OUR MISSION
KNOW Jesus intimately,
BE transformed by the Holy Spirit,
DO mission with God…
TOGETHER
We actively embody our mission through these five
MISSION PRIORITIES:
Cultivation of
Wisdom and Wonder
Wisdom and wonder turn our attention to God. They are slow virtues, demanding a slow verb like cultivation. Anyone who has a farm, garden, or a couple house plants knows the unpredictable conditions at play in cultivation. We are wise to acknowledge that though there are no guaranteed results, the wonder-working God is active in all things. 1 Corinthians 3:7, “neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
Journeying Side-by-Side
in the Way of Jesus
Jesus’ first words to most of his disciples were simply “follow me.” When we become followers of Jesus, we take up the way of Jesus: being with him, becoming like him, and doing as he did. But we cannot do it alone, so we journey together: on literal side by side walks, in our home groups, and in other small group or one-on-one settings, that everyone might take their next step forward in the way of Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
Whole Family Formation
As followers of Jesus, we’re family. We all belong, and this is not only a spiritual reality, but an embodied one as well. For kids and youth. For adults, married and unmarried, with and without kids, caring for biological, adopted, and foster kids. For grandparents raising grandkids, aunts, uncles, empty nesters, widows, widowers, those with and without roommates. In the family of Christ, each is formed by all, so we prioritize being together. Ephesians 4:5-6, “There is one body and one Spirit…one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.”
City Connection
Our city helps define our perimeter of care. Remaining faithful to a particular place gives us a sense of rootedness. In the words of Wendell Berry, “No matter how much one may love the world as a whole, one can live fully in it only by living responsibly in some small part of it.” We intentionally invest in our city not to ignore the rest of the world, but so that our daily lives are meaningfully connected to the heart of God for our city and all the world. Jeremiah 29:7, “…seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it…”
Restoration of the Vulnerable
Christ restores each of us in our own vulnerability, which directs our attention to the vulnerable in our midst. This restorative work of God crystalizes our own role to shine Christ’s light into the darkness by actively serving in our community and intentionally partnering with local and global partners that serve the vulnerable. James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”