What do we stand for?

We stand for the whole Word of God
We discover our calling, direction, message and method in the Word of God. We would not have known them in any other way. In the Word of God we are addressed by God himself: called to repentance, invited to faith, assured of forgiveness, and commissioned to service. In the Word of God we are brought to encounter with Jesus, made participants in his life and commanded to his cause.

The Word of God is our inerrant guide, the "source and norm" of our believing and our living. It will not mislead us; for God himself breathes through it. It will not fail us; for God himself guarantees its promises. We have no better grounding for our faith and work - and no better gift to bring before the world.

What stand in solidarity with the whole Church of Jesus Christ
We understand ourselves to be a body. We intend to undertake our mission as a community. We discover our members variously and wonderfully gifted for the task we share together. We appreciate our multi-textured gifts, and work at encouraging one another in their exercise, for the cause of Christ.

Moreover, we understand our fellowship itself to be part of a much larger body - the Church of Christ around the world. The conviction expands our limited horizons, and permits dynamic creativity in the cause of the Gospel. The "foot" collaborates with the "hand"; the "eye" serves together with the "ear" - under gracious direction of Christ, the "head." We do not have to bring every strategic resource to every ministry situation. We may be content to function as "foot" in one situation, and "ear" in another; for we are not alone. We may look to the whole Body of Christ, and anticipate strategic partnerships in ministry as God orchestrates the Body to undertake its one mission the world.

We stand for the the whole Gospel of salvation
We refuse to dichotomize ministries of "word" and "deed". We find no dichotomy in God's Word. We believe that God proposes wholeness for the human family, in every sphere of the human experience. We envision, one day, the fulfillment of history in a "new heaven and a new earth". We believe that God loves human bodies, human families and communities, and the earth itself. He invented them. We believe it appropriate to work for their wholeness.

We will want to do it well. We propose, as much as possible, to "overcome evil, heal and help people and thus make life more like God wants it to be." (Handbook)

For the wholeness of the world and individual persons, however, the church of Jesus Christ has but one unique contribution to make - a contribution, in fact, that only the church can give. Our unique contribution is the Good News: the announcement of the forgiveness of sin, and the offer of grace and new life through Jesus Christ. We may fail to contribute many things. But in this unique contribution we must not fail.

We stand in outreach to the whole world
We propose, in all of our activities, a clear focus upon those unreached with the Good News of Jesus. Our Handbook directs us to mission "especially where Christ is unknown or little known." We do not exist for our own growth in discipleship, or for prayer alone, or for the exercise of Christian community. We exist for the frontier. We are committed to bend every effort to bridge it.

And we propose to find it. We intend to work at "seeing" the unreached, identifying the "harvest fields," and understanding the world's greatest areas of need. We propose deliberate and critical alertness to the movement of the Holy Spirit. Like the children of Israel on pilgrimage in Sinai, we propose resolutely to "open the tent flap" and look for the pillar of cloud and fire leading us on - toward the significant, fluid, risky frontiers of his activity in the world today.

In particular, we discern the frontier at the boundary between faith in Christ and unbelief. The conviction gives our work a sharp priority and focus: we understand ourselves called to proclaim the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ, so that men and women might come to faith in him.

We discern the frontier, furthermore, at the boundary between the churched and unchurched. Again, the conviction gives our work clear focus: we understand ourselves called particularly to ministry among peoples without a living, disciple-making church.