Our Values
Apostles Church is driven by a core set of values that we believe, as a church in a global city, we should cling to as we seek to fulfill our vision of renewing the city with the message and mercy of Christ.
Gospel Enjoyment
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is our only hope for being accepted by God and receiving an identity that we could never establish by our successes and one that we can never lose by our failures. We do not earn a right standing with God by our works; we receive a right standing with God by grace through faith as a gift that has been purchased for us by Jesus Christ. This relationship gives us identity, meaning and purpose. As we seek to enjoy and live out the implications of this Gospel of Grace, we discover that it has the power to renew every dimension of our life – spiritual, psychological, corporate, and social. We will put our hope in the gospel of grace, seeking to enjoy it and all the benefits Jesus has won for us in his death and resurrection, and we will hold it out to others. (Romans 1:15-17; 1Corinthians 15:1-3; Colossians 1:6; 3:16)
Intentional Community
The church is primarily a people not a place. In Christ we are reconciled to God and to one another as a “new humanity.” We are formed by the Spirit and guided by the Spirit and the Scriptures to be a counter-cultural community that participates fully in one another’s lives, giving and receiving, serving and being served, loving and being loved. As God’s people we show the world what life under God’s gracious reign looks like and serve as a foretaste of the coming Kingdom. We will intentionally seek to sync up the rhythms of our lives with those in the body we live near to experience authentic community marked by selfless love and generosity. (John 13:34-35; Acts 2:42-47; 4:23-37; Ephesians 2:11-22; 1Peter 2:4-12)
Prayerful Mission
We are the missional community of God called to reflect the missional heart of God. As His people, we are gifted by His Spirit and sent together into the world to join with God in His mission to renew this world with the gospel. As transformed Christ followers we will integrate our faith with our work in the public sphere, so that the culture is renewed. We will seek to touch the spiritual and physical needs of others in our city and world with the message and mercy of Jesus Christ by participating in a church planting movement that will establish culturally relevant and gospel-centered churches at home and around the world. We will seek to do this fueled by prayer, seeking to develop and express a culture of a dependence of God in earnest and continual prayer. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 5: John 20:21-23; Romans 10:13-17; 2Corinthians 5:18-21)
We will express these values with a deep commitment to cities. As the city goes, so goes all of society. Cities are the seat of scholarship, finance, technology, art, music, and fashion. Cities are the place of cultural forging. Cities are also densely populated and as a result are special objects of God’s love and attention. We also acknowledge that cities are shaped by sin and are full of evil, injustice, pain, and sadness. Cities have great potential and pose great possibilities for ministry and renewal. We believe the best way for Christians to win and serve our society is to live in great numbers in the cities loving them and seeking their prosperity.