What We Believe

Mission:

Be Disciples. Make Disciples.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” – Matthew 28:18-20

We live out the Great Commission and apply our mission in meaningful, tangible, and targeted ways by Embracing Our Name.

Tulare

We are a living embodiment of the Great Commission being fulfilled, and a testament to the power and faithfulness of God. We proclaim that God Almighty cares locally, individually, and that He has a heart for the small and overlooked. We hold that we, along with our partners in Christ, are the best hope for this region because we are the ambassadors of Christ that God has raised up for this place at this time.

Community

When we accept the truth of the Gospel, it leads us, transforms us, and points us to ministry and spiritual growth through community. The Gospel propels us and compels us to minister to our community outside of the church by planting grace. We are also a community of believers, who minister to one another. The church needs to be about growing spiritually, encouraging one another, sustaining one another, and deepening and enriching our relationship with Jesus.

Church

The church that Jesus builds starts with, and is defined by, profession. We are a congregation of people who profess Christ as Lord. Fundamentally, what the church offers the world is the Truth that sets us free.

Mission Principles

Contributors Not Consumers – 1 Peter 4:10-11

We hold that God has equipped each one of us with gifts in order to serve His church. As followers of Christ, we are all His ambassadors and members of His body, who work together in unity to build one another up and advance the kingdom of God. We are not spectators, we are not consumers, we are active participants, who faithfully use our gifts in service to the ministry of reconciliation.

Multipliers Not Maintainers – Romans 10:14-15

We fight complacency and make every effort to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. As a church we resist every temptation to be lulled asleep by our comforts, or pacified by our preferences, or tamed by our traditions. Rather, we zealously find ways to continually grow the kingdom of God and produce an ever-increasing number of people who love Jesus.

A Church, Not A Social Club – Ephesians 2:19-22

Though there are many great things that arise from church, we hold that the fundamental purpose of church is to proclaim the truth of the Gospel. We are unapologetically religious and unwaveringly proclaim that Christianity is the truth that sets men free. There are lots of good charities, plenty of social clubs, and community organizations, but there is only one church, and it is defined by profession of Jesus Christ as Lord. 

Seeking the 1. Loving the 99. – Matthew 18:12-14 

We believe that God has a heart for the lost. As a church, we want to align ourselves with the heart of the Father, finding the lost, seeking out the overlooked, and raising up the downtrodden. We righteously pursue the lost while not neglecting our own household or what God has entrusted to our care. By God’s Spirit, we love one another deeply and joyfully seek the outcast to enfold them into our community.

Milk to Meat – Hebrews 5:11-14

We believe that spiritual growth is essential for the health, safety, and survival of any church. We desire that all disciples of Christ continue in their walk, always growing to become more and more like Jesus. We believe that God prescribes for us spiritual disciplines that foster that growth. As a church we encourage each other to faithfully exercise the habits of grace through prayer, worship, fellowship, giving, and a dedication to Scripture in order to mature and attain the whole measure of the fullness of God.

Belonging – Galatians 3:28-29

We desire that our church would be a welcoming community that practices radical hospitality and shows no partiality. We see the church as a respite for sojourners and a glimpse of our eternal home. We want all of our members to feel loved, appreciated, and cared for in fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ.