“Caring for People, Studying the Word”

PURPOSE STATEMENT:
We desire to be taught by Jesus through the Bible. We desire to be a worshiping
and praying church that cares for one another and our neighbors as Jesus
has cared for us. We desire all people to experience the grace and forgiveness
that we have received through Jesus.

VALUES:

1.      Servanthood. We desire to imitate the servant nature of Jesus Christ
as we relate to one another, our neighbors, and the world. We want to
stand with those in need.

2.       Worship. Whether our worship is traditional or contemporary we desire
that Jesus be the center as we experience the presence of God.

3.      Welcoming. We desire to welcome one another as Jesus has welcomed us.
We want people to find a safe place to pursue God where they don't feel like strangers.

4.       Word. We are not ashamed that our faith rests on the timeless Word
of God, thus enabling us to speak to our times as opposed to being swept
along by them. We desire not just that the Word be on our lips but in
our hearts and our hands through obedience.

5.      Prayer. We desire to solve our problems and make our decisions through
prayer.

6.      Witness. We desire that new believers from our community become part
of the body of Christ through the witness of our words and our hands.

7.      Flexibility. We desire to be open to the Spirit's leading us as a congregation
to try new ideas.

 8.  Humility. We want the sweetness of Christ to be in our hearts and reflected 
      on our faces with a wordless, quiet joy that doesn't feel the need to be 
      prominent--either as individuals, as leaders,  or as a church--because Jesus 
      is prominent in our hearts.

 9.  Personal Relationship with God. We desire to know God in such a way
      that people are attracted not to our church but to our God. We desire an 
      intimate, personal relationship with Jesus that people will see by our lives.

10. Reconciliation. As we have been reconciled to God through Christ’s death
we want to be reconciled with one another.  We desire that the peace of God 
would characterize our relationship with one another, our neighbor, and our world.