Our core values represent convictions we have about how we will pursue the four purposes which drive our ministry and our life together at Community Church

While Community Church is purpose-driven, it is values-steered. We are passionate about these values. They influence decision-making, goal setting, problem solving, team building, risk taking, resource utilization, and determination of priorities.

These values keep us on track with our mission of fulfilling our four stated purposes.

We value the supremacy of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the head of the church. He is the Lord, the one who is worthy of our worship, our devotion, our loyalty, and our submission. In everything, He is first. We want His reign to be evident in the life and ministry of Community Church. Christ's sacrifice on the cross is central to the good news which we are committed to communicating.

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:17-20)


We value the authority and application of the Bible

The Bible is timeless and timely, relevant to the needs of people living in contemporary culture. We respect the Bible as the authoritative message from God. We understand the Bible to be true. While we are intent on understanding what God has revealed to us in the Bible, we are insistent that mere understanding is not enough. The truth of the Bible is to be practiced and translated into our everyday experience. It is to be applied. Ultimately, God wants us to obey what we learn from Him through our study of the Bible.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22)


We value authentic devotion to Christ, seeing it as a reasonable expectation for those who follow Him

We want to be training up authentic followers of Jesus. We believe that mature loyalty to Christ is God's will for each of us. So we are persuaded that full devotion to Christ is to be the normal experience of a believer rather than the exception.

“until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13)


We value caring relationships and we believe caring community happens best within the context of small groups

Loving relationships should permeate our life together as a church. We want people to know and experience the touch of genuine care. We believe that small groups provide the best context for care and nurture. In a growing church these small groups become increasingly important if we are to experience the kind of community that the New Testament compels us to desire for one another.

“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Galatians 5:6b)

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:10)


We value the spiritual gifting of followers of Christ

Each follower of Christ is given special abilities or gifts to be employed in service. We are committed to helping people identify and utilize the spiritual gifts they have been given for the purpose of building the fellowship. People are most fulfilled in their service when they can be working in areas where they have special abilities or gifting which fits the need. We want to have gifted teachers teaching, gifted leaders leading, gifted administrators organizing, those with mercy gifts freed up to touch the hurting, those with the gift of helps free to work behind the scenes, etc.

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (1Peter 4:10)


We value the God-ordained worth of lost people

Lost people matter to God and, consequently, they matter to us. Therefore, in all of our ministry efforts, we are committed to reaching out and building relationships with people that don’t know Jesus personally. We strive to explain the gospel and show the love of Jesus to them in the context of relationships and move them towards faith.

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:8-10)


We value culturally relevant styles of ministry

We believe the timeless message of Christ's life-transforming love must be communicated in a timely fashion. God has planted us in a changing world with a 21st century culture. It's our responsibility to communicate the unchanging truth of the gospel to people who have been influenced by the prevailing culture. We are willing to present this truth in styles and forms which people in the surrounding culture can more readily identify with. While the truth about Jesus is enduring, the styles or methods we utilize may vary according to culture.

“A man finds joy in giving an apt reply — and how good is a timely word!” (Proverbs 15:23)

“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” (1Corinthians 9:19-22)


We value innovation

We are willing to try new ideas. We are open to taking risks in an effort to be effective. There is freedom to exercise creativity in the pursuit of our mission purposes. We are not bound by past precedents or “how it's been done before”. We have freedom to innovate.

“The intelligent man is always open to new ideas. In fact, he looks for them.” (Proverbs 18:15, Living Bible paraphrase)


We value a Kingdom perspective

The Kingdom of God is bigger than any local church or denomination. We want to affirm our partnership with other churches locally and internationally who share our commitment to honor Christ by living under His authority and following Him. We are serious about building the Kingdom. We want to share with other churches many of the blessings God has given to us. We desire to start new churches, encourage hurting churches, send missionaries, and much more. We look forward to sharing what we have learned, and learning from others. We rejoice when churches outside Community Church prosper and exude health. It's our conviction that it takes all kinds of churches (churches loyal to Christ) to reach all kinds of people.

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10:16)

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)


We value a future-looking orientation

We aim to live by faith, and we believe faith is always forward-looking. By faith, we look ahead to what God could do in and through our life and ministry together. We press on toward that which we cannot yet physically see. We envision God working powerfully through us. Our faith for the future is grounded in the authority and faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Out of this forward-looking orientation, we confidently say that the best days of Community Church are still ahead.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

“There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” (Proverbs 23:18)