We believe that we are called to connect with God, connect with others, and connect others with God.
Our calling to connect with God is a calling to open ourselves to receive that which God is already extending to us—the gifts of salvation, of renewal, of growth in the Spirit, of purpose and mission in life. To connect with God is not to set out on a hero’s journey of proving ourselves and only finally making it to God exhausted—it is an opening of the heart, a surrender of the ego, and an awakening of the Spirit to receive that which God has been extending to us all along.
Our calling to connect with others is a calling to build rich relationships that go beneath the surface and that abide in love and care over time. It is a calling to multiply joy and divide sorrow; a calling to bear one another’s burdens and to keep the light of hope burning for those who have lost all hope; a calling to serve one another and do life together. But above all, it is a calling to know and to be known. We are called to connect with others by cultivating a space of belonging for all of God’s children be they within the walls of this church, a part of our neighborhood and larger community, or from the other side of the world—be they individuals who look like us or not, who think like us or not, who act like us or not.
Our calling to connect others with God is a calling to remember that what God has extended to us and we have opened ourselves to receive, God is extending to all people through us. God is extending God’s love and salvation, God’s kingdom purpose, through our words, our actions, our prayers, our daily walk and that we need to be conscious of that and purposeful in it. It is a calling to remember that we do not just do good deeds because they are good deeds but because they build a kingdom and proclaim a God who is good and desires that all have enough of the things for life. It is a calling to remember that at times we also need to risk the words of good news—to tell others what Jesus means to us, the difference God’s people have made in our own lives, and the ways that God can renew them too.
Our style is traditional in that we sing hymns from a hymnal, connect with the ancient practices of our faith through space for silent confession, have a choir that sings wonderful anthems, and enjoy the moving music of our organ and piano. However, for us, traditional does not need to be stuffy or stiff but can be inviting and inspiring. That is the kind of worship we aspire to as we sing, pray, and reflect together.