WHAT WE VALUE: (vs. What We Believe)
Christ-centered
We believe in Jesus because He is the hope of the world. He's 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. We've found that there's no salvation apart from the lordship of Jesus Christ. If Jesus isn't our Lord, He won't be our Savior. Consequently, our ministry is committed to being living examples of our love for Jesus Christ and the advancement of His Kingdom.
God's Grace
Grace is outrageously unfair, extravagant, beyond comprehension, and in the center of the gospel. It beats legalism, judgmentalism, altruism, and all the other isms. It is God's to give to everyone 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 Christ, others and ourselves. And 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's the way to walk, talk, and connect.
The Church
We know - it's flawed, institutional, not everything it should be and sometimes, even neglects the very people it's supposed to help. But the Church is the Body of Christ - a community of people who are a sign of God's reign - and it's not optional. Young people and old people alike need to live and grow in community.
Connected Community
If people focus on themselves and their individual needs, who needs a church? 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 think 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 purposes. 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 in over 50 countries.
The Bible
We believe it's God's word to us. We're inspired by God's story and we believe it's 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 become a "doer of the Word". 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. Anything less is not. 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's like a child's conversation with a loving father. When God's Word tell us to "pray without ceasing" we know it's 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) And as a community of Christ-followers we have found that to be the case.
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 weakness, loving and serving others, not through the power structures of the world. In fact, we recognize that Christ opposed and conquered the powers of the world by doing just that: "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."(Colossians 2:15) As a community of those who are intentional about 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 weakness and willingness to serve those in need. It has always been part of our heritage.