Values
We aspire to be a centred-set, not bounded-set, church community. This means we choose to focus on our shared trust in Jesus and not the particularities that might divide us. To help us do this and be the type of church where we can all encounter and embody the surprising grace of Jesus we practice these three commitments:
To be Jesus Centred seems like a relatively low bar for a church. But when we say that we’re Jesus centred, we’re also saying that Jesus is the directional focus of our lives and the basis of our relationships as a community. Do we all agree? No. Do we all read the Bible the same? No. Do we all believe the same things? Most likely not. Rather we’d like to be the type of community where our diversity unites us around one thing, the open welcome to follow Jesus and grow to be more like him. So rather than using our differences as reasons to exclude, we find community in our relationship with the centre, with Jesus.
We believe and confess the unifying, equality creating, diversity respecting nature of the Gospel. A Dialogical Community respects this by listening and learning through conversation and collaboration. We lead in team, we invite ideas, opinions, and creativity in all aspects of our community. We believe that a church has a voice - the sound of all our gifts, abilities and personalities together - and you should be heard. From pastoral care, to our teaching spaces, to global or local partnerships, we are constantly looking for ways to dialogue, to learn, to grow and serve Jesus together.
If there is one biblical word that summarizes what God wants for the world the word is Shalom. This Hebrew word is often translated “Peace”. But in the biblical narrative this word carries the ideas of well-being, abundance, justice, and perhaps most clearly, wholeness. It is what Jesus came to bring. His kingdom vision was a place of wholeness and restoration for every broken part of God’s creation. Pursuing Wholeness is a call to participate in creating peace, doing what is right, being merciful, and more, for the world. It invites us to love our neighbour as ourselves, to listen, to collaborate and to advocate together for what is right, for what is just, for what is Shalom. As Jesus said, blessed are the peacemakers, but we could translate that “Blessed are thosewho pursue wholeness”.