WE BELIEVE THAT THE CHURCH IS BUILT ON JESUS, BY JESUS, AND FOR JESUS – THEREFORE, THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON JESUS. HE IS THE FOCUS OF THE MESSAGES WE PREACH, THE SONGS WE SING, AND THE PRAYERS WE PRAY. WE FOCUS ON JESUS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT IF PEOPLE SEE JESUS FOR WHO HE IS THEN THEY WILL BE CAPTURED BY HIS BEAUTY AND COMPELLED TO DEVOTE THEIR LIFE TO KNOWING AND FOLLOWING HIM. WE BELIEVE PEOPLE HEAR ENOUGH BAD NEWS SO OUR DESIRE IS TO ALWAYS TELL GOOD NEWS. THE MESSAGE OF JESUS, THE GOSPEL, LITERALLY MEANS “GOOD NEWS” AND THIS GOOD NEWS IS THE CENTRAL MESSAGE OF OUR CHURCH. METHODS WILL COME AND GO, YET OUR MESSAGE WILL REMAIN THE SAME. JESUS IS OUR MESSAGE.

MATTHEW 28:18-20, COLOSSIANS 1:15-29, ROMANS 1:16-17

WE ARE ALL ABOUT PEOPLE! WE BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE MATTER TO GOD AND SO THEY SHOULD MATTER TO US. PEOPLE ARE OUR GREATEST ASSET. WE VALUE PEOPLE. WE CELEBRATE PEOPLE. WE INVEST IN PEOPLE. WE CARE FOR PEOPLE. WE LOVE ALL PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF RACE, GENDER, OR SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND. WE PRIORITIZE PEOPLE. PEOPLE ARE NOT PROJECTS, BUT PRECIOUS TO GOD AND TO US. WE ARE A REACHING CHURCH, AN INVITING CHURCH, AND A WELCOMING CHURCH. PEOPLE ARE OUR PRIORITY.

JOHN 3:16, LUKE 15, LUKE 19:10

WE BELIEVE THAT THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER SHOULD BE LIVED PASSIONATELY FOR JESUS. WE BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS HAS DONE FOR US, PASSION IS THE ONLY REASONABLE RESPONSE. EVERYTHING WE DO, WE DO IT WITH PASSION. WE CHOOSE TO BE PASSIONATE IN OUR WORSHIP, OUR PRAYERS, OUR SERVING, OUR GIVING, OUR SACRIFICE, AND OUR RESPONSE TO THE PREACHING OF GOD’S WORD. WE BELIEVE THAT PASSION IS CONTAGIOUS. WE BELIEVE THAT OUR PASSION CARRIES THE POTENTIAL TO SET THE ATMOSPHERE OF ANY ENVIRONMENT. PASSION DRIVES US. PASSION FOR JESUS, HIS CHURCH, AND HIS PEOPLE. PASSION IS OUR RESPONSE.

DEUTERONOMY 6:5, MATTHEW 22:37-40

WE BELIEVE JESUS CALLS US TO MORE THAN GETTING ALONG OR TOLERATING EACH OTHER’S DIFFERENCES. HE PRAYED FOR US TO EXPERIENCE AN UNCOMMON UNITY – THE SAME UNITY HE SHARED WITH GOD AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. THIS KIND OF UNITY WON’T COME NATURALLY; IT’S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO PURSUE. AND THAT PURSUIT IS WORTH IT BECAUSE UNITY COMMANDS A BLESSING. WE ARE A CHURCH THAT BUILDS BRIDGES – NOT WALLS – BETWEEN DIFFERENT CULTURAL, RACIAL, SOCIOECONOMIC, AND GENERATIONAL LINES. UNITY IS OUR PURSUIT.

JOHN 17:9-11, 23, PSALM 133:1-3, REVELATION 7:9-12

WE BELIEVE RESPECT IS EARNED, BUT HONOR IS GIVEN. SO WE CHOOSE TO HONOR. WE TAKE THE POSTURE OF HONOR. WE HONOR EACH OTHER. WE HONOR LEADERSHIP. WE HONOR AUTHORITY. WE HONOR OTHER CHURCHES. WE HONOR WITH OUR ACTIONS AND OUR WORDS. OUR WORDS WE SPEAK ARE LIFE-GIVING, ENCOURAGING, HONORING, POSITIVE, AND KIND. WE BUILD EACH OTHER UP; WE DON’T TEAR EACH OTHER DOWN. HONOR IS OUR POSTURE.

ROMANS 12:10, 1 PETER 2:13-17, EPHESIANS 4:29

WE BELIEVE THAT EXCELLENCE HONORS GOD, INSPIRES PEOPLE, AND CREATES COMFORT. WE BELIEVE THAT THE MOST EXCELLENT MESSAGE DESERVES THE MOST EXCELLENT PRESENTATION. WE BELIEVE THAT EXCELLENCE IS ABOUT DOING THE LITTLE THINGS IN A BIG WAY. GOD IS INTO THE DETAILS AND SO ARE WE. WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT CREATING EXCELLENT ENVIRONMENTS AND EXPERIENCES FOR PEOPLE TO ENCOUNTER GOD. WE WILL ALWAYS DO OUR VERY BEST WITH WHAT WE HAVE. IF WE ARE GOING TO DO IT, WE ARE GOING TO DO IT TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. WE HOLD A HIGH STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR EVERY AREA OF OUR CHURCH. EXCELLENCE IS OUR STANDARD.

COLOSSIANS 3:23-24, DANIEL 6:3, 1 KINGS 10

WE BELIEVE THAT JOY IS A CHOICE TO HONOR GOD NO MATTER WHAT OUR CIRCUMSTANCES MAY BE. WE BELIEVE THAT WE MUST TAKE OWNERSHIP OF OUR ATTITUDE AND CHOOSE TO LEAD OUR EMOTIONS RATHER THAN LETTING OUR EMOTIONS LEAD US. THIS IS NOT SIMPLY “PUTTING ON” A FAKE SMILE BUT RATHER CHOOSING TO FOCUS ON THE GOODNESS OF GOD, THE JOY OF HIS SALVATION, AND THE GRACE IN OUR LIVES. WE BELIEVE THAT OUR ATTITUDE AND SPIRIT CAN AFFECT THE MOOD OF A ROOM OR THE CULTURE OF A TEAM, AND SO WE CHOOSE TO BE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR RATHER THAN SUCK THE LIFE OUT OF THE ROOM. WE BELIEVE THAT LIFE AND MINISTRY SHOULD BE ENJOYED, NOT JUST ENDURED. WE BELIEVE THAT ONE OF THE MOST ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES OF ANY INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM IS A SPIRIT OF JOY. WE HAVE FUN AND WE LAUGH OFTEN. JOY IS NOT BASED ON A CIRCUMSTANCE, JOY IS BASED ON A CHOICE. JOY IS OUR CHOICE.

GALATIANS 5:22, PHILIPPIANS 4:4, 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16, JAMES 1:2

WE BELIEVE THAT CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE KNOWN AS THE MOST GENEROUS PEOPLE ON THE PLANET. WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD GIVE CHEERFULLY, REGULARLY, AND SACRIFICIALLY. WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD LIVE WITH OPEN HANDS ALWAYS READY TO GIVE AND RECEIVE. WE BELIEVE IN TITHE AND OFFERINGS MOTIVATED BY GRACE, NOT GUILT. OUR CHURCH IS NOT BUILT ON THE GENEROSITY OF A FEW BUT ON THE SACRIFICE AND GENEROSITY OF MANY. WE’RE GENEROUS WITH OUR TIME, TALENTS, AND TREASURE. GOD HAS GIVEN RICHLY TOWARDS US, IT’S OUR PRIVILEGE TO GIVE BACK TO HIM. GENEROSITY IS OUR PRIVILEGE.

MALACHI 3:10, PROVERBS 11:24-26, 2 CORINTHIANS 8+9

WE BELIEVE THAT EVERY PERSON HAS A CALLING TO SERVE OTHERS. SERVING OTHERS IS ONE OF THE MOST FULFILLING PARTS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. SERVING IS NOT SOMETHING WE DO; SERVING IS WHO WE ARE. WE BELIEVE THAT ANYONE CAN BE GREAT BECAUSE ANYONE CAN SERVE. WE BELIEVE THAT IF YOU'RE TOO BIG TO SERVE, YOU'RE TOO SMALL TO LEAD. WE BELIEVE SAVED PEOPLE SERVE PEOPLE. WE ARE CONTRIBUTORS NOT CONSUMERS. SERVING IS NOT AN OPTION. SERVING IS OUR CALLING.

1 PETER 4:10, MATTHEW 23:11, MARK 10:35

WE BELIEVE THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED TO US. WE TAKE THE BROKENNESS OF THE CITY PERSONALLY. GOD HAS PLACED US STRATEGICALLY IN THE CITY TO MAKE IT BETTER AND BRIGHTER. WE HAVE A DEEP CONVICTION THAT IF IT’S OUR CITY THEN IT’S OUR RESPONSIBILITY. THE CITY DOESN'T EXIST FOR THE CHURCH, THE CHURCH EXISTS FOR THE CITY. WE DO NOT WANT TO BE A CHURCH THAT’S IN THE CITY, WE WANT TO BE A CHURCH THAT’S FOR THE CITY, BECAUSE WE LOVE OUR CITY. OUR CITY IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY.

JEREMIAH 29:7, MARK 12:30-31