1. We pursue His presence in all things and above all things.

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We believe the Church is a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9), and that through Jesus every believer has been invited into the priestly call of ministering to the Lord and tending to His presence (1 Pet. 2:9; Matt. 22:37–38, Heb 7:12). Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10), revealing the deepest longing of God's heart: communion with His people. Through His death and resurrection, He restored the communion humanity lost in Eden. In this new covenant, He purchased for His priests continual, unveiled access to the presence of God (2 Cor. 3:16–18; Heb. 10:19–22, Matt 27:51).

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We've chosen to let that reality shape everything we do. His presence is our greatest prize, and to live life with and unto the Lord is our highest calling. Everything we do and everywhere we go is an opportunity to minister to the Lord, and everywhere He is ministered to, He dwells. (1 Chron 16:4-6, Acts 13:1-2, Ps 22:3) We are committed to raising up worshippers who build dwelling places for the Lord not only in our building, but in their homes, workplaces, ministries, and relationships (2 Pet 1:4-5).

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2. We live in the power and freedom of the Gospel. 

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The Gospel is not merely the message that brings us into the Christian life—it is the foundation upon which the Christian life is lived. Through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus, our sins are forgiven, our old self has been crucified, and we have been made new. We are no longer slaves to sin, but sons and daughters of God, made righteous in Christ, filled with His Spirit, and living under the reign of His grace (Col. 2:13–14; Rom. 6:6,14; 2 Cor. 5:21; John 1:12–13; Rom. 8:14–17).

 

We believe lasting transformation doesn't ultimately come by trying hard enough to become someone new, but by trusting and abiding in the finished work of the cross and resurrection of Christ (Gal 2:16, Rom 2:20).  Having been set free from sin's dominion, we joyfully put off the old self, put on the new, and pursue holiness through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 4:22–24, 2 Pet 1:3-9, Rom 6:11-13). As we continually renew our minds to the finished work of Christ, we increasingly experience the transforming power of the Gospel in our lives (Rom 12:2). We are committed to deepening our faith and agreement with this reality until Christ is fully formed in us (Gal. 4:19, 1 Cor 15:49, Heb 4:2-3).

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3. We expect and pursue supernatural ministry.

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We believe the works of Jesus are the inheritance of the believer (John 14:12, Mark 16:15-20). The ministry that Jesus modeled, taught, and left us with was supernatural (Luke 4:18–19; Acts 1:1–2). In the book of Acts, Jesus baptized His disciples with His Spirit and supernatural ministry followed. We believe Jesus is still doing this today (Acts 1:8; Acts 2; Acts 8; Acts 19; 1 Cor. 12–14; 1 Thess. 5:19–21). The early church was constantly doing ministry that was impossible without divine intervention, and we believe the same should be true of us today.

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The greatest purpose of supernatural ministry is not merely to impress but to put the love of God on full display and advance His Kingdom (1 Cor. 13:1–3; Matt. 9:35–38). We believe Scripture shows us that the gifts of the Spirit are alive and active in the body of Christ today and are to be pursued and grown in every believer (1 Cor. 12–14; 1 Cor. 14:1, 39; Rom. 12:6–8). We do not throw out certain parts of supernatural ministry that the Bible tells us to pursue because they are uncomfortable; rather, we pursue them with humility, purity, wonder, and biblical conviction.

 

God is a supernatural God, and a supernatural God does supernatural things. As people filled with the Spirit of God, we believe it is only natural to expect supernatural ministry to flow from our lives. Though we confidently expect God to move, we never want to lose our sense of awe and wonder when He does (Acts 12:15). Throughout Scripture, faith and expectancy consistently position God's people to experience the promises and power of God (Matt. 8:5–13; Matt. 9:27–30; Acts 3:1–10; Acts 14:8–10). We want to be a people who confidently expect God to move, not because of who we are, but because of who He is. As we do, we believe the ordinary can become extraordinary, the natural can become supernatural, and the mundane can become miraculous.

 

4. We obey His word joyfully.

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We desire not only to be hearers of the Word but doers also (James 1:22). Scripture is the foundation upon which we discover who God is and what His will is. The standard the Bible sets for Godly living is costly and sacrificial, yet we believe every command of God is an invitation into the richest pleasures of life (Ps.16:6; John 10:10). In response to His love for us, we joyfully build our lives around His ways, believing they alone lead to true freedom and abundant life (1 John 4:19, John 14:15; John 15:10–11). As we walk in His ways, we gladly lay aside every weight, every sin, and every competing affection that would hinder our wholehearted pursuit of Jesus (Heb. 12:1–3).

 

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5. We preach the Gospel regularly and boldly.

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Preaching the Gospel is the calling of every believer! We know Jesus is the only hope for our broken world, and we refuse to stay silent (Acts 4:20). The Church has been and always will be God's Plan A for reaching the world with the Gospel. When Jesus gave the Great Commission, it was not the Great Suggestion—it was an invitation for every believer to partner with Him in His rescue plan for humanity (Matt 28:18–20).

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We believe every day and everywhere presents opportunities to respond to this calling and proclaim the Gospel. When we are truly met by His love, it is only natural to be sent by His love to boldly tell the world (John 4:28–30; Acts 4:29–31; 2 Cor. 5:14–20). According to the early Church, bold Gospel preaching was not radical Christianity—it was normative Christianity. We are committed to recovering that standard and equipping the Church to live missional lifestyles wherever God has placed them.

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Although displaying the love of God through our actions is an essential part of evangelism, we believe the fullness of evangelism is found when our action is coupled with our proclamation of the Gospel (Rom. 10:13–17). We believe the most loving thing we can do for someone is faithfully tell them the truth about who Jesus is. We are committed to displaying the Gospel through our lives and declaring it with boldness until every person has had the opportunity to hear (Mark 16:15-20). 

 

6. We send missionaries to reach the lost and strengthen the Church.

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God has given our local church a global vision. We are passionate not only about reaching our city, but about reaching cities and nations all around the world. Jesus is the desire of the nations, and until every eye sees and every heart knows Him, we believe we have a responsibility to train and send missionaries (Rom. 10:13–17; Matt. 28:18–20).

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In the book of Acts, we see missionaries sent for a variety of purposes, two of which are reaching the lost (Acts 13:46-49, Acts 17:4, Acts 14:21) and strengthening the Church (Acts 14:22; Acts 15:32, 36; Acts 16:4–5). We carry this same mission in our hearts everywhere we go. We believe one of the greatest ways we can leave a lasting impact on a region is not only by preaching the Gospel to the lost, but by strengthening and equipping the local Church to faithfully do the same.

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John Piper famously said, "Missions exist because worship doesn't." That beautifully captures our heart. Jesus is worthy of worship from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. We are not ultimately after making more converts—we are after making more worshippers. We long for every person to see the worth of Jesus, so that the Lamb might receive the reward of His suffering (Matt 22:37-38, Isa. 53:11; Phil. 2:9–11).

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7. We follow Jesus together.

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The Christian life was never meant to be lived in isolation. In the New Testament, church wasn't something you attended—it was a spiritual family living on mission (Acts 2:42–47). Through the Gospel, God reconciles us not only to Himself but also to one another, creating one body with many members, each uniquely gifted to strengthen the whole (Eph. 2:11–22; 1 Cor. 12:12–27; 1 Pet. 4:10–11). We believe the fullness of following Jesus is learned and lived through shared life with the family of God.

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The New Testament is filled with more than fifty "one another" commands, commands that can only be fully obeyed within the context of authentic community. We believe spiritual maturity is formed best as we know one another, encourage one another, challenge one another, confess our sins to one another, forgive one another, pray for one another, give generously to one another, carry one another's burdens, and spur one another on toward love and good works (Acts 2:44–45; Rom. 12:10–16; Gal. 6:2; Eph. 4:32; Heb. 10:24–25; James 5:16). Not only is this crucial for our spiritual maturity, but for our witness. Jesus said the world would know His disciples by their love for one another, meaning the witness of the Church rests upon our ability to follow Jesus together (John 13:35).

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Every believer has a vital role to play in the body of Christ. As each member embraces their God-given role, the whole body is strengthened and the mission advances (Eph. 4:11–16; 1 Cor. 12:4–11). We cannot fully experience all that God desires to do in and through His Church apart from one another. For this reason, we are committed to building a spiritual family where every person contributes, every person grows, and every person follows Jesus together.