Mission Statement

Connect … with God and God’s people

Jesus replied: “`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it `Love your neighbor as yourself.'” (Mt. 22:37-38)

Jesus said there was really only one thing in the universe that was important – love relationships – first with God, and similarly with other people. Our purpose as a church, then, is to connect people with God, as well as with others in the body of Christ, that is His church.

Grow … in our relationship with God and God’s people

… that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Eph. 4:12-13)

But connecting with God and others is just the beginning. God doesn’t want us to stay where we are, but to mature in our relationships with God, and to go deeper with others. The study of God’s Word and other classic spiritual disciplines are important in this growth, as is discovering and using the gifts that God has given us. Because we were made for community with others, we do this not only in our private spiritual lives, but also with others in a small group.

Serve … as witnesses to Jesus in word and deed

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8)

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant … (Php. 2:5-7)

However, our growth is never just for our sakes, but growth for the benefit of God’s kingdom and purposes in this world, which centers on bringing others into God’s family. Our call is to be involved in helping others come into a relationship with God through His Son Jesus. We do so by doing what Jesus did – in obedience to God the Father, we proclaim the good news of God’s grace both through our words as well as through our compassionate and grace-filled caring for those who live in this world broken by sin.