“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42)

We recognize the Bible as God’s Word to us. We devote ourselves to the teaching of the Scriptures as the core foundation and authority for all belief and behavior. The Scriptures fuel our prophetic voice to renew our culture and transform our lives. We make God’s Word accessible to all, regardless of age or level of education. We develop a personal knowledge of and interaction with the Bible. We are committed to interpreting the Bible within the gift of the Apostolic tradition.

“to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers” (Acts 2:42)

We experience the living presence of our Lord in the Church. We encounter Jesus in Baptism, Holy Communion, and prayer. We position ourselves under the authority of the Church, encountering the personhood of the Church, who is a “she,” not an “it.”   We see the spiritual world and material world as intertwined: God reveals Himself through creation. Matter matters. Baptism and Holy Communion minister the real presence of Jesus to the Christian. This sacramental fullness appears in our liturgy, in our art and music, and in our lives.

“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4)

We serve under the authority of the Spirit, submitted to His leading, manifesting the living Kingdom of God, and living a supernatural life. The Holy Spirit lives in every follower of Jesus to teach us the truth, comfort us, and give us gifts for the building up of each other in the Church. The fullness of the Spirit appears through many gifts, including healing prayer, prophetic ministry, creativity, and encouragement.

“selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone in need” (Acts 2:45)

We want to be so Kingdom responsive that we may find ourselves being worldly irresponsible. This freedom to sacrifice appears through our fasting, service, welcoming of the lost and the least, generosity with money, forgiveness, reconciliation, and following Jesus even when the cost is high. Being mother or father, husband or wife, celibate—all require consistent sacrifice. We honor spiritual fathers and mothers.  We ask all to live a sacrificial life, recognizing that the cost is different for each individual. We honor chastity, waiting, self-sacrifice, and counter-cultural generosity.

“And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47)

As we have been saved, so we seek to invite everyone into a transforming relationship with Jesus and His Church, proclaiming the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. We deeply desire that the Lord will be drawing new believers to Himself through Her people. We welcome the newcomer; we multiply groups and plant churches; we love, bless, and pray for unbelieving family members, neighbors, co-workers, and friends—all of this in order to invite everyone into personal faith in Jesus and into the life of the Church.