Story-Formed- God has been unfolding his Story since before time began. We believe we are participants in the Story and need to understand it and see how our lives intersect with it. Therefore, we regularly reacquaint ourselves with the Story by interacting with God's Word. We look for ways and times to tell the Story often. We also take time to listen to others stories and help them find their lives within God's Story. (Thanks to Soma Communities of Tacoma, WA for this one).
Relational- We commit to living as a community that meets the needs of one another, that prays together, and that encourages one another through our speech and actions. Christlike discipleship is our goal, unity and mutual submission is our commitment, and love and grace is our anthem. We urge all members to join in “community groups” to learn true discipleship and to model Christian love. We encourage relational interactions with our communities through eating together and celebrating together.
Missional- We live our lives as a mission to everyone. We commit to living as agents of grace and reconciliation with family, colleagues, friends, neighbors, and strangers everywhere, all the time. We believe in Jesus’ model of going to people and not expecting people to come to us. Jesus lived among the “sinners”, the “outcast”, and even the religious people of His day and he brought God’s love to all he encountered. We intentionally seek similar relationships and reject “Christian isolation”.
Open- Following Jesus requires that we be aware of the people and circumstances in our world and how God is interacting in those situations. We intentionally listen for God’s leading in our lives in an effort to engage with His works everywhere, all of the time.
Refreshing- We believe that the “good news” about Jesus is more than just a future salvation but it also includes good news for our lives today. Following with the teachings in the Hebrew Scriptures and the examples in the New Testament, we commit to bringing restoration to the world around us. We want each person to be healthy in body, mind, and soul. This means we are committed to breaking harmful addictions, to restoring broken relationships, and to deepening our own understanding and love for the resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ.
Blessing- We commit to living our lives in service to others. This service begins in our own homes, our own communities, and extends to all people. Our generosity includes our hospitality, our time, and our finances.
Creative- We believe that we are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26,27) and therefore we are creative creatures. We embrace each person’s unique giftedness and each person’s unique form of expression. We want our community to reflect the uniqueness of Christ in our midst.
