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WORSHIP: We believe in gathering regularly to publicly worship God, honoring the traditional practices of the Christian Church while remaining open to the present, creative guidance of the Holy Spirit.
DIVERSITY: We believe in celebrating and joyfully embracing our differences, acknowledging that conflict is a natural and inevitable part of being human that provides opportunities for personal growth and strengthens the body of Christ.
LEARNING: We believe in studying the scriptures faithfully and critically, listening for insights that we have not yet heard, and respecting the right of each individual member to read and interpret the scriptures as led by the Holy Spirit.
NURTURE: We believe in discovering and developing the gifts that God has given us, affirming and fostering the God-given talents of those among us, supporting one another with prayer, and promoting the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of each member of our community.
SERVICE: We believe in supporting our church and its mission by giving time, talents and possessions, using our facilities faithfully and creatively to further its mission.
MISSION: We believe in living our lives committed to integrity, following the example of Jesus, seeking both peace and justice, and sharing the love of God with our community and throughout the world.
FREEDOM: We believe in actively promoting historic principles of freedom: the priesthood of all believers, the autonomy of the local church, and the principle of a free church in a free state.
FAITH: We believe in recognizing that all of us see through a glass darkly and that we all are striving to discover and understand ultimate truth, and therefore we cooperate with other communities of faith, we respect and affirm the rich differences of traditions other than our own, and we listen to those elements in their faiths which speak to the universal presence of God's love and work in the world.
EARTH: We believe in nurturing awareness of the sacredness of the land and its limited natural resources, and working with other communities to protect and preserve the ecological balance of all creation. |
