1. The Gospel: The “good-news,” or message of God’s grace (His love and adoption achieved by what Jesus did for us), is for the unbeliever and believer alike.  It is not only the means that saves us, it is also the only means by which we grow and change.  As we continually turn from our self-justifying agendas to humbly rest and rely on the facts of Christ’s work and record (rather than ours) for our relationship to God our Father, that kingdom power comes upon us, fulfills us, and works through us.

2. Changed People: The gospel changes people from the inside out by creating a new life of joy from love, based on the facts of the gospel.  Getting used to our new self image as loved children of our Father produces in us joy, freedom, and power.  This identity and joy liberates us by breaking the bondage of things that once drove us (even good things).  Over time this new self image begins to replace old patterns of fear, emptiness, and pride, with deep humility and bold love.

3. Authentic Relationships:  Like God who is Himself a community of three persons, you cannot be you outside of community.  Growth in the gospel only works in the rich soil of community, the mutual support and accountability that comes from sharing your life with others.  This reality of community both nurtures individuals and reflects God’s diverse kingdom.  We want to see different kinds of people who could not have gotten along socially, united by the restoring nature of the gospel.  God's Fatherly affection gives us both the humility and the courage to love people powerfully.  In a new community we see a new usage of material wealth, power, and family now being used to serve others and reveal God.

4. Cultural Renewal:  God is one day going to redeem all of creation, not just individuals.  He cares not just about the Spiritual, but about the Social, Cultural, and Economic realms of life as well, because it all belongs to Him.  Therefore, God wants us to work for the entire welfare of the city, praying and working for its entire common good (Jer. 29:7), not separating from it, not assimilating into it, but giving ourselves to love it.  Thus, we will work for the common good, culturally and economically, by engaging our vocations, the arts, local education, local government, and all local institutions with compassion, creativity, and courage.  And, we will work for the common good, socially, by seeking to restore family dynamics as well as social justice for the hurting and the needy.  Our goal is not a great church, but a great Metro East.

5. Loving Adaptabilty:  The "adaptableness" of God's message of salvation is no longer confined to just one tradition or culture (Israel), it now transcends into all cultures. And, as it naturally pushes us to love others who are different from us, the Bible requires us to enter and adapt the gospel into their cultural context and not require ours(Acts15,Gal. 2:12,Eph.3:6 etc.). The Bible calls the church to use the contemporary language of the unchurched/“outsider” even as we worship(1Cor14:23,24).  We call it "incarnational."  We will adapt every ministry to our surrounding culture.  Just as our missionary God left his heavenly culture to adapt into our culture and language, we will strive to use the vocabulary, languages, and styles of our community, and to answer its objections and questions, in all that we do.