Our values are the essence of who we are. They determine our
approach to and motivation
for our ministry. They help keep us
focused and balanced in all that we do.
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1. We value Worship. We want to be pursuers of God. The depth of
God's relationship with
us inexhaustible (Ps. 41:1; 1 Cor. 2:6; Phil. 3:8-10).
Therefore, we seek him and wait
expectantly for his presence in all that we do
(John 4:34; 5:19-20).
We want to love Him with our songs and with our lives.
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2. We value the Word. The Bible is our final authority over opinions,
dreams, revelations,
visions, and any other authoritative source that
we may look to for direction. At our core we
are evangelical Christians.
Our approach to life and ministry should be shaped by the counsel
Scripture
gives us (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Our desire is to know the Bible, experience what
it talks
about and do what it commands us to do. The Bible is our standard for
the Christian life.
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3. We value People. We believe that every person Christian and Non-Christian
alike, is
valuable to God. Caring for people is our highest priority after
submission to God,
because the purpose of the cross was the redemption of
men and women. To the best
of our ability we will treat each person with
respect, dignity, and loving patience
- always seeking what is best for his
or her life and growth
(Rom. 12:9-13; 1 Cor. 13:4-9; Col. 3:12-14).
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4. We value Small Groups. We believe that it is in the small group that
you
experience community. This is where you build relationships and friendships.
It is in the small group that you live out the Christian life with other believers.
You spend time together Welcoming people into your life. You spend time in
Worship
and in the Word and doing the Works of Christ in your community.
The early believers
met publicly and from house to house. (Acts 2:42-47).
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5. We value Volunteer Driven Ministry. We believe and practice that every member
of
the church is a minister and is gifted to do ministry. We all get to participate
in
the work of the church. Doing church as a team allows all of us to share in the
ministry of our Lord. We believe that there is a place for everyone to serve.
(Eph. 4:11-16;
1 Peter 2:4-9).
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6. We value Sharing our Faith. We believe that a simple presentation of Jesus
Christ in
creative ways impact and transform lives. The greatest thing that can
ever happen to anyone
is for him or her to come to know Jesus Christ. Therefore it
is our desire to tell everyone
the Greatest Story Ever Told. The story of how they
can experience the love and acceptance and
forgiveness of God by inviting Jesus
Christ to come into their life. (Matt. 28:19-20). Many times
showing a simple act of
kindness helps a person in their first step toward God. Therefore we will
seek to
demonstrate God's love in practical ways to help lead people to Christ.
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7. We value a Lifestyle of Growth. We believe every believer should commit to a
lifestyle of
consistent spiritual growth. Our desire is to be more like Jesus.
Therefore we seek to grow in our
relationship with God by practicing spiritual
disciplines in our lives like worship and prayer and
Bible study and meditation
upon the Word and being part of a small group and witnessing on a regular
basis
and serving the poor and regular worship at church. (Phil 3:10; Heb. 10:24-25).
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8. We value Families and Children. We deeply value the building up of families
and believe in the
priority of children, while at the same time embracing and
valuing all adult believers who identify
with our church family (Matt. 18: 1-10;
Col. 3:12-15). We know that children are a gift from God and
have been entrusted to
us. (Deut. 6:4-9). Therefore we want to provide a safe place for worship and
growth
of each child in our church.
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9. We value Generosity and the Poor. We are stewards of God's gifts and resources
(Matt. 10:8, 39;
13:45-46). This means that when God directs, we will be willing to
give away what we have, to risk the
security of current success in order to advance
the kingdom on earth in greater ways. We are to demonstrate
God's love by giving
to the poor and ministering to them. Jesus came to preach the Gospel to the poor.
We do not own our ministries, so they are not ours to keep. We are givers.
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10. We value Simplicity. We want to be "naturally supernatural", avoiding behavior
that draws attention away
from God and to ourselves. Simplicity affects our worship
style, how we pray for the sick and minister to
the poor, carry out discipleship, teach
the Bible, and so on (1 Cor. 2:2-5;
James 3:13; 1 Thess. 4:11-12).
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11. We value Prayer. We believe that God is a loving Creator who is willing to meet
the needs of our life. So we
ask Him as a child asks his or her parent for help
knowing that the person listening loves us more that any earthly
parent ever could.
(Matt. 7:11; John 15:7).
Prayer is talking to God and listening to Him, and we value that communication.
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12. We value Unity. We want to love who Jesus loves: the whole church. This
means we will love those
outside our local congregation who have different names
and traditions knowing they are part of the
family of God. (Eph. 4: 3-6).
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