All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
-Acts 2: 42-47
As a church, we get our core values from Acts 2. This is the birth of the church. This is how the very first Jesus followers understood themselves and their role in the community. We want to be like them. These are the ingredients for a thriving congregation.
The Word.
The early church “devoted themselves to the apostles teaching”. We have to be people of the book. The Bible is our final authority on all things theological and practical.
Community.
We meet together often. We want to be real, honest, transparent, and cultivate intimacy. We also need to be there for each other. We celebrate with the joyful and cry with the brokenhearted.
Communion.
The cross is central. The story of God’s love for humanity is seen most clearly in the giving of his Son. We take communion together often to remind ourselves of that story.
Generosity.
We want to be generous and hospitable. We give to those in need. But not just when it comes to money. We want to give our time, our food, our ears, our shoulders.
Prayer.
John Wesley said “God does nothing except in response to prayer.” We pray because it’s how we converse with God, and it is through prayer that he releases his will on earth.
Worship.
We lift our voices and our instruments to worship God. We want to be uninhibited in our celebration of Jesus. Spiritual walls come down and hearts are set free when we worship.
The Supernatural.
The Jesus life is a supernatural life. We eagerly expect God to show up for us. We believe we can hear God’s voice and partner with him as he encounters, heals, restores, and draws people to himself.