authentic community

The first community to ever exist was the eternal community of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God's existence as Father, Son, and Spirit was, and is distinct to their own personhood, yet inseparably one in their being. Oneness has thus been extended to the people of God as they find their identity in Him. As well this community also finds its expression in the oneness of the gathered body. Both are distinct as individuals yet one with each other in faith. It is in the safety of this community that we grow together in friendship and belonging. In this community of God we live out our faith stories. Community therefore becomes our expression of the Gospel and the living declaration of the power of Christ to change us. In this community we love and serve and become. It is friendship and family with God and one another.

the value applied

The church is called a body, an interrelated interdependent group of people who live life together. Community becomes the truth of the Gospel. It should be a community that the world looks at and sees what Jesus is like. In such a fragmented world, the church must be a place where people truly connect in the deepest way. In friendship, service, worship, prayer, caring, nurture, and love. Therefore one of the primary purposes of gathering is not to produce an event, but to be together and share our lives. Community happens in large groups such as worship services as well as home groups and one on one conversation over coffee. The church is not programs but people and we must intentionally seek to create and preserve the space where we can connect deeply with one another in spiritual conversation and love.