RECOGNIZE | RESPOND

We value growing in our ability to recognize and respond to the Spirit’s presence and activity.

We believe the Holy Spirit is always at work in us and around us, but sometimes that is not easy for us to perceive. We want to grow in how we notice and follow the Spirit’s guidance in our everyday lives. To that end, we encourage everyone to build personal habits that help them connect with God and learn how the Spirit has uniquely equipped and gifted them. During our gatherings, we seek to grow in this awareness through a variety of practices (such as music, prayer, studying the Bible, communion, discussion, contemplation, art, and fellowship) and making space for individuals to practice and share their spiritual gifts.

CURIOSITY | AUTHENTICITY

We value welcoming others and knowing one another through curiosity and authenticity.

As God has extended an unconditional welcome to every person, we seek to create an informal and welcoming environment for people to know and be known. We want to listen carefully to each person’s story to understand how God is working in their life. We believe that every person reveals something special and important about who God is. So, we desire to make room for people to share authentically who God has made them to be without fear of rejection or hostility.

SAFETY | RESTORATION

We value creating safe spaces for people to encounter the restorative healing power of Jesus.

We believe healing and reconciliation are God’s priorities in the world, and just as the problems that plague humanity are many and multifaceted, so too are the solutions that God has graciously provided in Jesus. We want to help people seek and find healing through Jesus in all aspects of their lives (emotional, relational, spiritual, and physical). In our gatherings and communal life, we want to create safe spaces for people to share about and work through personal and systemic problems, hurts, issues, disappointments, failures and struggles. We strive to carry each other’s burdens while contending for Christ’s mercy, love, forgiveness and peace to restore us, knowing that healing sometimes happens in an instant and other times over years of process.

TRANSFORMATION | SEASONS

We value supporting one another in the transformative process of following Jesus through the varied seasons of our lives.

We believe that following Jesus is a lifelong journey of change and growth. This journey has different seasons—times of learning, loss, growth, rest, waiting, and even suffering. We believe every season is important and that people need different kinds of help depending on what they’re going through. We want to support and care for each other in every season, while also encouraging one another to keep moving forward on the path of transformation with faith, intentionality, and courage.

LISTENING | JOINING

We value listening to the needs of those who are hurting and joining with others to repair unjust systems in the church and community in order to show the love and care of Jesus to all our neighbors, especially those on the margins of our society.

We believe that God is moved by injustices around us both inside and outside of the church. Thus, working for justice for our neighbors is central to our calling as followers of Jesus, and God is always expanding the borders of our perceived neighborhood. We want to create opportunities to listen to the needs of others and cooperate with religious and non-religious organizations and individuals to care for the health and wellbeing of others in our community.

PARTNERING | SHARING

We value partnering with others and doing the messy work of collaboration across our differences in order to more effectively share the love of Christ in our local community and beyond.

We believe that God has designed humans for mutual and interdependent relationships. It is only in partnership with others who are different from us that we are able to reveal the fullness of Christ’s work in the world. We strive to receive and embrace each person’s unique contribution, and to share generously whatever God has given us for the good of the whole. With discernment, we also seek to collaborate with other churches and organizations to work for the peace and wellbeing of the various communities in which God has called us to live.