Beliefs and Values

Core Beliefs

We feel it is crucial to distinguish between "essential" beliefs and "non-essential but important" beliefs (what the apostle Paul called "disputable matters" in Romans 14:1). Essential beliefs are those that Christians have held to be true from the Scriptures since the beginning of the Church, and which defines what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Essential beliefs provide the framework for unity with believers in all times and places. Everything else--while important and worthy of study and a settled, personal conviction--is not essential to our identity as Christians and ought not bring about division in the Body of Christ. Here is what we affirm as the essential beliefs from Scripture:

God

We believe in the one, true God, the loving Creator and Sustainer of all things, who eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God incarnate-- fully God and fully human in his nature--who lived a sinless life, willingly died as the only perfect sacrifice for sin, rose again from the dead, and ascended to heaven where he reigns at the Father's right hand. We believe the Holy Spirit is the Counselor and Comforter who works the life of Jesus into the lives of believers, empowering and transforming heart, soul, mind, and strength into the likeness of Christ.

Scripture

We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God (2 Peter 1:16-21; 2 Timothy 3:14-17). We believe the Bible is consistent and completely reliable. (Luke 24:25-27; 2 Peter 1:16-21) We believe the Bible is the ultimate and full authority for all believers. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

Salvation

We believe the Bible identifies "salvation" not just as a destination, but as a way of life formed by God. We believe Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that no one comes to the Father for eternal life except through him (John 14:6), for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12). We believe we are saved by the grace of God in Jesus Christ, through the gift of faith in Jesus Christ, and not by any self-righteous works or moral effort to justify ourselves. We believe the Church is the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12) with Jesus Christ as the only true Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18). We believe that everyone who trusts in Jesus is made a member of the Body by the work of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). We believe the Holy Spirit works different kinds of gifts through each believer (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) so that, together, the Church may do works of service (Ephesians 4:12) and reveal God’s good news to all people (Ephesians 3:10-11; Romans 1:1-6; Matthew 28:18-20).

Core Values

• Love—behind every activity our motivation must be love so we avoid doing the right things for the wrong reasons
• People—regardless of their economic, spiritual or social situation, people are more important than programs or projects
• Transformation—emphasizing church health as well as church growth, where changed lives matter more than counting heads for attendance
• Creative excellence with integrity—the quest to do our best can never be separated from who we are becoming; talent must be matched with character that reflects Jesus
• Vision—staying vision-powered, not opportunity-driven by doing what fits our vision, not whatever happens to come along as the latest and greatest "cultural form"
• Equipping—giving leaders what they need to succeed rather than being consumed by the ministry structure or process
• Generosity—remembering it all belongs to God, and being good stewards of everything God entrusts to us
• Servant-leadership—we lead as servants rather than serve as leaders, rejecting the world’s desire for power and the manipulative ways people are used to attain it
• Truth AND Grace—a firm commitment to God’s holy character and standards revealed in the Bible, but humbly and lovingly expressed as we affirm we are all sinners in need of God’s mercy
• Jesus—Jesus gets all the credit, for it is His Church, and apart from Him we can do nothing