How we live

How we live in light of who God is, what He's done in Christ, and who He's made us to be

We don’t see church as a building you go to; rather, we see ourselves as the church living normal life with Gospel intentionality. Below you will find the normal rhythms of life that are lived within every culture. As Christ’s people, we try not to add a bunch of extra things to our already busy lives. Instead, we try to internationalize what we are already doing in life—doing regular life with gospel intentionality.

Eat

We regularly eat meals with others to invite them into the community of God.

Meals are a daily reminder of our common need for God to provide for us—both physically and spiritually. Jesus called us to remember him and his sacrifice for us through a meal. When we eat together, we commune around this truth. We regularly eat meals with those not in our immediate family or circle of close friends, discipling them toward a life of dependence on God. (Leviticus 23:1–44; Matthew 6:11; 26:17–30; Acts 2:46–47; Romans 12:13)

Listen

We set aside regular times to listen to God both backward and forward.

Jesus listened to God in prayer to know his Father's will. We are also called to listen to God. We listen backward by regularly interacting with God through His Word alone and in community together. We listen forward by making space to hear his Spirit guiding and directing us. We also take time to listen well to one another, ensuring we know one another's stories so we might know how to care for and bless one another best. (Mark 1:35–37; John 14:25–26; 16:7–15; Hebrews 1:1–3; Romans 1:20)

Story

Everyone’s life is shaped by a dominant story.

As a church, we take time to be shaped by God’s story. God has been unfolding his story since before time began. We believe we are participants in His story and need to understand it and see how our lives intersect with it. Therefore we regularly reacquaint ourselves with God's story by interacting with God's Word. We look for ways and times to tell His story often. We also take time to listen to others' stories to know how to bless them best and to help them see their lives redeemed within God's story. (Genesis 1:1–2; Psalm 1:1–6; John 1:1; 2 Timothy 3:16–17)

Bless

We intentionally bless others through words, gifts, and actions.

God desires that all nations—all people—would be blessed through Jesus. The church is the body of Jesus through which he blesses people. We believe everything we have been given is not just for us but so God might bless others through us. We have been blessed to be a blessing. We intentionally seek God's direction for whom he would have us tangibly bless each week. (Genesis 12:1–3; Ephesians 1:22–23; 2:8–10; 1 Peter 2:12)

Celebrate

We gather together to celebrate God's extravagant blessings.

God calls people to celebrate his goodness and grace regularly. We gather weekly in missional communities and regularly as a larger family on Sundays to celebrate through songs, preaching, communion, and personal stories all God is doing in and among us. We invite everyone we can to join us in these celebrations as a way of displaying God's glory in His people. We also join the celebrations of others in our city and communities with the intent of bringing greater joy into the celebration. (Leviticus 23:1–44; Acts 2:42–47; Hebrews 10:24–25)

ReCreate

We take time to rest and work, play and create, with the intention of bringing about restoration to people and places.

After powerfully and joyfully creating the universe, God rested. We were created in His image and therefore were made to create joyfully and rest, as well. Work is meant to be an act of our worship as we seek to do our best for God. Rest and play show we trust God to do great work even when we aren't working. As we come to know, trust, and worship God, we become more rested, creative, and hard-working. (Genesis 1:1–2:3; Deuteronomy 5:12; Mark 2:23–28; Colossians 3:23; Hebrews 4:1–13)