Vision
The central purpose(s) of our local church
To reflect God’s glory in the Sunset Corridor
as the Gospel of Jesus Christ transforms us,
enabling us to show his gracious rule through all our endeavors.
Mission
The main things we want to do in the pursuit of our Vision
Worship
Our first and essential response to God’s magnificent grace is thankful praise. Everything that we do as Christians should point to the glory of our Creator and Savior, especially when we come together as the church on the Lord’s Day. We aim to worship the Triune God in a way that pleases him through the use of the Word, Sacraments, prayer, song, confessions and offerings. It is especially important to us that we exalt the grace of God as revealed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To that end, we aim to conquer the unbelief that resides in the heart of every person through Christ-centered preaching.
Prayer
Prayer is an expression to God of our love for and dependence on him, and it is the way Jesus prescribed for advancing God’s kingdom on the earth. We are changed as we submit our lives and wishes to him in prayer. And God is glorified as he answers the prayers of his people. Prayer, then, is a crucial part of the church’s participation in God’s own mission. So we hold one another up in prayer regularly, and we pray at all our meetings for God’s grace, strength, presence, guidance and work among his people.
Discipleship
In our view, discipleship includes both the introduction of new people to the faith and the maturation of believers in the faith. The way forward for any of us is the same; we must believe in who God is, what he has done for us, and what he promises to do; and we must respond in the manner he desires. So we seek to engage in relational evangelism, local and foreign missions, bible studies, counseling, leadership development and other things that teach people of all ages and from all nations to trust and obey the Triune God.
Love
God’s love for us in Christ wins our love for him and teaches us how to love others. Meaningful fellowship is important to us as both an end goal of the Gospel and as a means of displaying the Gospel. So we hope to love one another from changed hearts, to speak kindly so as to edify, to be hospitable to everyone in order to extend the love of Christ to them. Likewise, love displays itself in merciful service. We would imitate Jesus in laying down our lives for others, treating them with the favor we have been shown by God. We want to have deep concern for the real welfare of the people in our lives. We will find ways to care for one another in the church, and to show mercy outside the church in order to testify to the coming Kingdom of God.
Core Values
The principles that shape the pursuit of our Vision
Truth
Without truth we would be lost in the sea of shifting human ideas. But, as we have God’s revelation of the way things really are, the Scriptures that disclose to us his will and work, we can be grounded in ultimate reality. We are deeply grateful for this mercy from God, and seek to better understand and communicate his truth in everything we do. So we study the Scriptures and pray for wisdom, to know how the Gospel permeates and transforms every facet of our lives. We pursue openness and honesty, shunning hypocrisy, so that God’s truth would shine forth in our relationships. We seek to proclaim God’s Word with clarity, so that all people can understand the Scriptures for their good.
Grace
Without grace we would be left in our self-seeking, self-justifying, self-destructive ways. But, as we have received God’s favor freely through Jesus Christ, our souls are revived, our lives are set on a new trajectory, and we are made truly able to selflessly extend grace to others. We can show kindness, hospitality, patience and tolerance toward those who differ from us. We can love and forgive and pray for those who hurt us, because Jesus loved and forgave and prayed for us when we were his enemies.
Obedience
God’s grace doesn’t license us to continue in sin. The Holy Spirit frees us from slavery to sin, and teaches us how to obey God from right hearts. We don’t do good works in order to find favor with God; we do good works because God has already shown us favor, already declared us to be in right standing with him. As we grow in our appreciation of God’s grace, we also grow in our joyful submission to his will for our lives, which is revealed in his law. As we deepen in our communion with the Spirit, we bear more and more of his fruit in our lives. We seek to honor our Lord and Savior by doing what he says.
Accountability
It is not normal for Christians to grow in isolation from one another. We need others to pray for us, instruct us, correct us, discipline us, and comfort us. So we seek to let other Christians have input in our thinking and living. We do this in our own church and beyond, connecting with others in our Presbytery and with other like-minded churches around the world. We extend our accountability beyond the present as well, learning from those who have gone before us in the faith, and preparing ourselves for responsible ministry among coming generations.