Base Values -- A foundation on which to build

Jesus as the Way, Truth & Life
We know there are many religions in the world, and most contain some measure of truth. However, as Christians we believe that it's only in Jesus we have the full revelation of God's truth and his purpose in the world. We invite all people, of every faith and religious background to come to Jesus, trust in his power, and receive his Holy Spirit.

Welcoming All People at All Times
We invite everyone into fellowship with the Risen Jesus. St. Paul tells us that God shows no partiality to people, for we are all his children. In the same way, this church will work to include all people, regardless of their race, sex, social or economic status, or sexual orientation. At Church of the Spirit, we believe God's not so worried about your past, he's more concerned with where you go from here. We believe that all people have fallen short of God's ways (have sinned) and we are all equally in need of repentence, forgiveness and the new life Jesus offers us.

Setting High Standards
Jesus has called us to be perfect, even as his Heavenly Father is perfect. We know we will never be able to live up to this standard. Even so, we do not need lower standards, we need more grace. God expects us to grow in our ability to faithfully follow Jesus and to live as he lived. The standards of God give us a vision of godliness to aim for. We ask our members to be moving towards these standards.

Marriage, Families, & Being Single
God has given us the relationship called marriage. In it a man and a woman are united for their mutual joy, to help and comfort each other, and, as God wills it, for the procreation and nurture of children. We believe all marriages are intended to be life-long unions. We also know in this broken world, relationships can be broken. Divorce is a sad but understandable reality. Following counseling and an appropriate time after a divorce, we allow divorced people to be remarried in the church and seek God's blessings. We also believe the single life is an honorable institution and lifestyle within God's purposes.

Sanctity of Life
We believe all human life is a sacred gift of God, to be protected from conception to natural death. While upholding the sanctity of all life we will also reach out with compassion to those who struggle with the memory of a previous abortion, or those who are currently struggling with an unwanted pregnancy or terminal illness.

Human Sexuality
Sexuality is part of who we are as human beings. We believe that all Christians are called to a standard of chastity: that means, husbands and wives are to be faithful to one another exclusively, and single persons are to abstain from sexual activity. We know many Christians struggle with this part of their life as they continue to grow in living more faithfully. At the same time we know God offers us his help to live joyfully and completely within these healthy boundaries.