The Christian life is patterned after Jesus' special care for the vulnerable and oppressed. Here and now, we live the way of the cross, not glory. Those who have any power and influence must be willing to let it go for the sake of the most vulnerable and oppressed. We must imitate Jesus who has a special care for delivering the marginalized out of harm and into flourishing. This encompasses our politics, economics, families, relationships, and personal piety. 

1 Peter 4:12-19; Matthew 16:24-27; Matthew 20:25-28; Galatians 5:19-26; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

The church is where Jesus’ upside-down kingdom finds its expression in the world. Jesus’ kingdom upends the world’s hierarchies and power structures and redefines our understanding of equity. Both women and men are intentionally sought out and trained as co-laborers in Christ. Racialized minorities are intentionally sought out and trained as leaders for the sake of mutual submission between people groups.Luke 14:15-24; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:11-22

The church is Jesus’ hands and feet for worship, mercy, and justice. The life of the church is not a Sunday-only life. The life of the church is both gathered and scattered, seeking to unite worship with mercy and justice wherever we find ourselves on a daily basis. True worship includes individually and corporately addressing the issues of mercy and justice for the vulnerable of our day, including racial justice, poverty alleviation, and advocating for the oppressed. James 1:27; Isaiah 1:17; Micah 6:8; Acts 2:42-47

Discipleship is costly and requires life-to-life commitment and intention. We believe that discipleship is more than taking in information, but it is a transformation that happens when the Holy Spirit brings connections between disciples of Christ. This requires creating space and time to be in relationship with people in daily, trivial things in life. This looks like imitating one another as we imitate Christ, seeking mentors and mentees, training up younger generations, and learning from older generations. Life-to-life discipleship is slow and messy, but it is the fertile soil where the Holy Spirit works to make lasting change. Acts 5:42; Matthew 11:28-30; John 15:9-17

Jesus’ Great Commission and Greatest Commandment are two sides of the same coin. We love the Lord by loving our neighbors. We cannot make disciples without loving our neighbors and their neighborhoods too. We cannot shortcut Christian ethics for the sake of evangelism. The ends do not justify the means, but rather, we are defined by the means we pursue.

Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 12:28-31