verse4today: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12).
Posted on 2010-07-29 via Twitter
We are, first and foremost, followers of Jesus Christ, that is, Christians. Our roots go all the way back to the first century. You could describe us as "apostolic." As such, we are friends with all who affirm and follow Jesus Christ.
In other words, we find roots in the early Christian church, affirm historic statements like the "Apostles' Creed," and understand God as "Three-in-One."
In the 16th century, a large group of individuals left the Roman Catholic Church. They were "Protesters." We call ourselves "Protestants." Bottom line: we believe salvation is achieved by faith through grace. The defining verse for Protestants: "Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)." That verse is huge for us.
There are a few primary denominations of Protestants that differ from each other in small ways, much like fast-food burger joints serve up the same things but in different ways. We are Calvinists. We often refer to ourselves as "Reformed." By those designations, we align ourselves with those who relish the sovereign grace of God in our lives. We like Ephesians 2:4-5: "But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loves us, even when we were dead in our sins, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved." For more on our Calvinist or Reformed faith, click here.
Like all evangelicals, we affirm the authority of Scripture and the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The key verse for us is: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" (II Timothy 3:16). For more on this, you can check out The Cambridge Declaration.
In John 17:20-21, we read that Jesus prayed that all who believe in him "may be one." That prayer reflects Jesus' deep desire for unity among those who follow him. In response, we believe that we must respect other congregations and work with them, in spite of the differences that distinguish Christians. So, we choose to acknowledge that we are but one small part of an ages-old and worldwide church. As we go about our ministry, we, not only respect other Christians and congregations, both past and present, but learn from them. As a congregation seeking to enjoy authentic community among people with a diveristy of cultures, we especially find helpful discussions like those which shaped the Belhar Confession.
We are third-millennium Christians who realize that a new day has dawned though we are not really sure what it looks like. This much we are sure of: given our urban/suburban context, we have pledged ourselves to participate in God's mission to create a people with individuals from many tribes and nations. Hence, we embrace God's gift of diversity and intentionally seek ways to become an increasingly diverse congregation. In the process, we are learning to depend upon and discern the living work of the Holy Spirit among us and others.