We’ve tried to develop a Statement of Guiding Principles that is clear, succinct, and related to everything we do at THE LIFE Church.  And it is simply this:

Proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ:
Reverently, Joyfully, Together.

 

Of course, there’s more to it than that.  If you want to see what we mean by that simple statement above, please continue reading below.

 

Proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ

We proclaim the message of Jesus Christ, crucified, risen and ascended as Gospel — Good News — to a world desperately in need of hearing it.

We exist solely to proclaim the message of Salvation through Jesus Christ. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God given to the world to share the saving message of Jesus Christ. The Word of God is also our guide for the church and how we are to live together as God’s children.

We believe we are saved by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.

We believe that the Church belongs to God and the members of the church manage what God has entrusted to us.

Everything we are and do must reflect our guiding principle to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ

  • is the cornerstone of our guiding principles under which all others exist.
  • is Christ Centered
    •  not church or personally centered
  • reaches beyond the church out to the community and the world at large
  • means we support other missions who proclaim Christ with our service, talents and monetary gifts

 

Reverently

We connect to the past as we honor tradition in an accessible and relevant manner.

With reverence is how we show our deep appreciation to God. God has loved us with an everlasting love in Jesus Christ therefore we honor and hold sacred those things which God gives. The church of the past and the present is a great gift from God. Since the time of Jesus, Christians have worshiped with rites and traditions that we honor. This practice shows reverence to God and those Christians who have lived and died for the faith.

We are Lutheran and therefore we believe, teach and confess our faith connected to the rich heritage of the Lutheran Reformation. We understand that reformation is ongoing and therefore while staying true to the scriptures and our interpretation of them as Lutherans, we seek to reach a modern world with both relevance and reverence. 

Reverent Worship is

  • the hub of what we do as the Church
  • directed and guided by the Word of God
  • liturgical
    • Liturgy is the bridge that carries us from mountaintop to mountaintop of spiritual experiences with the Word of God.
    • Liturgy is the bridge between the past and present, worshiping as the earliest Christians did through rites, traditions and the Word.
  • Sacramental
    • The sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion are ways in which God chooses to impart the Holy Spirit among us.
  • Spirit filled
    • Through the presence of the Holy Spirit we value a sacred and transcendent time when we gather around God’s Word and Sacraments.
  • Christ centered -- full of all the rich substance of the work God has done for us in Christ Jesus, not what we can do for God.

With reverence is how we present the church to the world.

  • The presentation of all buildings and grounds reflect who we are as a community of God. The church is our home and is a safe and sacred place.
  • Therefore the care and maintenance of our facilities is a priority

 

Joyfully

Joyful expression of the Good News of God must remain all in areas of ministry. We love and serve as a response to God who has loved us first.

The good news is always good news and therefore worthy of being trusted, honored and celebrated. This does not always mean with enthusiasm and dancing. The joy of God transcends our excitement. Joy is our passion, our commitment and our core. Even in the dark moments of life we can experience joy in the confidence of the presence of God among us. With such promises from God the message will never be stale or irrelevant.

Joy is expressed through

  • Worship with vibrant music
  • Passionate and relevant sermons
  • Energetic outreach opportunities
  • Our attitudes toward our church and local community
  • Our expressions of service and giving to the church and community

 

Together

 We value relationships over progress; our relationship to God through Jesus Christ and our relationships with one another.

Together we:

  • Love one another as God has first loved us.
  • Worship by involving many members of the body of Christ in our proclamation of God’s Word
  • Learn with a variety of relevant Bible Studies and Children’s Ministries.
  • Grow by providing a welcoming and inviting environment
  • We celebrate diversity and are multi-generational
  • Seek to put the best construction on people and our Church with joyful attitudes and hearts of gratitude.
  • Are the body of Christ, called into being by God