How We Live Out Our Faith
[ Guiding Principles ]
We remind ourselves often that Jesus is 100% grace & 100% truth.
Throughout scripture Jesus continually showed people unconditional and incredible love by speaking God's truth into their hearts. He offered them grace to live a new life. In the same way, we are loved through the mercy of God and the gift of Jesus Christ and are called to live a life not “of this world.”
Our hope is to boldly proclaim God's truth while doing so in love.
We are aware of what breaks our hearts.
All around us people are lonely, disconnected and hurting. The rise of suicides, drug overdoses, eating disorders, depression, anxiety and overall isolated living in our community is not getting better. Chances are you’ve experienced one or more of these yourself.
The reality is: isolation is a dark & dangerous place to live. On our own, we feel powerless to address such big issues. But living together as a body of willing believers, sharing our quest to experience God together is a powerful antidote to the epidemic of loneliness.
Our focus is to create and care for community, to listen, care and walk together, to connect with Jesus & invite others to join us.
We value children & youth so we invest ourselves.
Social capital refers to the investment of adults in children and youth's lives who do not have an agenda. These adults are not a parent, teacher, or coach that adds to the ever rising performance pressures put on our kids. They are there simply because they care. As social capital has decreased the demands put on our kids have increased. Grace Mountain Church encourages a culture where kids and youth are a vital part of our congregation. We want to invest in social capital, creating opportunities for all ages of our church to serve together.
Many years of ministry has opened our eyes to the growing ineffectiveness of drop off programs. Various research studies show that anywhere between 70 to 80% of church going youth are likely to leave the church after graduating high school. We have personally worked with youth for years in what we thought were really impactful drop off programs just to see those same youth make heartbreaking decisions about their faith and their future.
We were confronted with the hard reality that our youth needed more than just fun games, Bible study and social outings, they need a community of people who genuinely care about them, are invested in their lives, and are cheering them on.
We grow in our faith through relationship.
It all starts with a kind word or deed. An affirmation, a word of support. It's standing out in the world by being the one who holds the door, gives a quiet youth a high five, or picks up the neighbor's blown down trash can. We believe in simple acts of love, day in and day out. From this simplicity conversations are started and a relationship grows. Then questions are asked, why do we live life differently? The Holy Spirit moves and our faith is shared. The hope we have through Jesus is made known.
Few moments in life can compare to these. No calling or purpose can compete. We've seen it. We want to live it. God calls each one of us to be His light in a dark world. It's not for the faint of heart & we need one another in order to grow as disciples of Christ.
We value authenticity & so we embrace the mess.
If there is one core concept we are passionate about, this is it! We live in a messy world. We've all had a past, a struggle, a loss, a wound, a regret. It's part of life as we know it.
Embracing the mess means that we acknowledge our brokenness and the desperate need of our Savior. It means setting aside fear and living authentic and transparent lives that love others who are also in the mess!
