Values
As we work to see the vision fulfilled in our city, we recognize core values that we must learn to live by if we are to see true and lasting renewal in our lives, in our churches, and in our city.
Renewing Lives
Gospel Centered: The gospel changes everything. The gospel is “the power of God” (Rom.1:16) that changes not only unbelievers but believers as well. The gospel is the solution not only for our “spiritual” problems but all personal problems (Col.1:16) and all societal problems (Gal.2:14).
Loving Our City: The gospel makes us a church for the City. We will emphasize the strategic significance of the city as the place where the nation’s culture is shaped. We will recognize the tremendous spiritual receptivity in cities. We will teach love and respect for the city.
Prayer Focused: The gospel makes us a people of prayer. The gospel gives us the right attitude in prayer -- an unique combination of humility and confidence. Humility because we are far more sinful than we ever dared imagine. Confidence because in and through Jesus Christ we are far more loved than we ever dared dream.
Renewing the Church
Movement mindset: The gospel makes every believer a minister. The gospel empowers all God’s people for ministry. Therefore, we will emphasize leadership development and empowerment in order to encourage Christians to initiate and lead team-based ministries. Second, we will network and partner with a great variety of churches and ministries in the city to see the gospel spread.
Vital community: The gospel makes true friendship possible. The gospel completely transforms our relationships with one another. Without the gospel, Gal.5:26 tells us, we will either “provoke” those we feel superior to, or we will “envy” those we feel inferior to. But the gospel both humbles us and yet assures us that we are valued and loved. Now we are free from envy and pride, inferiority and superiority, in order to love and serve one another. We will do so practically and particularly through involvement at the small group level.
Outward face: The gospel makes us a church for others. The gospel gives us deep respect and great hope for every non-Christian, and it frees and empowers us not to live for ourselves but for our friends, neighbors and associates who don’t believe. First, this means we will cultivate relationships with non-Christians and invite them to church (Lk.5:29). Second, we will welcome non-Christians into our midst (1Cor.14:23-25). Third, we will communicate in a way that invites questions, engages people in dialogue and takes a process (not crisis) approach to communication.
Renewing the City
Church Planting: The gospel renews the City spiritually. The gospel energizes the planting of new churches. As the gospel spreads lives are changed and gathered into new churches. We will aim to plant churches with the same gospel-based values into every neighborhood and people group of the city. It will take, not a church, but a movement of church planting churches to transform the city.
Community Development: The gospel renews the City socially. The gospel gets at the root of social problems. Sin causes social brokenness. The gospel is that Jesus has moved in with the poor and become a neighbor to us (Jn.1:14), and has become poor so that we might become rich (2Cor.8:9), in order to redeem both soul and body (1Cor.15) and in order to finally rehab the physical and social world (Rev.21-22). We will seek to follow Jesus as He heals the city socially.
Cultural renewal: The gospel renews the City culturally. The gospel enables us to realize afresh two things. First, all of our work matters to God. So-called “secular” work is as valuable and God-honoring as Christian ministry. Second, God matters to all our work. The gospel enables Christians to work in their vocations both with excellence and Christian distinctiveness, thus transforming the culture in which we live from the inside out.