1. Bible-saturation- We want to be saturated with the word of God in order that we may be nurtured ourselves, growing deep in him, and in order that we may have a foundation upon which to teach, reprove, correct, and train the church in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
2. Prayerfulness- In desperate anticipation, we long to be driven by prayer because it is the power for all of life and a reflection of our absolute dependence upon Christ for all things (Philippians 4:6-8; Ephesians 6:16-17).
3. Joy in God - We believe God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him; therefore, we want people to find full joy in God even in and through suffering and see the pleasures of sin as fleeting and hopeless (Psalm 37:4;100:2; 2 Corinthians 6:10; Philippians 3:1).
Pursuing Community
4. A Community of Grace- The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of grace. Having been rescued from our sin by the grace of God, we want to create an environment where we remind one another of grace especially when we make mistakes. Seeing the church as the primary context for growing in this gospel of grace, we will regularly talk about the evidences of God’s grace, point one another to our need for Christ, fight alongside one another against sin with the promises of God, and act in His grace for the joy of the church and for His glory (Acts 20:24; Galatians 1:6; Ephesians 2:8).
5. Humility- God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble, so we desire to be a church that cultivates humility through intimate relationships, care, confession of sin, forgiveness, inviting correction, admonishment, meaningful church membership, church discipline, and gospel encouragement (1 Thess. 5:12-13; 1 Peter 5:5b-7).
6. Biblical Roles- Believing that submission is necessary for healthy living and seeing that God’s order is the best order, we gladly promote a plurality of elders (humble male pastors) and deacons (the exemplary servants) to lead the church. The church is to equip husbands and wives to fulfill their different, yet complementary roles, to train parents to raise Christ-adoring kids, and to foster healthy biblical relationships for singles (1 Tim 2:8-3:17; Ephesians 5:22-6:4; 1 Corinthians 7:32-38).
Loving the World
7. Intentional Living- Believing the church is not a building or simply what you do Sunday, we want to be a community of believers that is intentional with all of life from where we live, to how we spend our money knowing that God has placed us where we are for the spreading of His fame (Matthew 28:19; 1Corinthians 10:31-33).
8. Compassion- Stirred up by biblical commands, compassion for people drives us to lay down our lives for the poor, diseased, abused, and brokenhearted (Psalm 147:1-3; Jeremiah 22:16; Matthew 25:31-46; Galatians 2:10).
9. Harmony- Harmony among all races and socio-economic groups will display the power of the gospel, help mature the church, and will enable us to reflect heaven more clearly (Ephesians 3:10; Revelation 5:9).
10. Multiplication- People who have been changed by grace want to see more lives transformed. We not only want to grow as followers of Christ but we want to multiply God’s church through community groups, church planting, and church reformation among all peoples (Matthew 28:19-20; Psalm 67:4-5).
