Simple Church Values

These values represent profound, biblical shifts for the Christian church that follows Jesus in the context of community. The hope is that these values call for repentance and a renewed, modern imagination of the church, leading us back to a Spirit-led, Christ-centered, kingdom-rooted experience.

  • From liking to loving others

    John 13:34-35 — "Love one another... by this everyone will know that you are my disciples."

    Christianity is not about curated relationships but about cross-bearing love. Jesus calls us to authenticity, moving from superficial and performative interactions to intentional relationships. The Holy Spirit produces a community of necessary, cross-bearing friendships where love is not a feeling but a daily choice.

  • From Knowing About Jesus to Following Jesus

    Luke 9:23 — "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me."

    We’ve educated people to know more, but not necessarily to become more. Information does not equal transformation. Maturity means apprenticing under Jesus, walking in His steps, and obeying His commands. This shift takes us from attending church to embodying the church.

  • From Observing to Embodying

    1 Corinthians 12:27 — "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

    The church is not a place or platform. It is the presence of Jesus among His people. When we reduce the church to a building and performance, we rob people of their God-given role in the body. Embodying the Church means actively participating in the priesthood of all believers. It’s not a spectator event but a Spirit-filled body on a mission (the Missio Dei). 

  • From Events to Life Together

    Acts 2:42-47 — They devoted themselves… breaking bread in their homes… with glad and sincere hearts.

    The early church of scripture did not boast of weekly services but of daily life spent together. God’s family is formed in social settings, living rooms, and mealtimes. We can’t grow spiritually unless we’re connected through relationships. 

  • From Performing to Forming

    Romans 12:2 — "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

    Church gatherings are meant to form our faith, not only show it. The desire for entertainment has embedded its way into our gatherings at the expense of the true purpose of believers gathering together: to become spiritually transformed into the image of Christ (the Imago Dei).

  • From Programs to Intentional Friendships

    2 Timothy 2:2 — "Entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others also."

    Intentional friendships become the pathway for formation, multiplication, and kingdom growth. Discipleship is about life-on-life relationships and is essential to organic growth.

    A history of industrial innovation may have tried to inform a way to “mass-produce” disciples of Christ through courses and programming. Still, handcrafted interactions person to person were the model all across scripture. Jesus didn’t run a program; He invested His life in people.

  • From Bearing the Load to Sharing the Load

    Ephesians 4:11-12 — "To equip the saints for the work of ministry."

    The pastor is not a one-person show or spiritual superhero. Biblical leadership multiplies. The Spirit gifts the entire church, not just the professional few. This approach decentralizes authority and empowers disciples to lead and serve. Ministry belongs to God's people.

  • From Dependence to Release

    Hebrews 5:12-14 — "By this time you ought to be teachers…"

    The goal of biblical teaching is to raise disciples who, in turn, become disciplers of others. We shift from passive consumers to active teachers and disciple-makers. True teaching doesn’t create co-dependency but fosters empowered believers to become active in their calling, too.

  • From Contribution to Missional Living

    Matthew 6:21 — "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

    Generosity is not just about giving to the church, but about living for the kingdom. This value redefines giving as a way of life rooted in surrender and abundance. Contributing to budgets that support missions and helping the poor is good, but where generosity matures is where it becomes a lifestyle of open-handedness, sensitive to the needs around you without discrimination.

  • From My Church to God’s Church

    Matthew 16:18 — "I will build my church…"

    We are not building personal empires but stewarding Christ’s body. This shift moves us away from tribalism and branding toward joyful submission under the lordship of Jesus. The church is not mine or yours; it’s God’s. This reframing requires us to be quick to listen, discerning God’s will as we move through a calling given to us.