About us – Four Characteristics – Mario & Karina – Free Methodist Church
Summary: Our core values include the centrality of God’s Word, union with Christ, life on mission, and meaningful worship. We seek to be a spiritual home and a healthy community that reflects God’s loving and just character.
What do we want to be?
To be a spiritual community in process, where God’s grace transforms our lives from within so that we may live like Jesus in our everyday lives (to live and reflect Jesus).
What do we want to do?
We dream of a vibrant, hybrid, and close-knit church, where real people discover and rediscover Christian spirituality as a path of deep transformation (to reach those who left or never arrived).
What do we want to highlight in how we are and act?
Values are definitions of what we hope will identify us. In gray (on the website), you can access articles that explain our values. These articles are mainly intended for those who want to join us in this project—to pray, give, or collaborate.
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The Word of God: The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is the Word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore our supreme authority in faith and practice. We don’t read it merely to gain knowledge but to encounter the Triune God, reading it in light of His person and the history of salvation, and to be transformed individually and communally.
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Jesus Christ, the Center: He is the Lord and foundation of the Church, the center of our love and loyalty. In Him, we are united in love, in a deep relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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Union with Christ: Salvation is not merely the forgiveness of sins, but union with Christ in a covenant relationship. Jesus Christ reveals God’s loving character, seeks us out, and calls us to be reconciled with Him.
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A Holy People: Being united to Him, we aspire to reflect His character according to His Word, living in His grace and being guided by the Holy Spirit. This calling is not a heavy burden but a loving response that leads us to live with faith, hope, and love toward God and others.
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Integral Spiritual Formation: We focus on Christ being formed in us through individual and communal practices that transform every area of life: family, education, work, business, civic engagement, social help, and service in the local and global church.
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Living on Mission: We love God, our neighbor, and creation, joining His redemptive work. God sent His Son out of love, and we have been sent to represent Christ in the world.
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Contextual Living: We inhabit culture with discernment, valuing what is good, while seeking restoration and transformation in Christ according to His Word.
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The Body of Christ in Motion: We are led by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses in word and action, making disciples of Christ both locally and globally.
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Divine Justice: We tangibly and relationally show His love, imitating the character of Christ and valuing the image of God in everyone.
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Meaningful Worship: Our worship, beyond music, includes all practices that draw us nearer to God’s grace and power in creative and relevant ways.
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Intelligible Worship: In worship, we gather to encounter God in a way that everyone can understand—both those inside and outside the community.
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Transformative Worship: In worship, we respond to His Word, the Sacraments, and the Spirit in obedience and love, learning from the different streams of Christian spirituality throughout history.
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A Spiritual Home: We want to be a place of love, joy, and peace that reflects God’s character and His desire for all people to return to Him: men and women, children and youth, of all ages, social groups, and cultures.
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A Healthy Community: We want to be a biblically healthy community, guided by His Word and not distracted from the witness of Christ, spiritual growth, and mutual care. We aim to live by the principle that people and relationships are more important than programs, being a Christlike community.
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Digital Tools: Alongside face-to-face relationships, especially in small groups, we will use technology to fulfill our mission.
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Collaborative Work: We value unity in Christ above denominational differences, emphasizing what unites us, while also appreciating our identity as part of the Free Methodist Church.
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