“Dullness, not doubt, is the strongest enemy of faith, just as indifference, not hate, is the strongest enemy of love.”
Core Beliefs
Our core beliefs, the main and the plain, are summed up in historic statements of faith like the Apostles Creed.
We believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic (universal) church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
We believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic (universal) church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Core Values
The Theology and Practice of the Kingdom of God
Commitment to the theology and practice of the kingdom of God is the most fundamental core value of our church. When we talk about the kingdom, we are talking about the kingdom of God as a dynamic reality that is the future reign of God breaking into the present through the life and ministry of Jesus. We have been commissioned to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, bearing witness to the already and the not yet of the kingdom in words and deeds.
This understanding of the kingdom of God is the central motif that gives both structure and definition to all of our theology. We view the kingdom of God as the overarching and integrating theme of the Bible.
This understanding of the kingdom of God is the central motif that gives both structure and definition to all of our theology. We view the kingdom of God as the overarching and integrating theme of the Bible.
Experiencing God
God is eager to be known and experienced by all. In response to God's initiative, we value the life-changing power of the experience of His presence. We believe this happens when we worship, pray, serve others, spend time together and as Jesus did: "See what the Father is doing," (John 5:19) and support His work with our lives.
Culturally Relevant Mission
The church exists for the sake of those who have not experienced God's love. We are called to bring the gospel of the kingdom to every nook and cranny of creation, faithfully translating the message of Jesus into language and forms that are relevant to diverse peoples and cultures.
Reconciling Community
Jesus is reconciling humans to God, to each other, and to the entire creation, breaking down divisions between cultures, social status, and genders. Therefore, we are committed to becoming healing communities engaged in the work of reconciliation wherever sin and evil hold sway.
We seek to be diverse communities of hope that realize the power of the cross to reconcile what has been separated by sin. This requires us to move beyond our personal biases to engage those who are perceived to be unlike us and to actively break down barriers of race, culture, gender, social class, and ethnicity.
We seek to be diverse communities of hope that realize the power of the cross to reconcile what has been separated by sin. This requires us to move beyond our personal biases to engage those who are perceived to be unlike us and to actively break down barriers of race, culture, gender, social class, and ethnicity.
Compassionate Ministry
We believe that ministry in Jesus' name should be expressed in concrete ways through the local church. The poor are to be served as though serving Jesus Himself. This is one of the distinguishing characteristics of a church expressing the love of Christ in a local community.
In all forms of ministry, compassion is a hallmark of the One who was moved with compassion in the face of human need. Compassion should constitute the leading edge of our service to God, each other, and a broken world.
In all forms of ministry, compassion is a hallmark of the One who was moved with compassion in the face of human need. Compassion should constitute the leading edge of our service to God, each other, and a broken world.