Core Values help to set the ethos of a church—they shape the culture and attitudes of all of its members. These are the principles that we want to shape who we are in Christ and how we love those around us.
1. God is the Lord, therefore we give him whole-life obedience.
At the heart of the gospel is the purchase of sinners by the blood of Jesus Christ. Paul writes that, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). Our bodies, our lives, our pursuits, our agendas, now belong to God. This means that we seek to obey God not only on Sundays, but from first to last breath, and beginning with our first waking moment each day. God himself equips us for this obedience by dwelling in our hearts as the Holy Spirit.
2. God is good and satisfying, therefore we pursue him in faith.
“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8). Why would we give away our life to the control of another? Why give up that sort of autonomy? God is worth giving up our lives because he is supremely good. He is only good to his children, and all his words are “sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103). Even when life is hard and things don’t make sense, we pursue him and trust him on the basis of the promises found in the Bible.
3. As I experience God, I am changed to be more like him.
How does someone change? How do they break a habit? How do they overcome a sin? At the root of all our struggles and pursuits, the foundation for change is an experiential knowledge of God. A relationship. Listen to Peter’s sweeping statement about transformation: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). For all that matters in life, the most fundamental principle is an experiential, relational, personal, understanding of the one who continually shows love to us.
4. God has brought his kingdom into the world, therefore we witness to that kingdom in power.
We obey God’s commands, we pursue his goodness, we experience his love, and we witness to his kingdom. “You will be my witnesses”, Jesus says, through the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). This life-transforming love is not a message for a select few only, but something meant to be proclaimed to all people on the earth. By our words we testify to the power of God’s kingdom, and by our actions we confirm the truth of what we say.
If these values are something that you want reflected in your own life, consider joining with one of our missional communities and join us in discovering more of Christ’s transforming power!