Values

This is how we do it:

Every house is built upon a foundation. The Vineyard is built upon the foundation of the Bible, our theology (how we think about God), and our values, the kinds of ideas and attitudes that we feel are important.

Values concern what a particular church feels like, the atmosphere of that church and its ethos. It is possible for two churches to believe exactly the same doctrine, but feel different because the two churches have different value systems. Here is an overview of our key values at the Vineyard.

We value relationship with God and with one another. The church is not just a collection of individuals. God is looking for a people, a community who is committed to following Jesus together. We believe that God values people of all races, ages, genders, styles and backgrounds, and that he has called us together as the church. Following Jesus happens in the context of relationships, not in isolation from one another.

We value responsiveness. We believe that Jesus is our Head, the Holy Spirit is our Counselor, and the church really does belong to God. We seek to be responsive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in every area of the church's life and ministry, as well as in our personal lives.

We value righteousness. We seek completely truthful, consistent, and open relationships with God, with others, and with ourselves. We recognize that none of us come to Jesus as righteous, but that as we submit ourselves to God, the Holy Spirit works in us to heal us, free us, and change us to become more and more like Christ. This means that our lives should be full of integrity; living a lifestyle that is consistent with what we say we believe.

We value reality. We want every expression of ours—whether speech, manner, music, or architecture—to be non-hyped, natural, and based in reality. We want to present the simple truth of Jesus and experience together the reality of his presence.

We value relevance. We want to use music, terminology, and outreach methods that are in touch with the current culture of our community. We desire to be understandable and practical to those around us who are seeking God.