Vision, Mission and Values

VISION

We envision a church that loves God with everything and loves one another completely (Deut. 6:4-5, Matt. 22:36-40).

We read in the book of Genesis the beauty of creation - light and dark, heavens and earth, all created things - and that it is good. Later, in the book of Acts we see the human and Divine nature of the emerging church as they attempt to live out the two greatest commandments: to love God and love neighbor. We will not love perfectly and recognize the need for admitting wrongs, changing our ways, asking and offering forgiveness and making amends. We see the church as a people and space where we practice grace and mercy as we humbly walk with God and one another.

As God reveals themselves to us, we experience God’s love, and grow in our willingness to join in God’s loving work in the world. Our greatest example of love is witnessed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus (John 15:13). We come to demonstrate our love for God through obedience to God’s instruction which is to love one another (John 14:15, 1 John 4:11).

MISSION

We exist to collaborate with God in creating space and spaces that express the good news and make disciples through justice and healing.

VALUES

We practice conversation and dialogue whenever we gather together. We are working to create conditions for each of us to show up fully and share freely as we grow in trust with God, ourselves, and one another. There will be conflict - especially if we are honest. We are not after uniformity but the multi-faceted beauty displayed through the diverse experiences and expressions of our particular cultures and contexts. We believe that we all bear the image of God (Gen. 1:27) and that the Spirit of God is in each of us (Acts 2:17). This means we are all equally valuable and important. Everyone, regardless of beliefs, ethnicity, sexual identity, or any other social constructs or identities, are welcomed and included.

We express our creativity through our various and diverse gifts when we are together. We invite and value the presence of God through each other to lift up, build up, and cheer up (1 Cor 14:3). This can look like preparing and eating around the table, writing songs and poetry, crafting a sermon, holding space for brave conversations, painting, or roasting coffee - there is an endless array of expressions. We believe that everyone has a unique gifting through the Spirit that will emerge and encourage when we are together.

We acknowledge and confess the historic complicity of the North American church with oppression. With intention and deliberate action we prioritize justice in the form of equity and reparations in the space and spaces we create and inhabit. From Creation to Exodus to the Resurrection to Revelation we see the liberating activity of God through God’s Spirit in us and through us in the world. We say “yes” to participating and leading in doing justice (Micah 6:8) as a community.