Cultivating Vitality

Four commitments for a church that look & acts like Jesus.

Discipleship: Transformative Encounters with Jesus

  • We worship to encounter the living God and to continue the apostles' teaching and fellowship.
  • We apprentice people into spiritual practices and invite all into creating and keeping an intentional Rule of Life.
  • We preach to help people ground their own lives in God's story and live faithfully.
  • We share the stories of our faith journeys, seeking courage to rely on God's promises.

Abide in me as I abide in you.

Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 

I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.

from John 15:1-11

Justice: Building Community with the Poor & Marginalized

  • We serve Jesus in the form of our neighbors, especially our neighbors who are poor, suffering, or marginalized. 
  • We seek God’s healing in relationships across difference—especially differences of race, class, politics, and religion.
  • We share what we have—money, space, skills, time—to participate in the Holy Spirit's work of mending broken relationships with God, neighbor, and Creation.
  • We strive, through our words and our actions, to be known as a force for God's vision of Shalom in our community.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

from Luke 4:16-21

Faithful Innovation: A Culture of Experimentation

  • We continually discern the unique identity and gifts of our congregation.
  • We listen attentively to God, neighbors, and news, trusting that the Holy Spirit is acting around us.
  • We continually look for new opportunities and fresh ways to proclaim the Good News in our neighborhoods and networks.
  • We try new things and intentionally learn from success and failure, watching for God to make all things new.

Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.

from Matthew 4:18-22

Vital Communities: Sharing Life Together Deeply

  • We gather in small groups to support each others’ discipleship.
  • Our relationships at church become some of the most important relationships in our lives.
  • We ground our leadership and ministry gatherings in prayer and Scripture.
  • We trust that times of conflict and change are an opportunity to hear the Holy Spirit’s guidance in new ways.

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. 

from John 13:35

Resources