Beliefs, Vision, Mission, and Core Values

VISION

The Park Community is a freely gathered, sacrificial people led by the Holy Spirit. We live in submission to one another under the headship of Christ, joining God in the renewal of all things.

MISSION

To create environments for people to grow in their passion for God, compassion for people, and wisdom in everyday decisons.

CORE VALUES

And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 2:44-47

Acts chapter 2 gives us a beautiful picture of the early church. The core of this early Gospel movement is described by people meeting with one another, sharing meals, and sharing the stories of God’s great deeds. The early church looked less like a weekly meeting and more like a family meal. We are adopted into the family of God and belong to one another. Therefore, we are long suffering with one another, transparent, encouraging, and honest.

 

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

Ephesians 5:1-2

As we relate to one another as a family we are called to a culture of Sacrifice. Jesus calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves. That’s a high calling, it requires you to love your neighbor as much as, or even more, than you love yourself. We are stewards of the gifts of God. Our money, time, and gifts are given to build up the people of God. The sacrifice of Christ is our example. What might our city look like if we were willing to give all of ourselves, all of our money, all of our time?

 

And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”

// Luke 24: 28-32

This is a beautiful encounter with Jesus. Two of his disciples are leaving Jerusalem, defeated. The man they concluded was the messiah was crucified. The revolution they bought into and sacrificed for seems to have come to an end. As the approach the village of Emmaus the resurrected Jesus presents himself. Can you imagine the conversation as “He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the scriptures.” Even still it wasn’t until they broke break together that the men realized they are speaking to Jesus. It’s in the presence of Jesus that they reflect, “our hearts were burning.” When we gather together on Sunday’s, meet homes throughout the week, or spend some time alone on the back porch with a cup of coffee and the scriptures we should often reflect, our hearts are burning. As a community we want to lean in to the presence of the living God, to drink deeply of the Spirit, and to see God’s mighty hand move in our generation.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Jesus calls His followers to a life of submission. Submission is an invitation to leadership. To follow His lead is to submit to His ways. This is lived out on a personal and community level. We are to individually submit ourselves to God in living according to His truth and ask the Holy Spirit for the power to do so. We are to follow the local leaders of the church as we gather to worship, pray, serve and apply God’s word to our lives. And finally, as a community of Jesus followers grows in it’s reverence for Him, our hearts find joy in submitting to one another.

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

// John 20:19-22

Not only are Christ followers called to join together for worship and celebration, we are called to join with Him on His mission to proclaim the gospel to those who’ve never heard it and make disciples of all nations. Our faith is personal but it’s not private. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are sent into the world as His witnesses to bear His message.

 

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

//Psalm 51:10

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

//Romans 12:2

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.

//Revelation 21:5

We believe that the God of the universe is at work healing and remaking the whole world. We see this in our own lives and God invites us to join in with Him in the ongoing work of making all things new. Following Jesus means that we a part of this mission and He invites us to become agents of renewal in our neighborhoods, spheres of influence and our city as a whole.

 

BELIEFS

We are a non-denominational church that believes in the authority of the Christian scriptures for our life and practice. We hold to the essential orthodox Christian beliefs as best expressed in the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, as well as the Evangelical Statement of Faith.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
We believe in one God,
    the Father, the Almighty,
    maker of heaven and earth,
    of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
    the only Son of God,
    eternally begotten of the Father,
    God from God, Light from Light,
    true God from true God,
    begotten, not made,
    of one Being with the Father.
    Through him all things were made.
    For us and for our salvation
        he came down from heaven:
    by the power of the Holy Spirit
        he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
        and was made man.
    For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
        he suffered death and was buried.
        On the third day he rose again
            in accordance with the Scriptures;
        he ascended into heaven
            and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
   He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
        and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, 
    who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
    With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
    He has spoken through the Prophets.
    We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
    We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
    We look for the resurrection of the dead,
        and the life of the world to come. Amen.
  • We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the infallible, authoritative Word of God.
  • We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
  • We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
  • We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration of the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
  • We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
  • We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
  • We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

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