our vision
Our vision is to be a diverse family reconciled together through Jesus Christ for the purpose of loving God and our neighbors through worship, community, and service.
A Reconciled Family - Because of Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross, we believe that we are all one family, united by God’s love for us. We can live, worship, and serve together in spite of our differences, because God has brought us together through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
A Neighborhood Community - You may not be a member of our church, and that’s totally okay! Maybe you’re a regular at Vigilante Coffee, a resident in Autumn Woods Apartment Complex, or a person who hangs out at the Bladensburg Community Center. We are a church that serves the whole community and loves every neighbor, whether or not you ever visit the church in person.
our values and beliefs
Diversity
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” - Rev. 7:9-10
From the Bible, we know that God unites all believers through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, regardless of age, ethnicity, income, or job title. We believe all people are worthy of love and respect, because all people are made in the image of God. Because of these beautiful truths, God desires us to live united as one family, worshipping and serving together for the glory of His kingdom.
Authenticity
O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
- Psalm 139:1-4
God’s love and grace give us the freedom to be authentic: to be genuine, honest, and open. That means we don’t have to put on a face or try to cover up our problems. We can live honestly with one another, because God knows every part of our hearts and minds, and He loves and accepts all believers because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Mercy and Justice
He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
- Micah 6:8
The Bible teaches us that God is both merciful and just. God gives grace to anyone who accepts Jesus as Savior, forgiving their sins and bringing them into a relationship with Him. But God also promises that the wrongs of this world will be made right, and that we will be held accountable for our actions.
As Christians, we believe that we are called to pursue both mercy and justice in this lifetime, to bring God’s kingdom into our present lives. We will not see the work finished until Jesus returns, but there is still good work to be done while we wait. We believe there is much we can do to improve the world around us, even though we live in a broken world. So we love our neighbors, extend grace to the broken, and work to right wrongs in the name of God’s loving mercy and justice.
Engagement
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
-Ephesians 4:15-16
The Bible is clear: we are called to actively grow to be more like Jesus, every day. Because of this, we value engagement: active participation, leaning in to community and the Word of God. When people in the church grow to be more like Jesus, the love of God is a clear, direct message to the community and world around us.
Christ-Centeredness
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
- John 15:4-5
We believe that Christ is the head of our church--not a pastor or leadership team. We desire for every decision we make, every event we plan, and every word that we speak to be centered on who Christ is. We don’t just practice “Christ-centered worship” or “Christ-centered teaching.” We value Christ-centered everything, a community that puts Jesus at the heart of every action, thought, and word.
