Core Values
1. Gospel Power
The Gospel is the power of God for salvation (Roms 1:16). The Christian life begins with the Gospel and continues in applying its truth to every aspect of life – spiritual, mental, psychological, social, economical. It affects thinking, feeling, relating, working and behaving. Cols 1:5b-6, “you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing--as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God…” The gospel planted in us by God’s grace (Eph 2:8-10) continues to grow in us and renew us throughout our lives. Its content is to be studied, understood and applied by the Grace of the Holy Spirit constantly. Through the Gospel we come to learn of God’s love, forgiveness and acceptance as his adopted children through faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning work of reconciliation on the Cross. (2 Cor 5:7, 1 Peter 3:18) The Gospel, rightly understood, gives one the knowledge of sin and Christ’s complete satisfaction of God’s justice on sin. The illuminating power of the Gospel makes one aware of the reality of indwelling sin and the freedom of God’s grace – a freedom to admit sin more readily, to receive grace more quickly, to pursue obedience more joyfully, to view fellow believers as redeemed children of God the Father, to view those outside of Christ with compassion as fellow humans made in the image of Christ in need of God’s grace. The gospel enables one to respect the poor and oppressed Christians as members of God’s family from whom one can learn of the Grace of God while at the same time enabling one to love the neighbor outside of Christ with deeds of mercy and compassion. This grace of the Gospel gives Christians the faith to believe God’s power can change social conditions and restore communities where the ravages of sinful selfishness has left its mark. Where the Gospel is proclaimed, taught and applied –“where life is lived in line with the truth of the Gospel” (Gal 2:14) – there the healing effects of Christ will be made real. Proclamation of the Gospel is both an act of obedience to Christ and an act of love to those who have not heard it.
2. Church - based ministry.
Jesus Christ has determined to build his church (Mat 16:18) promising that the gates of hell shall not withstand his beloved Bride for whom he died to present to God without stain or wrinkle (Eph 5:25-32). Christ is the head of his church (Eph 1:22,5:23) and is adding to her membership daily those whom he is saving (Acts 2:47).It is to the church that Christ gave the Great Commission (Mat 28:18-20) and through whom he works to build his kingdom in every tribe and nation (Col 1:27b, Rev 5:9-10) and through whom he makes his wisdom known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (Eph 3:10). The church is not restricted to one nation or ethnic group but is found in every nation. It is one universal church (Jn 17:20-21) in Christ (1 Cor 12:14, 20, 27), with one call to obey her Lord and Master and the Scriptures he confirmed in the Old and New Testaments of the bible (Jn 17:17). The marks of the church and practice of the means of Grace (Acts 2:42) must be intentional and evidenced in our relationships.
3. Global Mutuality in seeking first the Kingdom of God
Mutuality is a relationship valued by both parties. It has not always been a major concern to the western church. At the 1910 Edinburgh World Missionary Conference it was hardly discussed until a young Indian, V.S. Azariah, lauded the missionaries for all they had done, but challenged them with the words, “Give us friends!” Friends are insiders and know what the other is thinking, sacrifices for their good and always consider the friend as a top priority. (Jn 15:13-15, Philippians 2:3)
Christ has come from God to establish his kingdom on earth through the people from all nations whom he has redeemed to himself (Mk 1:15, Mat 4:23, Cols 1:13, 14, Rev 1:5, 6). In order to build Christ’s kingdom there will have to be a mutual commitment from Christ’s many-membered, multi-national church to work together in obedience (Deut 10:12) to their One Lord to whom all are in submission. Their obedience results in the proclamation and application of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who tells his church to make the kingdom a priority in their lives “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness/ justice…” (Mat 6:33).
Justice gives flesh to the Kingdom of God in practical ways. The activities of this work will reflect the values described by Micah (Mic 6:8) “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Doing justice is to do whatever good one can for those who are being oppressed (Isaiah 58:10) particularly the widow, orphan the sojourner/immigrant/refugee and the poor (Jer 22:16, Jas 1:27, Lev 19:10,33, 34, Ex 23:9).
Loving mercy applies to all kinds of need such as hunger, shelter, clothing, sickness (1 Jn 3, Lk 10 Isa 58) even to the enemies of the Gospel (Mat 5:43, Roms 12:17).
Walking humbly with your God comes from a humility that trusts God to do his will his way while relying on the Holy Spirit’s power (Zech 4:6) and boasts only in the Lord (1 Cor 1:31) and in one’s own weakness(2 Cor 12:9ff). This humility comes from seeing one’s own need for God’s mercy through the Gospel resulting in God- loving, grace- motivated deeds of justice and compassion for the needy (Isa 42:1-4).
