Vision

A church that exists for its own sake is not a church, but a club. Our foundation must be rooted in selfless love for our fellow man to such a degree that we are never fully able to achieve it, a "humble hypocrisy" if you will. Thus...

For a thorough explanation of what we mean by all that, CLICK HERE for our 5-part “Revisioning” video series.

Mission

So how do we live that out day-to-day? Our Mission anchors this extraordinary vision in ordinary life. Everything we do as a church is in pursuit of these three rhythms:

Enjoy God

Though infinite & unfathomable, the Creator of the Universe has made Himself known as our adoring Father, invited us into Life with Him through the Holy Spirit, and adopted us as His broken-but-beloved children through His Son, Jesus. Yet to know God is far more than merely knowing about Him. We find our greatest good and our truest selves by accepting the Divine Host’s invitation to know and revel in Him through the Body of Christ (the church).

Love Courageously

The story of scripture is that of a Father relentlessly pursuing those who’ve stubbornly given Him the middle finger (and then some). Knowing this, God rewires our hearts to beat for the good of those who we least like, understand, or identify with. Christ’s life, death and resurrection is a revolution of love that calls us to love just as courageously. We fail (often), yet grow in sacrificial love for others by the power of His love for us.

Cultivate Beauty

God made this world and declared it “very good.” He then charged humanity with cultivating that raw goodness into something more. Sin frustrates our efforts, but Jesus redeems all that we cannot. Through art, science, design, parenting, plumbing, innovation, vocation, non-profits, friendships, community, family & every other facet of human flourishing, we seek to cultivate beauty in our love for God, for the life of our community.

Values

Our Values "clothe" our vision in an ethos that concretely describes our church family, leadership, and heart for our broader community. They are (quite literally) what we care about more than anything else. They cause our pulse to quicken, make sacrifice a joy rather than a burden, and remind us of the infinitely-faceted way God loves us. Thus, we aspire to become a church defined by:
 

IMAGO DEI
Every human being, regardless of race, class, gender, sexual orientation or creed, is made in the image of God. Every person has intrinsic dignity, value and worth that cannot be taken away or diminished by anyone (including ourselves). Thus, we work to see our fellow man with “Gospel eyes,” choosing to see them as Christ sees them (fellow broken reflections of His glory), which fundamentally changes how (and how much) we love all people.

HOSPITALITY
God is the Divine Host who has called His people to “welcome one another as Christ has welcomed (us)” (Rom 15:7). This is far more than having people in our home for meals. It is a lifestyle of generous and selfless love for those who are most different from us. We worship a God who died for His enemies (us), and that reality redefines our priorities around the needs of others rather than our own.

TRUTH WITH LOVE
Truth without Love is merely abuse. Love without Truth is merely neglect. In an age where polarizing, 280-character sound bites wage war over social & cable media, God’s people are called to speak truth in such a way that glorifies God and blesses our neighbor. This requires us to be humbled by our un-deservedness, confident in God’s loving faithfulness, & eagerly committed to listening to those who most disagree with us.

SHALOM
Ultimately, we aim for renewal & the restoration of justice, wholeness & peace between all people, places & things. This “peace” is far more than the cessation of hostility or the absence of conflict, it is human flourishing in every sphere of life. This will only come about as we fully realize that God did not create a mission for His church, he created the church for His redemptive mission.

GOSPEL
It is the value from which all other values are derived & have meaning. The unconditional love of God, demonstrated & accomplished through Christ’s life, death & resurrection is the driving force for our love for God and our neighbor.