About Our Three Distinctives

In our Christian faith, there are often tensions that arise between different aspects of our beliefs and practices. As a church community, we have identified three distinctives that we believe are critical for our growth and effectiveness as followers of Jesus. These distinctives are not contradictions, but rather, tensions or balances that we must integrate into fullness in order to fully live out our faith. In this blog post, we will explore each of these three distinctives in detail, and examine how they impact our church community.

The Holy Spirit and the Holy Bible

The first distinctive that we hold is the tension between the Holy Spirit and the Holy Bible. We believe that both of these are essential for a thriving church community. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, and is active and present in our lives as Christians. He empowers us to live out our faith, convicts us of sin, and guides us in all things. However, we also recognize the importance of the Holy Bible, as it is the inspired Word of God and our source of truth and guidance. We believe that these two aspects of our faith must be fully integrated in order for us to have a healthy and vibrant community.

One practical application of this distinctive is the way that we approach our worship services. We seek to create an environment that is both Spirit-led and grounded in the Word of God. We allow space for the Holy Spirit to move and work among us, while also ensuring that our teaching and preaching is biblically sound and accurate.

House Churches and The Gathering

The second distinctive that we hold is the tension between House Churches and The Gathering. We believe in the value of both small intimate gatherings of believers in homes, as well as the large public assembly of the saints for exhortation. House Churches allow for deep relationships and personal growth, while The Gathering provides a space for corporate worship and teaching.

We encourage our members to participate in both House Churches and The Gathering, and we seek to create integration between the two. We believe that House Churches are essential for the growth and discipleship of our members, and we encourage our members to actively participate in a House Church community. However, we also recognize the importance of The Gathering, and we seek to create an environment that is welcoming and engaging for all who attend.

Spiritual Awakening and Cultural Transformation

The third and final distinctive that we hold is the tension between Spiritual Awakening and Cultural Transformation. We believe that our faith should impact not only our personal lives, but also the world around us. We seek to be a church community that is both focused on revival and the salvation of souls, as well as practical change in our nation and world.

We recognize that this tension is not always easy to maintain, and we acknowledge that there are different perspectives on how best to approach cultural transformation. However, we believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to transform not only individuals, but also communities and nations. We seek to be a community that is engaged in both spiritual awakening and cultural transformation, as we seek to live out our faith in a way that is relevant and impactful in our world today.

As a church community, we hold these three distinctives unique tensions to us as Spirit. +Truth. That being said, we pray these things are developed in all Jesus-loving, Bible-believing, and God-fearing churches. These distinctives are not contradictions, but rather, tensions or balances that we integrate in our local church expression of Christianity. As we seek to grow and thrive as a community, may we always hold these tensions in fullness, and may we be guided by God in all that we do.