To be a community of Christ-followers who honor God passionately, love each other deeply, and engage the world lovingly.
“To Be” emphasizes our conviction that being is before doing, that God is more interested in the person that I am becoming than the things I can accomplish.
“To be a community” expresses our commitment to become what we become together. We understand the Christian calling as an invitation to become a part of a redeemed people, the body of Christ, God’s living temple, a group of individuals once isolated by sin, but now forged into oneness through the Gospel.
“Christ-followers” expresses our identity as disciples of Jesus Christ whose calling is to follow in His footsteps. Jesus is not only to be admired and adored, but followed and obeyed. He is our savior, our leader, our shepherd, and our Lord.
“Honor God” expresses our commitment to dethrone ourselves, magnify God, and conduct ourselves in a way that brings Him honor. Included in this is our emphasis on pursuing holiness, emotional maturity, virtuous character, and ethical conduct, as well as striving toward excellence and continual improvement in all that we do.”
“Passionately” expresses our understanding that honoring God with our lives is a task that requires intense struggle against our sins, and will not occur without a passionate desire for God’s honor.
“Love” is the supreme quality Jesus modeled for us, the new commandment that Chris gave His disciples, the main business of our fellowship, our response to God’s love for us, and the proof of our discipleship.
“Deeply” underscores the fact that we need to go beyond the surface to know each other to the depths, and go beyond an artificially limited range of concern and involvement if we are to truly love each other.
We believe that the Church is not be insular, but “engage the world” through evangelism, outreach, and compassionate service as well as through challenge and critique.
“Lovingly” expresses our conviction that engaging the world must be done with relevance, care, humility, and grateful regard for God’s grace to us.