1. WISDOM

Jesus is wisdom personified, therefore we are most like Christ when we are wise, not when we insist on being right. Wisdom is not merely intelligence. While wisdom may be hard to define, three characteristics are outstanding about wisdom:

1. Wisdom loves people more than rules,
2. Wisdom is able to choose the Tree of Life or what will bring the most life-giving outcome,
3. Wisdom knows when to be strict and when to be flexible. Flexible means able to give up something less important in order to become gain something more important to God. The highest spiritual skill is wisdom.

(Proverbs 3:13-18, 11:30, 23:15, 23:24, 29:3, 1 Kings 5:7)

2. FOCUS ON THE FAMILY

We believe a good marriage is a source of lifelong joy, the ideal environment for healthy children and the foundation of a strong church. A good marriage involves two willing people giving selflessly to each other.

(Deut 6:6-9, Proverbs 5:18, Revelation 19:7)

3. SERVANT HEARTS

Jesus came to serve, not to be served. To become great in the Kingdom, we must become servants. We enter ministry through a servant’s backdoor, not on stage in the limelight of a prima donna. That means we serve with an “anywhere needed” attitude. We believe every member is a minister who has been given gifts to be discovered, developed, and deployed. Every believer is created for ministry, gifted for ministry, authorized for ministry, and needed for ministry. We are committed to being a servant-hearted, volunteer-driven church.

(Matthew 25:31-46, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, Philippians 2:3-9)

4. DOING CHURCH AS A TEAM

We believe that teamwork is God’s design for effective ministry, and team objectives take priority over personal objectives. We want everyone to discover the joy of being a fully contributing member. Our purpose is not merely to do tasks by ourselves. We are called to belong to a team. Our success will ultimately be defined by our successors. We cannot succeed alone, we can only reproduce with others. The greater the vision, the greater the team that needs to grow. We are committed to growing a culture of teamwork.

(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Psalm 133:1, Ephesians 4:11-16, 1 Peter 2:4-9)

5. EXCELLENCE

There is a joy that comes from excess competence or being very good at what we do. Therefore we aim to continually improve for the sake of God’s Kingdom. We believe that God is worthy of our very best. A growing spirit of excellence should permeate every activity - not perfectionism but excellence with consistent evaluation and a willingness to be mentored through changes.

(Psalm 78:72, Daniel 5:12, Colossians 3:17, Ecclesiastes 10:10)

6. ACTION

We are the Navy Seals of the Body of Christ. In everything we do, we go hard or go home! We believe God wants to turn us from passive spectators into active promoters of the ministry. Intention cannot replace action. Therefore we believe in producing works that will bless future generations. We are not a church of consumers, but of producers. If we see potential in you, we will draw it out of you. Our purpose has to do with good works we finish and leave for others to benefit from. We are not saved by good works, nevertheless we are created in Christ Jesus for good works.

(Matthew 5:16, Mark 10:45, Ephesians 2:10, 4:11-12, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12:14-20, James 2:20, 26, Ecc 3:13, 3:22, 5:19)

7. DAILY DEVOTIONS

God calls us to discipline in relation to Scripture reading & praying. It's the fear of discipline & planning that holds back many Christians. We believe in putting God’s Word first each day of our lives. Therefore we read the Bible daily to answer one question: “How will I be different today because of what I just read?” We believe reading the Bible through once every year and writing down how we will be different helps us become more like Jesus. We believe small incremental improvements every day exceed the value of sudden bursts of great effort. True joy comes from being in the center of God’s will; we discover God’s will whenever we read the Bible.

(Matthew 6:11, Mark 3:14-15, Luke 10:42, 2 Timothy 2:15, Psalm 119:105)

8. BIBLICAL BALANCE

Being Biblically balanced makes us stable and strong in the midst of life’s challenges. We love ALL parts of the Bible, not just our favorite topics. When we feel strongly about a portion of the Bible, it is easy to develop a bias by picking our favorite teacher or teaching and shutting out other teachers or teachings of the Bible. We recognize that the mark of spiritual maturity is to be able to appreciate viewpoints other than our own while not being swayed “by every wind of doctrine”. To stay balanced, we choose to be open to learning all parts of God’s Word.

(Ephesians 4:14, 2 John 1:4, 3 John 1:3, 1 Cor 13:6, Matthew 13:44, Psalm 119:160, 2 Timothy 4:13-14, 1 Corinthians 3:3-4)

9. HEART FOR THE LOST

Everything we do is connected to a soul. There is joy in Heaven when one sinner comes to Christ. Therefore sharing the Gospel with others is a normal part of a Christian lifestyle. We believe that the most effective evangelism happens through people inviting people. We are committed to growing a culture of evangelism and missions.

(Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18, Luke 19:10, John 3:16, Luke 15:7, Acts 16:34, Psalm 118:24)

10. HONOUR

We honor God’s people and God’s things. Every commandment of God is a commandment of honor. Every sin is an act of dishonor. Every success in your life can be traced to someone you honored. Every failure in your life can be explained by someone you dishonored. When you teach your child to honor, you have taught them enough.

We show honor by loving people and using things, not using people and loving things.

(Exodus 20, Ephesians 6:20, Matthew 15:4-6, 1 Timothy 5:17, 1 Samuel 2:30, Hebrews 13:16-17, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)

11. APPROPRIATE FEEDBACK

Feedback needs to be qualified. Appropriate feedback brings us closer to our vision and core values, is given by a contributing member, and delivered with humility. Feedback is not complaining, venting an offense, or telling someone they’re wrong. Constructive feedback tends to be specific and positive, rather than generic and negative. A person who gives appropriate feedback is willing to take on more responsibility and is not offended by not getting their own way. We believe we grow through appropriate feedback.

(Galatians 1:18-19, 2:1-2, 1 Timothy 4:16)

12. UNITY

In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.

In essentials, unity. We believe in the Apostle’s creed and Nicene creed, as historically adopted by the Church Fathers, and we do not unite with or marry into error. True unity is based on the Word of God and a common purpose. True unity requires forgiving offenses, repairing relationships, and pursuing a common cause, sometimes at the cost of giving up our own wishes. There is a counterfeit unity based on common complaint. We refuse to give audience to a spirit of complaint. We will be courageous to solve every problem in a way that honors God, values relationships, and protects the core values of the church.

In non-essentials, liberty. We give leeway to a diversity of opinions on issues that are non-essential and fellowship with believers who do not agree with us on non-essential issues. Every church has its own DNA, style and strengths, usually influenced by its senior leadership, therefore we honour other churches while preserving our DNA, style and strengths, and without compromising our calling and core values.

In all things, charity. Too many Christians become uncomfortable with fellowshipping with sinners. Jesus was called a friend of sinners. We believe in living in the world to build relationships and bring people to Christ, but we do not unite with or marry into unbelief. The Bible commands Christians to love sinners, but not be unequally yoked with unbelievers in marriage or any union that would cause us to disobey God.

(Acts 2:1, 2:46, 4:24, Philippians 2:2, 2 Cor 6:14)