Core Values
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The Bible
We value the Bible as the main way we learn about God and how to have a relationship with Him. It also shows us how to have effective, meaningful and godly lives. (2 Timothy 3:14-5, 16; Hebrews 4:12)
Christ-centered
We realize that our hope is rooted in a life centered on Jesus Christ, how He lived and how He would have us live our lives in our world and our time. (Hebrews 12:1-3; Matthew 16:24; John 13:15)
Spirit-led Life
While much of human significance can be accomplished "on our own," we firmly believe that those things of lasting, eternal and spiritual value only come from being led by the Holy Spirit. We value being attentive to, and following, the leadership of the Holy Spirit in every part of life, whether seemingly important or apparently mundane. We furthermore acknowledge that living life under the leadership of the Holy Spirit is the primary means of living a godly, holy and good life. (Galatians 5:16, 25; Romans 8:1-4)
Humility
In a day marked by self-centered, self-sufficient philosophy, we value what Jesus taught and modeled so clearly, namely humility. Humility is an attitude and disposition of the heart that honors others above themselves, values the thoughts and skills others offer, and, in fact, values every person as being with infinite worth. While actions and ways of thinking can be in error, we believe that the core of every human being is valued by their maker, and ours. Therefore, we humbly and openly embrace the grace of God for our lives, and joyfully extend it to others. (Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6; 2 Samuel 22:28; 2 Chronicles 7:14)
Love
So often misrepresented, we value true, unconditional love. This kind of love is most clearly expressed in God's love for us, and so we seek to express that same love to those around us. Regardless of race, gender, moral background, ethical behavior, religious affiliation or socio- economic condition, we believe all should be loved. While we carefully do not condone nor value lifestyles or thought processes that are not honoring to Christ, we acknowledge that "we all, like sheep, have gone astray" and choose to join Jesus in loving the world, bringing hope where there is no hope. (Exodus 34:6-7; Romans 5:7-8; 1 John 3:1, 4:19; 1 Corinthians 13:13; John 3:16)
Family
We believe in the social institution of the family as depicted in the Bible. Therefore, we value one man and one woman - along with any children God may bless them with - living faithfully and lovingly together in the covenant of marriage, building each other up, raising godly children to make a meaningful contribution to their family, society and the church. (Hebrews 13:4; Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:31-33; Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
The Family of God
We value the family of God as one of the most powerful expressions of God's grace in the world. Also known as the Church or the Body of Christ, we celebrate the diversity of the Body by embracing the uniqueness of each individual. We celebrate the unity of the Family by refraining from gossip and slander. We celebrate the vastness of the Body by honoring the various biblical fellowships in our community and in the world. We celebrate the intimacy of the Church by protecting each other in our points of vulnerability. Humility, love and integrity, therefore, are marks of life in the Family of God. (Ephesians 4:2-6, 15-16; 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10; 1 Peter 2:17; Romans 12:6)
Faith
We believe that "without faith it is impossible to please God." In a word, faith is what activates the work of God in our lives. We seek to learn and understand the ways of God, but faith is what releases us and God to see a godly transformation in our character. Faith is what allows us to be what we could never be, releasing hope where hopelessness abounds, making us into everything God intends for us to be. (Hebrews 11:1; Matthew 17:20; Luke 18:8; Acts 16:5; Galatians 5:5)
Restorative Redemption
In valuing restorative redemption, we make the choice to look beyond both to the full expression of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - redemption that restores, and restoration that redeems. In so doing, we strive to see all brokenness through this lens, understanding that God's best intent is to not only bring salvation, but to restore dignity, health, relationship, integrity and hope. (Psalm 51:10-13; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:25-26; 1 Peter 5:10)
Prayer
Knowing that our best efforts are desperately lacking in affecting change in our lives and our world, we humbly acknowledge that it is by prayer that God is released to act in our lives and in our world. (Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:24; Matthew 26:40-41; Acts 1:14, 2:42; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2; 1 Peter 3:12)
Worship
We value deep, intimate worship because it is the means whereby we humble ourselves, exalt God, and are transformed. In the words of William Temple, "Worship is the quickening of the conscience by the holiness of God; it is the nourishment of our mind by the truth of God; it is the purifying of our imagination by the beauty of God; it is the opening of our heart to the love of God; it is the surrender of our will to the purpose of God -- and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which human nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin." (quoted in Spruce, James R. Let Us Worship: A Concerned Call to Appraisal. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1986.) (Isaiah 6:1-8; John 4:23; Hebrews 12:28-29; Psalm 103:1-5)
