Purpose & Vision
Our Purpose: Christlikeness
Our Vision: To bring as many people to heaven as we can, in as Christlike condition as possible.
Our Foundational Values:
We believe that what we become in our relationship with God is more important than what we do for God. Jesus, as a carpenter fulfilling common tasks, awakened the Father's pleasure (Matt 3:17). If we gain the Father's endorsement, we believe He will back our efforts with heaven's power. Thus when we speak of becoming like Christ, we have the following definitions in mind:
- Christlikeness - Our first common foundational value, as stated above, is pursuit of Christlikeness. Since nothing pleases the Father more than His Son, it is our desire to be genuinely conformed to the character, power and love of Jesus Christ. We believe this is God's vision for man, to make us in the image of Christ (Gen 1:26; Rom 8:29). Thus, we measure our success not by what we are before man, but how truly Christlike we become before God.
- Humility - We are convinced that all spiritual progress is the result of God's grace. However, while God's Spirit may be poured out on all flesh, He only gives grace (or the capacity to be changed) to the humble. Therefore, we esteem humility as the first and most important virtue. For it is humility that enables us to hear God concerning our sin and it is humility that honestly accepts where we still lack Christ's virtues. In seeking to truly become like Christ, we remember His commands, "Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matt 11:29).
- Prayer (Redemptive Intercession) - We believe we have been placed on earth to reveal God's mercy. Thus, when we are made aware of someone caught in sin, or when we see evil prosper in our world, we believe our first response is redemptive prayer (1 John 5). We are a people committed to not use our tongues to gossip, slander or destroy, but to intercede, correct, heal and redeem. When rebuke or discipline is required, we purpose to do so in meekness, looking to ourselves lest we too be tempted (Gal 6).
- Christ-Centered Unity - We believe a time will come when, because of mature Christ-centered unity, Jesus' prayer in John 17 will be fulfilled. Therefore, we believe it is the Father's intention, not only to fulfill Christ's prayer as He prayed in the first century, but to bring unity to the church throughout the ages so that "all who believe...may be one" (John 17:20-21). As those who are experiencing the effect of the Father's answer to Christ's prayer, we are committed to unity with other Christians. Our unity may manifest in many ways: friendships, individual or corporate prayer, kindness, forgiveness, financial assistance, compassion, citywide outreaches or dozens of other expressions. Where we differ doctrinally with other born again Christians, we purpose to maintain the "unity of the Spirit" until we all come to the "unity of the faith" (Eph 4:3, 13).
Reaching the Lost: A Direct Result of Walking in Our Four Standards
Within the scope of our vision - whether it is in our personal pursuit of Christlikeness or engendering unity in the church, whether we are praying for our nation or painting a neighbor's house - our spirit is always mindful of reaching the lost. We seek a pure heart so that "sinners will be converted" to God (Ps 51); we desire unity, that "the world may believe" (John 17); and, we humble ourselves and pray that God might turn and "heal [our] land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). Just as the unsaved are always on the mind of God, so we are ever mindful of Christ's heart to seek and to save the lost.
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