People are valuable
God created humankind in His own image. This act alone establishes the value, the worth of the individual. This intrinsic value, bestowed by the Creator is not altered by human choice; humankind's value remains the same even in the face of the warping influence of sin's entry into the human condition.
Relationship is primary
God exists in a relationship with Himself; this is the wonder and mystery of the Holy Triune nature of the Godhead: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God creates humankind to live in relationship with Him and with one another. This is the record given in the first few verses of the Bible. This establishes "relationship" in its primary role, and its importance in the economy of God and humankind. Immediately after the Fall of humankind, God responds by acts of redemption targeting the recovery of relationship between humankind and Himself. The New Testament reveals the fullness of this truth in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God's purpose is to recover the relationship lost in the garden - relationship is primary. This results in the redemptive recovery of human relationships seen most evidently in the "one-anothers" of the New Testament. These "one-anothers" emphasize this core value - relationship is primary.
Worship is priority
Worship is the response to God's worth. He alone is worthy of worship and invites and yes, commands all creation to worship Him alone. Worship is also a resource given by God to humankind - a means by which humankind experiences the recovery of what was lost, all of this made possible through the gracious, invading reality of God's glory and presence in the individual life. Worship welcomes God's presence; God's presence transforms; humankind moves from glory to glory, ever being changed by the Spirit of the Lord as a life of worship and submission to God's ways are increasingly embraced by humankind.
God's presence is indispensable
God has purposed to "dwell" amidst His people from the very beginning of time. He was there "walking with humankind" in the Garden of Eden. He instructed Moses to build a tabernacle where He could dwell among His people, the children of Israel. He came and occupied the temple built by Solomon, even though this building could not "contain" God yet, God graciously filled the temple with His presence. God's presence came in the person of Jesus Christ. He came to "tabernacle" among humankind - God drew near to us through Jesus but His pursuit did not end there, it continued to the day of Pentecost. At Pentecost, God came upon the life of those 120 believers through the person of the Holy Spirit. Now, God would dwell "in" and "upon" every person open and hungry for His presence. This promise was affirmed by the apostle Peter in his Pentecost message. "This Promise is for you, and your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:39). God's presence is the heart beat of the Church of Jesus Christ. We cannot substitute programs, buildings, or human personality for His presence. Moses captured the absolute necessity of God's presence among God's people: "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here...." God's presence is indispensable in our life personally and corporately as we gather to worship Him.
Life in the Spirit is normative
Prior to Jesus' departure from this earth, He prepared the first believers for a new and vital relationship with the Holy Spirit (John 13-17). This powerful-personal relationship with the Holy Spirit was announced by John the Baptist at the inauguration of Jesus' earthly ministry. John proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and Baptizer with the Holy Spirit. Pentecost introduced the Church into "new waters" of Holy Spirit life and practice. They experienced a new capacity to express unconditional love, a new dynamic in their life-witness concerning their relationship with Jesus of Nazareth, a new release in tongues of supernaturally assisted praise and intercession. This was not peculiar to that moment in history. No, this was the inauguration of a "new thing" unfolding in the life of the people of God. From here on out, "life in the Spirit" was to be normative, a vital reality effecting the daily lives and ministries of every believer.
Kingdom of God is reality
The Gospels record Jesus' opening message to humanity - "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." God's Kingdom is the rule and reign of God's person, power and purpose. God's Kingdom has always and will always be the ultimate reality, even over and above the realities of this broken world in which we live. When Jesus announces the presence of the Kingdom of God, He is declaring its presence in a new, dynamic way - now present in Himself. He evidenced the Kingdom's presence through His words and works. He spoke words of life, grace and truth; people were set free as they responded to His words. He touched broken people, resurrecting the dead, healing the sick and freeing those held by the power of demons. This too, revealed the presence of the Kingdom as a "greater reality", greater than the reality of humankind's despair, brokenness and hopelessness. Believers are the agents of God's Kingdom - commissioned by the King to extend His rule, His will, among the lives of a broken and hurting world.
Prayer is foundational
The Church welcomes God's glory through worship; the Church applies God's glory through intercessory prayer. God's word makes it clear - prayer is a mighty weapon effective in confronting the spiritual forces which lay behind all obstacles to the Kingdom of God. Prayer is not everything but everything (every work) must be done through prayer. Prayer initiates every work. Prayer brings every work to its fullest realization. Prayer protects that work from decay. Prayer sustains the spiritual vitality of every work.
Discipleship is progressive
Discipleship is a life-long journey. The word "disciple" means learner; learning is for a lifetime. This establishes two important ideas: (1) We value spiritual growth, moving forward, reaching toward the fuller realization of God's purpose for us - having Jesus Christ perfectly revealed in our life; (2) We are being changed from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. This discipleship process happens over a life time, made possible by the Spirit of God as growth continually unfolds day by day. God's grace makes this possible. Discipleship is not adhering to a set of rigid standards but rather an opening up to the work of Holy Spirit who alone manifests the fullness of Christ' character and gifts in and through our life.
Healing and wholeness is available
One of the hallmarks of Jesus' ministry was healing and deliverance. Everywhere He went, He touched people at their point of greatest need. The sick were made well. The oppressed were set free. He sent His disciples out into the world equipped with His power to do the same. Healing and wholeness were now available and the Church is the agency through which Jesus now works to touch humankind at their point of need. During the times of Jesus, leprosy was scorned as the worst case scenario. Today, leprosy is not so much the issue but maybe other areas like sexual addiction are viewed with the same "hands off" attitude. Not so with Jesus, "He is the same yesterday, today and forever." Healing and wholeness are available for all who come regardless of the nature of the problem or bondage.
Unity of the body is essential
In John 17 there is a prayer that Jesus prayed to the Father for the Church; this prayer targeted the unity of the body of Christ. God is a Tri-unity; unity, and unity alone expresses the very nature of the Godhead. This unity is a relational unity made possible by God's unconditional love. God's love produces "large-heartedness" in the life of every person who welcomes it. Too often, the Church has "majored in the minors" rather than "majoring in the majors". Yes, it is easy to give place to a "divisive mindset". But this is why the Apostle Paul encourages believers to "Strive for unity of the Spirit". Unity is essential because only unity, the expression of believers loving one another, being "for" one another" is adequate to fulfill the aim of Jesus' prayer - "That the world may know that You have sent me, and have loved them as You have loved me."
Reconciliation is visible
Reconciliation takes place when two parties have been brought together in harmony with each other. We as the body of Christ are called to the ministry of reconciliation. This is expressed in our fundamental work of reconciling the non-believing world to God but also finds expression in the ongoing reconciling of relationships including relationships between persons and groups (I.e. Jew-Gentile, Male-Female, Generation with generation etc.)
Togetherness is dynamic
The Early Church experienced incredible "togetherness" resulting in a dynamic impact upon their surrounding community and so it is today. The power of being in "one accord" is attested to in the account recorded in the book of Acts. This should inspire us to grow beyond "independence" to "interdependence".
Family is vital
The breakdown of society's values and morals has exacted a high toll upon our country. In the face of this continued erosion there is hope - the family! The family is at the center of God's plan for redemptive recovery both in the Church and the culture at large. The numbers of people who are without families, alone and suffering from the effects of alienation are huge. The answer here again is the family. The Church can be the family to those without family and thereby convey life to this area of brokenness.
Mission is central
The Church is the company of believers who have been blessed to be a blessing. The Church was birthed with the word, "Go, into all the world and preach the gospel...." This directive lies at the heart of the Church's efforts to extend the life-giving reality of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The Church's mission is simply to take this Gospel into all the world, including "our world" of family, community and workplace. At the heart of mission is service. The people of God are first and foremost servants to the hurting and broken that fill the world. As believers we are called to "Go" and reach out beyond our comfort zones in order to serve the needs of others as the Lord directs our steps and enables by His Spirit.
Generosity is desirable
Generosity is a way of living. We can live life with a "stingy" perspective or embrace a generous way of living, being and giving. Generosity depicts the giving, overflowing heart of Father God; He is generous to all. We value being generous with our time given to others. We value generosity in our giving of financial resources, skills and talents. We believe that generosity speaks of faith, grace and thankfulness. It is a clear way that we express how much we value God's mercy shown to us. It is also a clear statement regarding our value of other people.