Core Values

Gospel: The Gospel is the good news that God has entered into the world through Christ to pursue His people despite their natural tendency to rest and rely in people, places, or things other than God Himself. The Gospel proclaims that we are accepted by God because of what Jesus has done, not because of what we do. There is nothing that we can do to gain God’s acceptance. It is only when we believe and trust in the finished work of Jesus on our behalf that we are restored to fellowship with God. Unlike all other gods, who make you pursue them, this God pursues His people. We find no need then to work for God’s approval. God has accomplished this work for us. It is out of this reality that true joy and freedom come about.

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Restoration: The Gospel changes people from the inside out. Christ gives us a new identity in Himself. This gives us freedom on two fronts. First, it frees us from the thought that we are better than others. It melts our “self-righteousness.” If Christ is the One who has done everything for us, then we have no place to boast. Second, it lifts us up from the impossible task of gaining God’s acceptance through our work, which results in beating ourselves up and ultimately devaluing ourselves. It removes any demand to “fix” ourselves or others. Instead, there is recognition that God is the only One who can restore us. There is an acknowledgment that God, through the Gospel, is working in us where we ourselves cannot. It is through God’s ongoing work in us that change is possible.

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Authentic Community: Through the Gospel a new community is formed- a community of : grace. Here, we recognize that we are no better than those who live around us. For God did not approach us because of anything we did or believed. Because of God’s generosity we should neither feel superior to others nor feel insecure around others. Since the Gospel says that Christ did all the work, we can no longer claim any superiority over others. On the other hand, since our identity is based on God’s value of us in Christ, our insecurities begin to melt away. Therefore, the Gospel beaks down all barriers. Within this community will be a wide diversity of racial, social, generational, and economic groups of people who are unified in the grace of the Gospel. In this community, deep and authentic relationships form that are based not on external markers, but on the recognition of God’s value on another.

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Renewal: The Gospel not only restores each one of us, but it impacts all areas of society. God has not simply come down to restore man, but is on a mission to renew all of His creation, including the various cultures and cities that we live in. Through the influence of God’s work in the Gospel, we begin to see the Kingdom of God displayed by the transformation of the world we live in.

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Service: Because God has sacrificially given Himself, we the Church community, willingly seek to serve those around us- even to those who do not agree with what we believe. In other words, we do not expect others to meet up to “our standards” before we serve them, because God did not expect that of us. He came down and served us even before we loved Him. This is the kind of generous grace and love that we have received from the Holy Creator, and so we gladly desire to show forth His love.