Plumb Lines
1 Thessalonians 2:8
Sharing Life, Love, and Faith
No, this isn't your traditional "belief statement." Following Jesus is a journey, an experience, and it impacts who we are at a foundational level. Our DNA statement is shared with our connected churches.
Plumb Lines - A statement about our DNA
1) We recognize that God is already speaking into the lives of every man, woman, and child, wooing them toward himself. Our task is to find ways to join that conversation with grace, compassion, and respect. Following Jesus is as much experience as it is belief and is caught as much as it is taught. This is why we seek to develop relationships with others and pursue Jesus alongside them, because Jesus Christ is the only hope this world has ever known.
2) We strive to create an honest, safe, and open atmosphere where conversations can begin and answers to questions can be sought. We believe this posture is deeply rooted in the concept of biblical hospitality.
3) We strive to be continually moving ourselves and others toward Christ by producing tangible good in our homes, neighborhoods, communities, workplaces, churches, and schools. We work to ensure that “what happens on Sunday matters on Monday.”
4) We hold that the Bible is the Story of God, divinely inspired, protected by God and passed on from the Apostles. As students of scripture, we recognize that some things scripture teaches are open to interpretation and conversation. We strive to apply The Scriptures to our lives as we follow Jesus.
5) The Gospel (Good News) never changes but the methods of delivery must continually change. As communicators of the divine truth, we are committed to remain creative, flexible, and ready to change our methods so that we may minister to our community more effectively. This commitment ensures we will learn from both our successes and failures.
6) We strive to support our community and meet its needs. This includes hosting various events on our campuses, raising funds for certain endeavors, or sending out people to do hands-on work and more. We hold that we are responsible for our community and we aim to be known by love.
7) We will not promote or give a platform to other organizations or personal projects. We believe that doing so dilutes the authority of the divine calling of the church and can serve to alienate many who would otherwise be open to the gospel. That said, we may strongly encourage and support effective ministries and organizations that align with our ethos.
8) We recognize that all we have comes from a generous God. We commit to being accountable and transparent with funds given. We will not allow the church to become burdened with a heavy load of debt and we will follow God’s example in being generous with what we have been given.