Our Mission, Vision and Values

Mission:

To create a community that nurtures and empowers people to be disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Vision:

We are a community deeply grounded in the love of God: enthusiastically welcoming all into the life of our church; earnestly seeking to be disciples of Jesus Christ; empowering each other in our faith journey through study, worship and service; lovingly nurturing the physical and spiritual needs of children; preaching a progressive expression of the message of Jesus Christ; compassionately reaching out in service to those in need; actively engaged in promoting justice for all; and gratefully committed to the responsible stewardship of all of God’s creation.

What We Value:

Inclusion

We endeavor to live out the motto of our denomination: Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors. This means we include ALL people. As a Reconciling congregation we welcome and fully include LGBTQ people in the life of the Church. We believe God’s love extends to all creation.

Nurturing

Children are important to us. We have our Co-op Preschool and a thriving Children’s and Youth programs. We strive to raise up children who know God’s love and become disciples of Jesus Christ.

Progressive

We believe God calls us to have open minds and hearts which means to be curious and ask questions. We encourage open dialogue. We believe in taking the Bible seriously but not literally. Our hope is to form ourselves and the world into the likeness of Jesus.

Spiritual Growth/Formation

Spiritual growth is foundational. We strive to grow in our relationship to God so that we are able and prepared to show God’s love in the world.

Compassionate

More than anything Jesus teaches us to be compassionate rather than judgmental; to be compassionate as God is compassionate. We seek first to understand before being understood.

Social Justice

Jesus addressed the social issues of his day and taught the inclusion of all, especially those who live on the margins of society. In this spirit, we believe in equality, the fair distribution of wealth and healthcare for all; and we decry racism, sexism and any other means of oppressing others.

Servanthood

Jesus said: “Whomever would be the greatest must be servant of all.” In our world where people seek their own way, we believe meaning is found in servanthood. We believe everyone is called to be in ministry and we support one another in finding our gifts and providing opportunities to share them.

Integrity

We believe in living a moral life. We believe that humility and honesty are essential in all relationships, from the family to politics. We seek to instill character, truthfulness, respect and decency in ourselves and future generations.

Approved: November 5, 2018