Prayer.
The reason prayer is primary is that we are a Jesus-centered community. We’re not simply about getting together and feeling good about ourselves. We’re not into mere self-help or making friends or finding purpose or even serving the needy. We are about Jesus. He is our vision and our reward. He is our Master. It is for love of Him that we serve and for His glory that we gather. Intimacy with Him is our delight. Serving Him our privilege.
We value prayer because anything worth doing or being must be absolutely centered on Jesus. We are
passionate about prayer because we are desperate for God and acutely aware of our own weakness. We
put prayer first because our Father loves us, and we love Him too.
We value prayer because anything worth doing or being must be absolutely centered on Jesus. We are
passionate about prayer because we are desperate for God and acutely aware of our own weakness. We
put prayer first because our Father loves us, and we love Him too.
Together.
We have no desire to do this alone. Some of us have tried that, and it’s just no good. We have high aspirations in this. We want to be more than community. Community is so temporal, and temperamental. It’s held together by geography or common interest or common belief or common cause.
We want to be something held together by the greatest bonds – those of love. We want to be family. It feels risky even to write that or speak it out loud, because I wonder if such a goal is truly attainable. Yet it is the promise of the Scriptures. It’s God’s desire for us. “This kingdom of faith is now your home
country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here... God is building a home.” (Eph
2:19). We belong. God is building a home.
We want to be something held together by the greatest bonds – those of love. We want to be family. It feels risky even to write that or speak it out loud, because I wonder if such a goal is truly attainable. Yet it is the promise of the Scriptures. It’s God’s desire for us. “This kingdom of faith is now your home
country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here... God is building a home.” (Eph
2:19). We belong. God is building a home.
Discipleship.
Together we are on a pursuit of becoming more like Christ. We are so grateful for His grace that accepts us just as we are. We are equally grateful for His grace that calls us and enables us to become something more. We echo Paul’s yearning for the Colossians: “That we may present everyone perfect in Christ” (Col 1:28), and to the Galatians: “I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you” (Gal 4:19). We hunger for God’s righteousness to fill our lives. We long for the fire of His holiness to consume in us all that is not like Him.
We are committed to actively submitting to the Holy Spirit’s work of making us like Jesus, and to helping one another in this pursuit.
We are committed to actively submitting to the Holy Spirit’s work of making us like Jesus, and to helping one another in this pursuit.
Mission.
We are convinced that God is on a mission. Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and
to save what was lost” (Lk 19:10). The more we love Jesus, and the closer we get to His heart, we ourselves become more and more passionate about His longing to bring redemption to the lost and hurting
and broken and bound people that He created and loves.
A gathering of Christians cannot properly call itself Church if it exists simply to meet its own needs and continue... existing. A tree does not consume their own fruits in order to grow. So we do not only seek our individual growth but trust in the one who provides the growth. We know and prioritize seeking the care and building up of others for the revelation of God’s glory.
to save what was lost” (Lk 19:10). The more we love Jesus, and the closer we get to His heart, we ourselves become more and more passionate about His longing to bring redemption to the lost and hurting
and broken and bound people that He created and loves.
A gathering of Christians cannot properly call itself Church if it exists simply to meet its own needs and continue... existing. A tree does not consume their own fruits in order to grow. So we do not only seek our individual growth but trust in the one who provides the growth. We know and prioritize seeking the care and building up of others for the revelation of God’s glory.