We put God's Word at the center
We don't pretend to have figured everything out, but we see the biblical narrative as the source to understand life. This includes understanding our relationship to God, our relationship to each other, our purpose and our destiny.
We strive for transparency
We want to show our commitment to Christ, not through our perfection, but through our authenticity. This includes a willingness to be vulnerable, to share our faults with each other and to offer correction in love.
We are missional people
The message about reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ applies to every person on the planet. Our church is one small part of God's grand plan. We intentionally partner with other churches and Christian groups in order to fulfill Christ's commission to make disciples everywhere — in Seattle and throughout the whole world.
We see life transformation as normative
The Holy Spirit who indwells every believer brings our character into conformity to Christ and equips us for ministry. We expect the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out and we purposefully pursue his gifts in order to serve in God's strength and not in our own.
We are caretakers, not owners
All things belong to God. The creation mandate to tend the earth extends to every aspect of our lives, both corporately and individually. We strive to be wise stewards of all that God has entrusted to us, which includes time, wealth and natural resources.
We seek to be salt and light in our culture
We want to fulfill Christ's challenge to positively influence the world around us — the city of Seattle in particular. This happens when we live with integrity and act with love in every life context. In this way, Christ's Kingdom (his influence) infiltrates every strata of society.
We strive to be creatively relevant
We believe that the message about Jesus Christ is timeless, but the methods to effectively convey the message vary according to culture. We endeavor to use every medium of communication available that will accurately and convincingly convey God's truth and beauty.
We practice a lifestyle of service
As Christ-followers, we must follow his example of serving. A lifestyle of service is the natural outgrowth of loving God and every believer has a significant part to play. We value leadership that is not hierarchical, but practiced in servanthood.
We are a multigenerational community
We believe that God intends us to foster authentic relationships and to build a place of belonging that transcends barriers of age or race — becoming lovingly entangled in each other's lives. This happens when relationships are pursued intentionally: in committed Groups, in joyful services of worship and while laboring side by side to help those in need.
We passionately pursue God
We have been swept into a relationship with the God of the universe because he has made a way of reconciliation for us through the death of his Son and has drawn us to himself by his Holy Spirit. It is our most profound calling to love him with all of our being. This demonstrates itself daily in our prayer, our worship and our study of God's word.