Because We Believe
...that God is active at all times and in all places, continually calling people to participate in God's mission to reconcile the world and to align it with God's intended design,
...that answering this call means that we are continually being transformed-- not just "doing church better" but being renewed by the Spirit-- as individuals and as the Body of Christ,
...that we must both build on God's faithfulness in the past and prepare to face a future in which current congregational forms will die in order that the Body of Christ may live, we answer God's call in the present to embody God's purposes in new ways and in new settings as God is doing a new thing,
...that when God's design for our lives and our communities is honored, the reign of God is expressed on earth and the good news in Christ is lived out in challenging, surprising and beautiful ways.
… we commit to the ongoing pursuit of deep transformation as a way of life where
...we journey together in treasured relationships of uncommon love:
As we pursue transformation with others on this journey, we commit ourselves to practices that sustain high levels of trust, as we relate to each other with vulnerability, challenge, and support
....we live as God's beloved, without shame:
We join God on mission because we are deeply loved and because we trust God's design. We do not see our pursuit of transformation as a way of earning God's favor or avoiding punishment. Instead, we experience the grace of God through relationships of grace and truth. For this reason, we are freed for creativity, experimentation, and failure
....we are fully human, fully alive:
As we grow in our mastery of this way of life, we grow in our capacity to live the life God created us for. As we disrupt the autopilot way of being that developed in our first formation, we notice that entrenched patterns of disconnection from God, self, and others have less power in our lives. We have more freedom to follow the example of Jesus and to live the joyful, abundant life that he promised
....we exist as a learning community:
In response to God's invitation to learn new ways of being, we engage the challenge of becoming God's people together. We cultivate spaces that are both deeply safe and rigorously challenging.
…and we intentionally engage practices of transformation that breathe life into our whole being:
...a learning paradigm that establishes and reinforces a culture of deep change based on gathering information, practicing new ways of being, and reflecting on our learning with others as we are guided by the Spirit.
…unearthing and shifting four key mental models: discipleship, mission, leadership, and change.
…growing five values/capacities that the Holy Spirit uses to breathe life into personal and community transformation: Authenticity, Courage, Curiosity, Integrity, and Love.
…practicing and growing our capacity for key skills that guide transformation: Generating and Sustaining Creative Tension, Systems Thinking, The Congregation as a Living System, Highly Effective Teams, and the Mental Model of Discipleship.