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Vision
We are a thriving
congregation, growing year after year in
faith & discipleship,
community service,
numbers
of transformed lives.
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Mission
In covenant with God,
called by Jesus Christ, gifted by the Holy Spirit, we:
Teach a progressive Christian faith
Nurture
loving community
Act for peace in the spirit of Christ
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Values
We are committed to:
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Peace: |
We promote peace, in
ourselves, our relationships, and our world.
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Justice: |
Working for justice is central to the peace
of Christ.
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Diversity: |
We honour personal, cultural and religious diversity
as God’s will.
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Innovation: |
We are open to creative change as the Spirit prompts
us.
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Equality: |
We have equal, but different, gifts, as members of
Christ’s body.
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Reverence: |
We treat the earth and all creation as
sacred gifts of God.
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Stewardship: |
We give back to God a portion of our time, talent, and
money.
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Integrity: |
We act on our commitments and beliefs.
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Fun: |
We cultivate joy in our relationship with God and each
other.
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Foundational Principles for
Growth
Biblical literacy
We take the Bible seriously, not literally, as our source of inspiration
and guidance. We encourage and affirm Biblical literacy. As Scripture is set
in historical context and understood as metaphor and sacrament it is
revelatory.
Discipleship
We are disciples of Jesus, the Christ. Our
spiritual life is formed in continual dialogue and loving relationship with
the living Christ. We encourage all to intentionally cultivate this
relationship.
Lay Ministry
We believe that all are called into ministry by God. We support and equip
lay ministers to discover and use their distinctive gifts for ministry.
Ministry Anywhere, Anytime, by
Anybody
We maximize ministry by minimizing bureaucracy. As long as an initiative
falls within our Mission, Vision and Values (Stability Triangle) we will do
all we can to support one’s ministry with minimum bureaucratic interference
and maximum support.
Gift-based ministry
We do ministry based upon our spiritual gifts.
Through the use of a spiritual gift inventory we encourage all to base their
ministry in their spirit-given gifts.
Diversity
We welcome and include all persons in our faith
community, without discrimination on the basis of race, national or ethnic
origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, mental or physical
disability. We respect and
encourage diversity of opinion.
Prayer
We seek God’s will through prayer in all of our
programs, groups, and ministries. We encourage all to have daily prayer
practices.
Evangelism
We believe that the love of God is persuasive and
never coercive. We openly share our excitement of what God is doing in our
midst, and celebrate what God is doing in other religious faiths as well.
We encourage all to share their faith with others.
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Our Faith
Faith
Faith is less about believing the “right” things, and more about a way of
life which is based in radical trust in God, a guiding vision of a just and
peaceful world, and a conscious allegiance to God as revealed by Jesus, the
Christ.
God
God is the unnameable Source of All, the Eternal
Loving Presence, Creator of All, Within All, known in and through creation,
yet Beyond All, transcending our understanding, revealed for Christians most
fully in Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus, the Christ
Jesus is God’s heart, for us and with us. Through
him we know God as loving, compassionate Presence. Through his life, death,
and resurrection we learn the way of peace.
The Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the living Christ, revealing God’s will and
empowering the church to do God’s will. The Holy Spirit works within us to
transform us in the image of the Christ and works within the world at large
to lead us toward God’s future.
The Bible
The Bible is the written witness of God’s people through time. It is
written by human beings from within a particular social-political context
and worldview. As we deepen our appreciation of this context, the Biblical
narrative becomes for us a source of inspiration and guidance.
Church
The church is the community of people who covenant
with God and with each other to faithfully follow the way of the Christ and
thereby witness to peace and justice.
Human Beings
As humans we are bio-spiritual beings, biologically constructed by the
elements of the earth, and spiritually made in God’s image. Therefore we are
intimately connected both to our Creator, being made in God’s image, and to
all living creatures, being made from the same cosmic elements of the earth.
Consciously aware of the gift of life and the human capacity for harm, we
have a heightened responsibility to ensure the continuation of life on this
planet, and to promote justice and peace in the human realm and with
Creation.
Sin
Sin is a state of alienation from God, self, the
earth, and others. We believe in original blessing more than original sin,
and yet we have fallen from grace. As we turn our lives toward Jesus Christ,
we remember the original blessing, and receive the power and grace to begin
the journey of healing these relationships and to give our lives in the
service to others.
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Peace
As a memorial congregation, the pursuit
of peace is central to our mission.
| Peace |
includes, but is more than an
inner feeling. It includes, but is more than the absence of war. |
| Peace |
is God’s dream for a creation
which is just, thriving, and sustainable. |
| Peace |
is learning to communicate
non-violently with one another. |
| Peace |
means treating the “more-than-human”
world with reverence. |
| Peace |
means developing an economic
system which is equitable and respectful of the earth. |
| Peace |
means developing political systems
which are truly democratic and inclusive of the marginalized. |
| Peace |
flows from our conscious unity with God, and from our
conscious unity with the earth. As we cultivate these relationships our
capacity to be peace-makers is deepened. |
God calls us all to be makers of peace.
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