Our Core Values

More Than Words: Living Out Our Core Values

Every church has things that are important to them. For us, our core values help describe who we are, how we live, and the kind of church we are becoming.

They are simple:

Gather. Grow. Give. Go. Invite.

But these are more than five words we put on a wall or print on a shirt. They are a way of living out our mission to connect people to Jesus Christ for the transformation of all people.

Gather: We Were Never Meant to Do Life Alone

“We gather together in worship and community.”

Church is about more than attending a worship service. It is about people coming together to worship Jesus and experience genuine community.

We gather to worship. We gather to pray. We gather around tables. We gather in small groups. We gather to celebrate the good moments and support one another through the difficult ones.

Hebrews 10:24–25 reminds us to encourage one another and not give up meeting together. Acts 2:42–47 gives us a beautiful picture of the early church sharing meals, learning together, praying together, and doing life together.

We want to be that kind of community.

A place where you can walk through the doors and know that you do not have to do life alone.

Grow: Everyone Has a Next Step

Grow: Everyone Has a Next Step

“We grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ and with one another.”

Following Jesus is a journey, and none of us have arrived yet.

Whether you have followed Jesus for 50 years, five years, five months, or you are still trying to figure out what you believe, there is always room to grow.

Second Peter 3:18 tells us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Growth happens as we study Scripture, pray, worship, ask questions, serve, and build relationships with other people.

But our goal is not simply to know more about Jesus.

Our goal is to become more like Jesus.

We want to create a church where people are encouraged to ask questions, explore their faith, build meaningful relationships, and continually take their next step toward Jesus.

Give: Everyone Has Something to Offer

“We give our time, talents, and treasures for the impact of transformed lives through Jesus Christ.”

When we talk about giving, it is easy to immediately think about money. Financial generosity is certainly part of giving, but biblical generosity is much bigger than that.

We can give our time.

We can give our talents.

We can give our resources.

We can give our presence.

First Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others.”

God has given every person something that can be used to make a difference.

Some people teach. Some encourage. Some cook. Some build. Some welcome people. Some sing. Some organize. Some give generously. Some simply notice the person sitting alone and decide to sit beside them.

Every gift matters.

When we put what God has given us into His hands, He can use ordinary people to make an extraordinary difference in someone's life.

Go: Church Doesn't Stop at the Doors

“We go beyond the walls of the church to serve our local community and demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ.”

Jesus never told His followers to build a church building and wait for everyone else to show up.

He told us to go.

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus tells His followers, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.”

That means our mission cannot stop when worship ends on Sunday morning.

We want to be present in our neighborhoods. We want to serve families. We want to support our community. We want to notice people who are hurting. We want to build relationships with people who may never walk through the doors of a church.

Sometimes sharing Jesus begins with a sermon.

Sometimes it begins with serving someone who needs help.

Sometimes it begins with a meal, a conversation, a community event, or simply showing up when someone needs you.

We want our community to be able to look at our church and say, “Those people genuinely care about us.”

Invite: Come and See

“We intentionally invite and welcome new people into the life and community of the church so they may experience the love of Jesus Christ.”

One of our favorite examples of invitation comes from John 1.

Philip tells Nathanael that he has found Jesus. Nathanael has questions and doubts, but Philip does not argue with him.

He simply says:

“Come and see.”

That is the heart behind Invite.

We do not have to have every answer. We do not have to pressure people. Sometimes we simply need to extend an invitation.

Come and see.

Come worship with us.

Come have coffee.

Come join us for dinner.

Come serve with us.

Come ask your questions.

Come meet some people.

Come experience a community that is trying to follow Jesus together.

And when someone accepts that invitation, our job is not finished. We want to welcome them, learn their name, hear their story, and help them know that there is a place for them here.

This Is Who We Want to Be

Gather. Grow. Give. Go. Invite.

These values tell a story.

We gather together and discover that we do not have to do life alone.

We grow together as we become more like Jesus.

We give what God has placed in our hands to make a difference.

We go beyond our walls to love and serve our community.

And we invite others to come experience Jesus and community with us.

We will not always do these things perfectly. But these are the values that continue pointing us toward the church we believe God is calling us to become.

Because ultimately, everything comes back to our mission:

Connecting people to Jesus Christ for the transformation of all people.

And sometimes that transformation begins with something as simple as an invitation:

Come and see.