October 2017
An
Intersection
Of
Faith
And Life
Delve
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Features Finding My Story Sabbatical Report Halloween Oct 31st
4 16 20
Departments SGC Discipleship Ministries Resource Centre Financial Update
8 14 22
Information Contact Information Community Corner Calendar
24 26 31
Cover & Design: Clement Lee Contributors: Marion Cameron Karen Cassel Greg Kay Sam Lee Gene Tempelmeyer
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Delve submissions are due on the LAST MONDAY of each month. To submit for the next issue of Delve, please email: delve@springgardenchurch.ca
Copy Editors: Karen Cassel Greg Kay Michelle Li Gene Tempelmeyer 3
Finding My Story by Gene Tempelmeyer
W
hy did it happen to me? Am I actually getting anywhere in life? Is there any meaning or purpose to the things I’ve been through? How do I make sense of my life? We are humans with our own story sharing in common a larger human story. The joys, heartbreaks, successes, and wounds of our own unique story point us to an ancient story of goodness, brokenness, redemption, and restoration. This ancient story reveals how our story might come to a happy ending. The Bible is the story of a community through whom God has revealed himself to the world. As the history of this community turns and twists the understanding of God 4
evolves and matures. Our own story takes remarkably similar turns and twists to that ancient community. By comparing our story to the Bible story we can see how our collection of unique experiences is able to open our eyes to the beautiful and great thing God is doing with the human race. “Finding My Story” is an eight week opportunity to see how it all fits together with places in the story exactly shaped like you and me. In each session we will hear part of the Bible story, have an exercise for self-reflection, and enjoy a group discussion. Beginning October 22, our Sunday morning worship will cover the content of “Finding My Story.” At the conclusion of this series you might want to open your home to share this experience with friends who have not yet found themselves in God’s story. Gene will happily make himself available to facilitate this. For the group discussion you may want to join a small group meeting over lunch here at Spring Garden, take materials home to do together as a family and/or with friends, or hold this discussion as part of your regular life group. (However, doing so will require groups now meeting bi-weekly to meet weekly for the eight weeks of the course.) If you would like to facilitate a small group here at the building on Sunday, please speak with Gene Tempelmeyer (gene@springgardenchurch.ca). Here’s what we’ll be thinking about: Sunday, Oct, 22 Session 1: Where Do I Fit? Genesis 1:26-30 5
Sunday, Oct. 29 Session 2: Why Is It All So Screwed Up? Genesis 3:8-33, 16-19 Sunday, Nov. 5 Session 3: What Is My “Normal”? Genesis 12:1-7a Sunday, Nov. 12 Session 4: Is God a National Mascot? Joshua 10:28-30, 40-42 Sunday, Nov. 19 Session 5: Is God a Hanging Judge? Deuteronomy 28:15-20 Sunday, Nov. 26 Session 6: Who Was Jesus? Luke 4:16-20 Sunday, Dec. 3 Intergenerational Advent Celebration Sunday, Dec. 10 Session 7: Are We Still Waiting for a Messiah? Revelation 21:1-6 Sunday, Dec. 17 Session 8: What is My Story? Acts 2:36-40
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Partnering with Families
SGC Discipleship Ministries 8
The Sacred Meal1
S
ince the beginning of the early Christian Church, Christians have gathered to share their meals together and in so doing they have transformed a common moment into a sacred one. Jewish tradition lifts up the Shabbat meal on Friday evenings to mark the beginning of the Sabbath. The design of this sacred meal borrows from that tradition and helps families create the practice of a sacred meal that the whole family will look forward to. Too often families are eating on the run or at different times. The sacred meal is an opportunity to slow down, enjoy one another, and make each other a priority.
1.
4.
5.
Materials Unscented pillar candle with candle holder Special dinner accessories that aren’t
1 This idea is taken from Seamless Faith by Traci Smith, page 135-137.
Linen tablecloth Special dishes (or a special dish or platter) Fresh flowers Table centerpiece Cloth napkins and placemats
How to
3.
1. 2.
· · · · ·
Time Investment: 30 minutes—1hour, plus set up and clean up time
2.
Designed for all ages
present on the everyday dinner table; some examples include:
6.
Decide as a family how often you will celebrate a sacred meal. Weekly is a wonderful practice, though it does not work for all families. Bi-monthly or monthly is another option. Sunday afternoon or evening creates a connection between Sabbath and the sacred meal. The only requirement to create this spiritual practice is a consistent time. Make the sacred meal a required family moment that will not be moved or changed without careful consideration. Part of the beauty of it is the commitment to it as a practice. Before the meal, involve the whole family in setting the table, getting out the linens, arranging the flowers, etc. At the beginning of mealtime, after all are seated, have someone light the candle in the center of the table and say, “God, we thank you for this food and this time together. Bless our meal, we pray. Amen.” The meal itself should be a time of conversation and enjoyment of the meal that has been prepared. Consider adding a special element to the food or drink that is not common practice in your home (sparkling juice to drink, or a special dessert served on a special plate, etc.) At the end of the meal, all share in the washing of dishes and cleaning up as part of the practice together.
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Notes ·
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This practice takes a bit of planning, work and time investment. Yet, it also offers a great reward to those who put in the effort. Time spent together around the table will yield rich memories and strong connections for your family. Do not shy away from this practice if there is no one in your home who enjoys cooking. Allow the other special touches to help make even frozen pizza into a feast.
On October 1st, 8th & 22nd (youth retreat), we encourage our youth to worship in the main worship gathering.
Youth Events: October 13 - Pizza Night Cost: $5 6pm-9pm at church building
Variations · · ·
Instead of a dinner, try breakfast Invite a special or honored guest each time to experience the sacred meal. Alternate who is allowed to invite the guest. Include another spiritual practice at the conclusion of the meal.
Discipleship Ministries October 8 - 10am, Intergenerational Thanksgiving Worship We gather as a church family to celebrate who God is. We believe that the body of Christ is made up of all people, in all life stages. We will not have any separate children's programming downstairs and encourage you to encourage and engage your chidlren during worship.
Spring Youth
October 20-22 - Youth Retreat Cost: $70 (subsidy available) Includes transportation to and from the venue, food, lodging. - Drop Off: 6:00pm @ Spring Garden - Pick Up: 3:00pm @ Spring Garden To register or if you have any questions, please email Sam Lee (samlee@springgardenchurch.ca) or Jeremy Ranasinghe (Jeremy@ springgardenchurch.ca)
Sunday Morning Worship Gatherings:
Staying Updated:
October 15, 29 - We will be having regular worship gatherings for youth in grades 6-12, after the musical portion of worship in the main sanctuary. Children and youth will continue their programs and worship gathering in their classrooms following the children’s blessing. Youth will meet in the youth lounge. 10
To stay up to date on what is happening for your youth, please visit our google calendar which has all our planned events. http://tiny.cc/springyouth
Let’s Play with Paint!
a palette, paint, painting mediums, and a canvas (16” x 20”). Participants need to bring: paper towels and a plastic container for water to rinse brushes: an empty container of dishwashing or laundry detergent pods is ideal. Wear clothes you won’t mind getting paint on. We will be using acrylic paint. You will also be painting from your own reference photograph – please bring 3 or 4 photos and Gene will help you select the most paintable. (Please note that portraits, painting from imagination, or copying another painting are extremely difficult without considerable skill with tools and materials.) Learn to Paint! Saturday, October 28. No painting experience required! This class is for complete beginners. At 9:00 am you will have a blank, and by 3:00 pm you should have a completed painting to take home. This will cover basic design of a painting and how to use a paintbrush to get paint onto the canvas in the right place.
In his spare time, Gene Tempelmeyer, our Lead Pastor, works as an artist. A number of Spring Gardeners have expressed an interest in learning to paint or learning to paint better. Gene is going to offer a series of art classes this fall. Each class will be open to 18 participants on a first-to-sign-up basis. Seven of these spaces, however, will be reserved for people who are not presently part of a church. (Don’t worry, your friends won’t be preached at!) This is to help us build relational connections to our wider community. Location: Spring Garden Church, Multi-Purpose Room. Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. Lunch: Bring a bag lunch or walk to take-out on Yonge Street. Age: The class is designed at an Adult level. All ages are welcome, and ability to work at something for several hours is required. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Cost: $30 per person to cover the cost of materials. Materials provided for the day include: brushes, painting knives, 12
Using Colour and Edges Saturday, Nov. 18 You probably want to have at least a little painting experience to get the greatest benefit from this class. Gene will give you an overview of how to use colour, how to make things recede into the background, when to have a hard edge between shapes and when to let one thing blend into another. Lots of Paint and Lots of Texture Saturday, Dec. 9 One of the most frequently questions people ask Gene is, “How do you get so many textures with your paint?” This class will cover using brushes and painting knives to great texture in a way that contributes to the basic composition and story of the painting. We will also look at how layering colours on one another make new and unique colours adding depth to the painting. You probably want to have a least some painting experience for this class.
Spring Garden’s online library catalog can be accessed at springgardenchurch.ca/library
If you know of books or DVDs that you’d like to recommend to the Resource Centre, please contact Karen Cassel karen.cassel@bell.net
Recomendations From The Resource Centre
won him back to Christ---shares biblical truths and practical advice in this powerful story of love, forgiveness, and restoration.
The Good Lie, DVD
Orphaned by the brutal civil war in Sudan, the young victims known as the Lost Boys, travelled as many as 1000 miles on foot in search of safety. Fifteen years later, a humanitarian effort would bring 3600 lost boys and girls to America.
Do you know what your daughter really thinks about boys, school, God, her future? It's not easy to be sure. These and other important topics don't often come up in everyday conversation. Plus, a girl's views on life can shift quickly, thanks to friends, pop culture, and other influences.
Books for parents Hope for the prodigal: bringing the lost, wandering and rebellious home, by Jim Putman It's a sobering fact---after reaching 18, more than 80 percent of kids leave the church. How can brokenhearted parents reclaim their lost children from a godless culture? Offering hope and wisdom, pastor's-kid-turnedprodigal Putman---along with his dad who 14
Do you know what your son really thinks about girls, school, God, and his future? Start having these essential conversations now! Based on tried-and-true parenting wisdom, this book offers fun activity ideas and talking points that lead to natural, meaningful discussions about physical and emotional changes, faith, responsible social media use, and more.
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Sabbatical Report
by Gene Tempelemeyer
Toward that end I had the opportunity to meet with a number of people engaged in ministry, leaders of our Baptist tribe, and people who have “retired” from the occupation of pastoral and other ministry. These conversations are ongoing. Meanwhile, I read as widely as I could about my current stage of life, especially with regard to the unique challenges of people in “professional” ministry. One area of reflection and reading had to do with the idea of vocation. I believe God has given us a basic human vocation to love, worship and serve Him as our Creator, Sustainer and Saviour. This is a vocation from which one never retires. Further to that, God has also given to each of us a unique blend of skills and passions that form a distinct vocation that may or may not be our job. This, too, is a vocation from which one can never retire because it is embedded in our character.
I
’m back! Thank you for the generosity of the Spring Garden Church Sabbatical Policy. I am back to work feeling rested, encouraged and ready to move into the next phase of our shared life and ministry. I am especially grateful to the members of the Pastoral Team who have carried an extra burden through these past four months. As I wrote in a previous Delve article, the purpose of this sabbatical has been to give me time to prayerfully and intelligently prepare myself for the next few years of life as I draw close to the age of 65 and the possibility of retirement. The foundational question for me is: what is God drawing me to do in the next chapter of my life? If that requires a transition, how can I lead and prepare you to make that transition in the healthiest way possible?
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Through sabbatical conversations, prayer and reflection I have found – a little to my surprise – that church ministry is a vocation more deeply embedded in me than I had thought. I don’t know why I found the strength of this call so surprising: it is a vocation I carried before I ever had my first “real job” as a pastor. It is a vocation I will continue to explore after being a pastor is no longer my job. That said, one day there will be a pastor giving leadership here who is not me, and I owe it to you and to her/him to do the best job I can preparing us all for that transition. Spring Garden is an unusual church in that you have only had to select a new Lead Pastor one time in nearly forty years. The Convention resources to assist a church through such a decision are significantly reduced since I began work here. A portion of my job in the next couple of years is to help the leadership of SGC prepare to lead the process of identifying appropriate pastoral leadership based on a careful assessment of Spring Garden Church, the community around us, and anticipated needs. Toward that end I prepared a document for Deacons, Elders, and Pastors presenting a variety of potential roadmaps into the future. 17
While I was away I also spent significant time thinking about how we can best share the Good News of Jesus with the growing number of people in our community who have little or no exposure to Christian belief. I have been working on an eight-week experience designed to help such a person connect the story of the Bible to their own personal story: to see how the brokenness of the world is part of our living and how the saving grace of Jesus, the Messiah, can transform our lives and world. Beginning October 22, I plan to use the outline of this course for my Sunday talks in the hope that some of us might then invite friends to a similar experience hosted in our homes. Each session includes a brief presentation followed by a time of personal, individual reflection, and then a group discussion. Materials will be provided enabling you to have the group discussion after worship on Sunday here at Spring Garden, at home around the family table, or in your small group through the week.
us. By not resisting weakness and by gratefully receiving another’s care we call forth community and provide our caregivers an opportunity to give their own gifts of compassion, care, love, and service. As we are given into their hands, others are blessed and enriched by caring for us. Our weakness bears fruit in their lives. “… Instead of looking at the weakness of old age as simply the experience of loss after loss, we can choose it as a passage to emptiness where our hearts have room to be filled with the Spirit of Love overflowing.” (Finding My Way Home) These thoughts make sense to me and reflect my experience caring for my father. But I acknowledge I am having difficulty finding this level of saintliness with regard to my own aging and need to ask how to graciously accept the help of others. Returning to work on August 15 my biggest surprise was how well everything had run without me! I felt quite encouraged and affirmed by this.
Some of the most important things in life come despite our plans rather than because of them. Just as my sabbatical was beginning my father entered a sequence of medical problems that became quite serious before they started to improve. Because I was on sabbatical I was able to take books and my laptop to Nashville and spend time working on sabbatical projects with an ear open if Dad needed anything. This was wonderful for me to experience as the geographic distance between us has often kept me from being able to be at my parents’ side during illness. It also gave a practical focus to my reading and thought about aging. Being old is not for sissies! I observed that my father’s two greatest challenges were staying positive in the face of bad health and accepting help he needed to do simple things he is used to doing for himself. As he resisted the need to ask for help I had several glimpses of my own future. Henri Nouwen wrote: “Our weakness and old age call people to surround us and support 18
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Halloween Oct 31st by Greg Kay
O
nce a year our neighbours spill out into the street, opening their doors to one another on Halloween. As people who take loving our neighbours seriously, Halloween provides a wonderful opportunity to develop relationships with those who live around us. Here are some opportunities for individual and communal engagement:
• Hand Out Candy @Spring Garden: Join other Spring Garden’ers from 6-8pm (rain or shine) on the front lawn to give out candy and hot chocolate to Willowdale kids and their families! If you live in a condo or non-trick-or-treating neighbourhood please come and join us. • Donate nut-free Candy to be handed out @Spring Garden. Donations can be given to Jesse James or left at the office • Be present in your neighbourhood and get to know your neighbours • Be prayerful: For some ideas on how you can pray, see below. 20
Ideas on how to pray on Halloween One important way to be people of light on Halloween is to be prayerful, praying for your city, your culture, your neighbours, the children and parents who are out. Even if for personal reasons you are unable or uncomfortable participating in Halloween, you can still actively bring the light of God into the evening through prayer. Here are some ideas on how to pray: As you prepare for the evening • Pray that your home, decorations, conversations with children and neighbours will be filled with light. • Pray for God to prepare hearts (yours and others) and to open opportunities for deepening relationships with neighbours • If you have children, don’t only pray for their safety and protection, but pray that they’ll be light to their friends and the homes they visit • If you have children, talk and pray with them through the process of costume purchasing/making, seeing it as an opportunity to reflect the creativity of the Creator, and deciding on costumes that are in line with their views of God as life and light (as opposed to death and darkness) Praying through the night • Continue to pray that you and your home will be a place of light and life • Go on an intentional prayer walk through your neighbourhood, watching for signs of the Kingdom and praying against darkness. Be attentive to the Spirit’s leading—perhaps there will be a specific child, parent or home God draws your attention to pray for from afar. • For kids and parents, pray for • safety walking on the streets • connection with neighbours and friends • fun • that an awareness of fear and death would turn people’s minds to love light and life • that Jesus, the light of the world, would draw people to Himself 21
Spring Garden Baptist Church Monthly Financial Update For: August 31, 2017
/Week 2017 Budget
$560,600
Year To Date
Actual
For 8 Months - August 31, 2017 Donations & Other Income Expenses Cash Shortfall to Actual Expenses Cash Shortfall to Budget
$10,780 Budget
Join Team Matthew House Today! We are very excited to have you join Matthew House at the Scotiabank Run on October 22, 2017. This is our biggest yearly fundraiser bringing together over 130 members of our community who actively fundraise to show their support. Our goal this year is to raise $100,000. This event is fun for everyone. Last year, three former Matthew House residents Mimi, Mesfin and Salam came in second, fourth and fifth in the 5km race respectively. Despite not having time to practise these former international marathoners from Ethiopia crossed the finishing line being cheered on by thousands of spectators at Nathan Phillips Square. The Scotiabank Run was the first time they felt that coming to Canada was a place of hope to continue their careers as professional athletes. You can show your support for newly arrived refugees in the city by joining our team!
$328,104
$373,733
(347,293) (19,188)
(373,733)
(45,629)
This initiative is part of the larger Scotiabank Waterfront Toronto Marathon that has 5km, half and full marathon races which you can walk or run. Each participant has a personal fundraising page where they can raise support. Visit our web page for easy instructions on registration and discount codes that will take money off. Please note that the discount code needs to be entered when you choose “start a Scotiabank Charity Challenge Fundraising Account”. If you have any questions or require support, please feel free to email us at run@matthewhouse.ca. Once registered, you will receive material that will help support your fundraising and training goals. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on the run and other events.
PLEASE GIVE PRAYERFUL CONSIDERATION AS TO HOW YOU CAN FINANCIALLY SUPPORT SPRING GARDEN’S MINISTRIES.
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Thank you for partnering with us. Your support will make you a real difference in the lives of the refugees arriving in our city every day.
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Leadership at Spring Garden
Elders
Pastoral Team Gene Tempelmeyer, Pastor 416-223-4593 Ext. 222 genetemp@springgardenchurch.ca Greg Kay, Worship and Mission Pastor Ext. 224 gregkay@springgardenchurch.ca Margaret Sutton, Pastoral Care/Seniors Ext. 226 margaretsutton@springgardenchurch.ca Sam Lee, Pastor of Discipleship, Ext. 227 samlee@springgardenchurch.ca Michelle Li, Church Office and Communications Manager Ext. 221 michelleli@springgardenchurch.ca Jeremy Ranasinghe, Discipleship Ministries Assistant jeremy.ranasinghe@springgardenchurch.ca
Deacons Sam Chaise sam_chaise@yahoo.com Adora Chui adora.chui@sgbc.ca Lesley Daniels lesley.daniels@sgbc.ca Joanne Laing joannelaing@gmail.com Gonzalo Librado gonzalo.librado@sgbc.ca Shannon Loewen shannon.loewen1@gmail.com Peggy Moore peggylouisemoore@gmail.com Esther Penner esther.penner@sgbc.ca Doug Willson doug.willson191@gmail.com 24
Garth Barron garthbarron@sympatico.ca Darlene Boyd darlene.boyd@gmail.com Cindie Chaise cchaise@yahoo.ca Cheryl Chapman cheryl.chapman@live.ca Joanna James jo.april.james@gmail.com Barrie Porter barriep91@gmail.com Brad Sider bradsider@yahoo.ca Corinne Sutton-Smith blestfoods@aol.com
416-724-9329 416.385.2483 416.738.0530 416.222.6963 647.928.0862 416.829.4210 647.200.6853 647.704.7710
647-968-5065
905.962.3897 416.806.5373 416-617-6582 416.229.2695 647-202-0701 416.225.2406 416.227.1840 416.221.0450
Spring Garden Church T 416.223.4593 112 Spring Garden Ave. F 416.223.6126 Toronto ON M2N3G3 www.springgardenchurch.ca office@springgardenchurch.ca Prayer Line 416.223.4038 25
Community Corner
Life around Spring Garden
Wednesday Refresh Refresh is a small gathering of women finding God together, reading and reflecting on scripture, sharing life stories and simple prayer for each other. We meet every Wednesday in the main church lounge from 10:00 - 11:30am. Join us if and when you can. Child care available, please call to reserve. Questions? You can contact Tanya Salituro 416-222-4662 tanya@canprev.ca
SGC ESL CAFE Thank you for your support. ESL Cafe will resume on October 18. Please help us to spread the word and welcome them to the SGC community. When: Every Wednesday, 7:00pm to 8:30pm Begins: Oct 18, 2017 Where: Spring Garden Church East Lounge To sign up please contact Garth Barron at Garthbarron@sympatico.ca
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Refreshment Help We could always use extra hands on some of our Sunday morning refreshment teams. Its a fun and practical way to serve Spring Garden! If you are interested in finding out more, please contact Esther at esther.penner@sgbc.ca.
Fall Hike On Sunday October 15th, we hope you'll join us for a hike surrounded by beautiful autumn colours! Please bring a lunch to eat after the worship gathering. We'll meet in the lounge at 12:30 to arrange rides. Location to be determined. All are welcome - feel free to invite a friend! For more info, contact Esther at esther.penner@sgbc.ca
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Thursday Bunch
Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon for Tyndale
The "Thursday Bunch" as we call ourselves, meet on Thursdays from 12 noon to 2 p.m. in the East Lounge. Each person brings their own lunch. After lunch we have a Bible study together. From now until December we are studying Colossians and how we apply the scriptures to our lives. If you are free this day join us. There is always room for one more. For more information contact Margaret Sutton @ 416-223-4593 ext. 226
Ben Reynolds is running the half marathon at the Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon for Tyndale student scholarships. Anyone interested in sponsoring him and supporting Tyndale students can donate to the Tyndale Foundation at https://secure.e2rm. com/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx?registrationID=3948873& langPref=en-CA
Thanksgiving Pies for Ex-offenders Give Thanks by Sharing God's Love This Thanksgiving To express our thankfulness to Christ, we encourage our community to practice hospitality and show love to one another. If you know someone who would be interested in celebrating Thanksgiving with someone (whether they're away from their family or new to our church or country), please kindly extend the invitation to them. If you are interested in hosting or to be a guest, the sign up sheets are placed next to the welcome desk or you can email Michelle Li at Michelleli@springgardenchurch.ca. 28
Planning on baking a pie for Thanksgiving? How about baking an extra one for exoffenders who are trying to integrate back into society. If you would like to donate, please drop off your pie(s) on or before Sunday Oct 8. If you have any questions please contact Greg Kay (gregkay@ springgardenchurch. ca) and for more information on Friends of Dismas ministries, please visit www. friendsofdismas.com
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What’s Happening
Life in Spring Garden
Weekly Tuesdays 1:00 pm - Pastoral Team Meeting in Meeting Room Wednesdays 10:00 am -11:30 am - Refresh Women's Group - in West Lounge (childcare provided) 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm - ESL cafe - Wednesday in East Lounge (starting Oct 18th) Thursdays 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm - The Thursday Bunch - in East lounge Sundays 9:00 am - 10:00 am - ESL Bible Class - Sunday in Basement Hallway 9:00 am -10:00 am - Sunday Morning Bible Study - in Meeting Room 10:00 am - 11:30 am - Sunday Morning Worship (communion on the first Sunday of the month) If you would like to receive a weekly email update on what’s happening in Spring Garden, please visit the SGC website (www.springgardenchurch.ca) and add your email address at the bottom of our home page to subscribe to our weekly update
This Month Oct 3 - 6-9pm - Youth Pizza Night (pg 11) Oct 8 - Thanksgiving - Pies for Exoffenders (pg 29) - 10 am Intergerational Worship - Invitations to Thanksgiving meals (28) Oct 15 - 12:30 Community Fall Hike (pg 27) Oct 20-22 - Youth Retreat (pg 11) Oct 28 - 9am-3pm - Learn to Paint! (pg 13) Oct 31 - Halloween Candy Handout (pg 20) 30
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Our Values We believe in a humble God who came not to be served, but to serve. Therefore we engage in sacrificial and active service to those around us. We strive to be good stewards of God’s gifts and talents by serving one another in humility. We aspire to regard others as higher than ourselves, which liberates us to creatively take risks in serving others for God’s glory. We believe in a God of grace who came to save the world, not to condemn it. Therefore, as we are continuously receiving the gift of God’s grace, we seek to grow in that grace and extend it to others. We strive to define ourselves by what we are for, not what we are against. We believe in a God who knows us, and who desires to be known. Therefore we embrace a journey of faith that requires us to constantly strive for a personal, intimate and transformative knowledge of God. We strive to be led by God’s Spirit in supporting and encouraging one another in working out our faith. We believe in a creative God. Therefore we are open to expressing our faith in new and creative ways that reflect the beauty and complexity of our creator. We are called to use our creative gifts in worship and service as we engage with our world. We take joy in the diversity of gifts that allow us to delight God and participate in His ongoing story. We believe in a triune, relational God who calls us to come together as a diverse community of believers. Therefore, we want to walk together, supporting one another physically, emotionally and spiritually. We strive to be a welcoming, inclusive family that goes through the joys and the trials of life together, acknowledging that God uses this community to deepen and mature our faith. We believe in a God who loves this broken world and wants to reconcile us to Himself. Therefore we are commissioned by Christ to go out into the world, meeting the holistic needs of the local and global community. God calls us to participate in a redemptive work that he has already initiated; in humility, we will partner with others to work alongside and chase after Him. We believe in a God who is our center. Therefore where we are on the journey is less important than that we are moving towards a deeper relationship with Christ. We believe and participate in God’s redemptive work in all people, which gives us the freedom to come as we are, and to accept others as they are. We each are on a unique journey to become who God has created us to be.