​

Following Christ

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25)
 

We joyfully proclaim the Good News that in Jesus Christ God took human form: living a sinless life, announcing and establishing the kingdom of God, and offering himself on the cross as a sacrifice for human sinfulness. We believe that it is by God’s grace alone, through faith in Christ alone, that people can experience rebirth and reconciliation with God and with one another. In response to this Good News, we invite all to come and explore what it means to follow Christ, both as individuals, and as members of his body, the church. We believe that faith in Christ comes in different ways and times to each of us, and we are committed to giving each person the freedom to examine the claims of Christ for themselves, trusting that “not all who wander are lost” (J.R.R. Tolkien). We believe God is glorified as we are transformed into the image of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, which becomes ours through baptism and acts upon us as we worship and pray together, meditate on God’s infallible Word, the Bible, and seek to walk in God’s ways as we follow Christ.

 

Serving in Love

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
 

We believe that those who belong to Christ are adopted into the family of God, becoming part of the living community of faith, the church, which is Christ’s body. As members of his body, we are called to serve one another faithfully in humility and mutual respect, joyfully giving of our time and resources to support one another as we walk together in the journey of faith. We believe that as we forgive one another, encourage one another, and bear one another’s burdens we demonstrate the love which was poured out on us in Christ. We believe that by serving those outside the community of faith, unconditionally and without judgment, we bear witness to the love of God for all people.

​

Engaging the World

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13)

​

In a world that values wealth, power, and popularity, we believe we are called to care for the poor, defend the powerless, and embrace all who are outcast. In a world that assigns worth to human life in arbitrary ways, we proclaim that every person is made in the image of God and that all life is priceless, from the moment of conception until that time when the Lord and Giver of life alone determines when that earthly journey should end. In a world that celebrates anarchy in sexual relations, we humbly affirm the good gift of human sexuality as expressed within the bounds of covenant marriage between one man and one woman. In a world that pursues self-fulfillment above all other goals, we seek to follow Christ, who calls us to die to self and live for one another, to the glory of God. We welcome all in the name of Christ, recognizing that God accepts us as we are, yet also loves us too much to leave us that way. We encourage all to “come go with us” as we joyfully discover the ways in which God is calling us to himself.