of His Kingdom.

God's Grace

Grace is outrageously unfair (if it was fair, Jesus would not have died for us.  It wasn't "fair" that He took our punishment).  Because of this, God's grace is extravagant, beyond comprehension, and the center of the gospel.  Grace is more powerful than legalism, judgmentalism, altruism, and all the other isms.  Grace is freely God's to give and anyone can take advantage of it.  But only God knows who really does.

Holistic

Everyone is created by God to live in a transforming head-to-toe, inside-out relationship with Him.  We are created to live in relationship with Jesus and others.  Those relationships are to be balanced mentally, physically, socially and spiritually.  We believe it when the Bible says, "Love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love others as much as we love ourselves."  (Mark 12:30-31).

Practical Godliness

We aren't just satisfied with talking about religious things.  We deeply desire to live as Christ-followers, living the way He taught and following His example.  Being set apart unto Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit is more than a lofty aspiration; it is the only way to please God in the way we walk, talk and connect.

The Church

It is not perfect because it is filled with imperfect people.  But the church is the family of Christ - a community of people who are a sign of God's reality - and it is not to be considered optional.  Young people and old people alike need to live and grow in relational community that is both accountable and honoring to God.

Connected Community

The chief concern of the early church was not a matter of doing "what works" but a matter of "being" the people of God.  We believe community is vitally important because the Church - the connected community of God's people - is the living, breathing "in-your-face" demonstration of what it means to live under the reign of God.  Community includes connecting uncommon people around a common mission - God's mission.  How we live and deal with one another and relate to the rest of the world is crucial to God's purpose. Consequently, we are a community of people who not only belong to the Lord, but to each other - here, across North America and around the world.

The Bible

We believe it is God's Word to us. We are inspired by God's story, and we believe it is true. We don't claim to understand it all, but we believe it - all of it.  We accept it as our "rule of faith" and try to live by it with God's help.  Furthermore, we believe everyone who wants to learn how to become a follower of Jesus Christ needs to apply the Word of God to his or her everyday life.   Just hearing it and knowing about it isn't enough.

Transforming Discipleship

We believe God created each of us, unique and with an eternal purpose. That purpose is best realized as all of us grow to become what God created us to be. The best way for us to become what God created us to be is to live our lives modeled after Jesus Christ.  We become the living story of God's love as we live and do as Jesus did.  We believe our ministry is all about living a Christ-like life and mentoring others to do the same. Passionately choosing to follow Jesus Christ is truly transforming.  Every person, regardless of age, sex, race or story can live a unique, fulfilling and transformed life.

 Prayer

We value prayer a lot. We make it a habit because we believe prayer is a life changing conversation with God.  It is like a child's conversation with a loving father.  When God's Word tells us to “pray without ceasing,” we know it is important to be “always ready” to pray.  The Apostle Paul wrote: “Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7)  

 Social Concern

We are concerned about the social needs of those who live around us. The incarnation - the life and death of Jesus - demonstrates that God's purposes are best accomplished through loving and serving others.  As a community of those who are intentional in following Jesus Christ, we are concerned about those who are in need, outcast, outlawed, persecuted and exiled. We want to live lives that demonstrate a Christ-like attitude and willingness to serve and help those in need.