ABOUT US
Values
At The Meeting House we believe that there are three pillars of a life lived by following Jesus: Deepen, Gather, and Go. Our values stem from those three pillars of discipleship.
DEEPEN
Practice (the way of Jesus)
We need spiritual practices that are both historically rooted and culturally relevant and that move us toward connection and cooperation with Jesus. We model lives of practice through prayer, Scripture reading, fasting, and serving among others, as well as stewardship of technology, money, and time. These practices allow us to experience the heart of God more clearly.
Posture (of humility)
Following Jesus necessitates a lifelong growth mindset as we recognize that our beliefs and behaviors need continual development. We model this posture of humility when we are quick to rely on the Spirit of God for direction and eager to learn from others.
GATHER
Presence (in community)
Community is a discipleship non-negotiable. It’s not one item of many on a pick and choose menu of discipleship preferences. Discipleship without community is an oxymoron. We model lives of presence through extending a love that matches our belief that all people are image bearers of God.
Partnership (with one another)
Like different parts of the body need each other to function, our flourishing is deeply connected to the flourishing of others. The human body is a key New Testament metaphor to inspire interdependence and humility as we relate to one another. We model this type of partnership through serving and working alongside one another for the glory of God.
GO
Proximity (with our neighbors)
Since God was physically present with us in Jesus, we have the joy and responsibility of being fully present with those in our sphere of influence where we live, work, and play . We model this proximity as we care for the physical and spiritual needs of those around us with unique attention to places of pain, suffering, vulnerability, and injustice.
Purpose (with focus)
If mission is about partnering with God in what he wants to do in the world — and if God is at work to restore all things — then the secular and sacred divide is broken. We model lives of purpose by recognizing we have a role to play in extending God’s love everywhere we go.
What We Believe
IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS
We believe that Jesus is the key to understanding who God is and what God is like. Jesus showed us the heart of God by willingly laying down his life for the very people who nailed him to the cross. He taught us to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us, and to live our lives with purpose. Every story we read about Jesus in the Bible paints a picture of a revolutionary and a radical who intended to turn our ways of thinking upside down and inside out. Everything we do at The Meeting House is grounded in the teachings, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
ABOUT GOD
We believe in one God who exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus Christ is the second member of the Trinity (the Son of God), who became flesh to reveal God to humanity and to become the Savior of the lost world.
ABOUT HUMANITY
We believe that all people were created in the image of God to have fellowship with him but became alienated in that relationship through sinful disobedience. As a result, people are incapable of regaining a right relationship with God through their own efforts.
ABOUT SALVATION
We believe God wants to save the entire world, to make all things new, and that includes you. The death and resurrection of Jesus provides a way that we can be rescued from everything that corrupt us, including death and sin. Those who place their faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are saved by grace for the purpose of joining with God to make the whole world new again.
ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that Jesus Christ is the fullest revelation of God and is central to our understanding and interpretation of Scripture. We believe the Bible is God’s message, written by people in their own language, literary style, and cultural setting as inspired by the Holy Spirit. We hold it to be a trustworthy account of God’s interaction with humankind to make God’s nature and purposes known to the world.
ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
We believe all Christians should live for Christ and not for themselves. We believe that followers of Jesus should spend time with Jesus, learning from Jesus, how to be like Jesus. By obedience to the teachings of Jesus and daily yielding to the Spirit of God, every believer should mature and be conformed to the image of Christ.
ABOUT THE CHURCH
We believe that the church is the body of Christ, of which Jesus Christ is the head. The members of the church are those who have trusted by faith in the finished work of Christ. The purpose of the church is to glorify God by loving him and by making him known to the lost world through living out the Gospel message in word and deed.
The Meeting House is a church with roots in the Anabaptist, Wesleyan, and Pietistic movements. We are a member of the Brethren in Christ denomination, a family of nearly 250 congregations across the United States who desire that all people would experience the transforming love, grace, and freedom found in Christ. For the BIC's full history, guiding documents, and statement of belief, please visit: www.bicus.org
HELPING PEOPLE FIND LIFE BY FOLLOWING JESUS TOGETHER