Our purpose, mission and values are built upon a vision:
To become an influential church reaching our city and the world for Jesus.
theGathering's purpose, mission and values are not unique to our church; they are grounded in scripture and sound doctrine and is a holistic explanation of the gospel. The gospel is not only a message of personal salvation; the gospel is the expansive unfolding of our Creator reclaiming His creation that He deemed very good and seeks to reconcile to himself through Jesus.
Our Purpose
The purpose of theGathering is to join Jesus in reclaiming His Creation.
We believe it is undeniable that God has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:9-10).
We at theGathering then count it an honor to join Jesus in reclaiming His creation and seeing lives changed by the message of the gospel. This is the gospel of Jesus that encompasses all of life, everything from culture, relationships, identity, vocation and purpose redeemed as God sets them within their proper context of life in Jesus.
Our Mission
Our mission to see this purpose come to life is through:
Connecting with people
Encountering God
Inspiring action
We firmly believe that any mission other than God's mission is the wrong mission for the church. Through loving God and others (Mark 12:29-31), God's people bring God's mission to life by the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), to live and share with others the truly good news of the gospel.
We see this happen naturally when we connect with people, encounter God, experience life change through spiritual formation and inspire others by living out what we believe (Matthew 5:16).
Our Values
The Bible
We hold the bible to be breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man [and woman] of God may be competent, equipped for every good work (2Timothy 3:16-17). Though written in a specific time in human history, the bible in all ways points to Jesus (Luke 24:27) and is therefore timeless in its ability to point anyone, anywhere to Jesus.
People
At the heart of the gospel is Gods love for humanity (John 3:16). No matter where they've been or what they've done, all people are deserving of love and respect; because all people are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).
Diversity
Paul says in Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Our ethnic, socio-economic and cultural differences should not separate us. We should celebrate our differences through Jesus, as He came to break down the barriers that divide us (Ephesians 2:14-16).
Spiritual Formation
By His grace God meets us where we are but graciously doesn't leave us there. Spiritual formation (saying no to self and yes to God), is the lifelong process of sanctification. We are committed to journeying this process together (2Corinthians 3:18).
Creativity
The Bible tells us, "In the beginning, God created" (Genesis 1:1). Unlike anything else God created, man has the unique privilege to create as well. Being created in His image we have the privilege of enjoying beauty in so many facets. Through music, art, communication, and life, our creativity speaks of the One who first created.
Stewardship
The bible tells us, "The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof" (Psalm 24:1). God also entrusted man with caring for everything that He created (Genesis 1:28-30). Therefore we understand that stewardship encompasses not only how we handle our finances but the earth and everything that God created and called good.
Church Planting
Unlike a static organization, we understand the church to be a living, growing, dynamic organism comprised of people following Jesus in order to display the greatness of God (Ephesians 3:10). We want to be continually discipling leaders and planting other churches so that Gods Kingdom will advance and his greatness will spread.