Our Values: The priorities that shape the pursuit of our dream
Passion - Knowing Christ
Our highest value is to know the One of
highest value. We want to be a church that is enthralled with the
surpassing greatness of knowing Christ to the point where the desire to
know Him motivates everything we do. This is our goal and the only
means by which we will motivate ourselves and others. Phil
3:7-11
Worship We love to worship God, long for His actual
presence in our midst, and will actively pursue Him in our
worship. Psalm 63
Passion We value living
passionate lives and understand that this entails commitment and
sacrifice. We will be a people who commit and sacrifice for great
causes. Hebrews 12:2
Christlikeness We seek to live
in a way that imitates the life of Jesus, exhibiting his character,
heart, and ministry. As such, we welcome his transforming presence into
all areas of our lives that we may be changed to be more like
Him. Ephesians 4:17-24, 2 Corinthians 3:18
Holy
Spirit We welcome the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in our
lives and gatherings, actively
inviting Him and depending on Him to guide and empower every thing we
do. Acts 1:4-8
Prayer We believe that God commands us
to pray and loves to meet our needs in response to prayer.
Therefore we will pray boldly and prioritize prayer in the life of our
church. Hebrews 4:16, Matt. 7:7-11
The Bible We will
teach the Bible and encourage its study, turning to God’s word
regularly for instruction and allowing it to shape our minds, hearts,
and actions. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Community - knowing
together
We need each other! We were not made to go it alone. In
order to be everything God has called us to be and do everything he has
called us to do, we will have to do it together. Ephesians
4:13
Loving Relationships This is the way of the Lord who
came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. When we love,
we reflect Him and when we do not, we can do nothing of value. John
15:12-13, 1 Corinthians 13:3
Diversity We are committed to
being a church that reflects the diversity of West Philadelphia, where
people from different ethnic, social, economic, and cultural
backgrounds can come together in harmony to worship the living
God. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31
Authenticity We find no
value in being religious, but aim to be real in our relationships and
our worship of God. To this end, we embrace speaking the truth in love,
removing our masks, and worship without pretence or hype. John
4:24, Ephesians 4:15
Missional Focus We value being a
community that doesn’t exist just for each other, but instead has a
sense of mission and a purposeful outward focus. Luke 9:1-2
Inclusiveness We value being a welcoming and inclusive community,
where people from all backgrounds and belief systems can come and
belong, no matter what they believe, as they search out the reality of
Christ. Mark 2:15
Positive Speech We will build each
other up with our words and avoid speech that tears individuals and our
community down, particularly gossip and slander. Ephesians
4:29
Joy The first believers found joy when they met
together in the name of Christ. We too will relish our
opportunities to laugh and have fun. 2 John 12
Healthy
lives, marriages, and families We value the individual and the
family and will support them with our teaching, our scheduling demands,
our leadership, and our children’s and youth ministries.
Genesis 2:24, 1 Corinthians 7:32-35
Small Groups We believe
that small groups are the primary places where pastoral care, teaching,
mission, and relationships happen within a church community. We seek to
expand God’s kingdom by reproducing Christ-centered small groups.
Acts 2:46
Justice and Compassion - So others may see
We aspire to have a
lasting impact on our city, nation, and world, as we actively show the
character of Christ by bringing good news, freedom, healing, and
justice to hurting people. Luke 4:18-19
Justice We
are called to uphold God’s standard of justice, challenging oppression,
and fighting for the weak. Amos 5: 14-15, 24
Remembering
the Least We seek to reflect God’s heart of compassion, and
unconditional love for the
oppressed, economically disadvantaged, and societal outcasts.
Isaiah 58
Dignity We acknowledge equality among all people,
embrace each individual as a contributing member of our community, and
view each person we serve as a representative of Christ himself.
Matthew 25:40
Sharing Christ So others may know
We aim to be a church that
leads thousands of people (or more!) into restored relationships with
God, both in Philadelphia and around the world. Matthew
28:18-20
Church Planting We value planting churches and
being a sending church, giving away our best, to see God’s purposes
accomplished in the world. Acts 13:3
International
Presence Christ came for the whole world. Therefore, we desire to
have an international presence, planting churches oversees and
investing in international populations in the States.
Matthew 28:18-20
Equipping We are an equipping church,
committed to healing, training, and raising up individuals in their
giftings to be who God intends them to be and do what He’s made them to
do. We believe an empowered congregation is more effective than
pastor-focused ministry and desire to be a training hub for Christian
leadership. 1 Peter 4:10
Multicultural Relevance In
every way acceptable to God, we value being culturally accessible to
the people in our surrounding communities, understanding there is a
great cultural mix, and making a sincere
effort to develop a worship and ministry style that honors that mix and promotes unity.
1 Corinthians 9:19-13
Unity We are one with the church
throughout the world and throughout time, in general, and with the
Association of Vineyard Churches, specifically. We desire to promote
unity and partnership among churches in the area and stimulate the
growth of God’s kingdom across denominational lines.
1 Corinthians 1:10, 1 Peter 3:8