Get to know us

Loving God

Serving Neighbors

Welcoming Nations

We dream of God’s transformation in lives, families, communities, and nations.

Scripture

• The Bible is the inspired Word of God, without error in its original text, and is the final authority for faith and practice.

Nature of God

• God is one, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• God the Father, as the first person in the trinity, is the beginning of activity and the fountain and wellspring of all things.
• Jesus Christ is true God and true man; having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life and died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where at the right hand of the Father, He now is our High Priest and Advocate.
• The active ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ: to convict, regenerate, indwell, guide, comfort, instruct, gift, and empower the believer for godly living and service.

Humanity

• Every believer is a priest having been gifted to minister by the Holy Spirit.  Each believer has access to God through Jesus Christ and equal access to God’s truth in the Scriptures.
• People were created in the image of God but willfully disobeyed and are separated from God. They are reconciled to God only through personal repentance, belief, and trust in Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death for sin, His burial, and His resurrection.

Nature of the Church

• The Church is composed of all people who, through a saving faith in Jesus Christ, have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit.  They are united together as the body of Christ, of which Jesus Christ is Lord and Head.
• The local church is the visible expression of the Body of Christ, the true Church. The Lord has called believers to fellowship together in local, autonomous congregations to fulfill the mission of the Gospel.

Church Practices

• The practices of the Church, while not essential for salvation, are spiritual and physical realities commanded by Christ.  They are intended to bind the Body of Christ together and to participate in the mystery of the Gospel.
• Water baptism for believers is a physical expression of our spiritual cleansing from sin.  Baptism is an identification with Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and with His body the Church.
• The Lord’s Supper is a remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice for us and is to be observed by believers as He commanded.  Believers must partake in a worthy manner and are nourished spiritually with the benefits Christ obtained through his death and resurrection.

Return of Jesus Christ

• The physical return of our Lord Jesus Christ is imminent.  It is a source of mutual encouragement and provokes us to righteousness and service.
• The living and the dead will be judged by God; the unbeliever to everlasting conscious punishment, the believer to everlasting joy with the Lord.

Scriptures & Prayer

• The Bible is the anchor and foundation of our faith. In a world of relativism and debate, we believe in the truth of the Bible and its work in the individual and corporate life of the Church.  We believe its truth is relevant for today. The Bible is foundational and functional for the transformation of individuals and the community. Where would we be without the Bible? We need an anchor, a bedrock!
• John 8:31-32; John 15:10; Psalm 1:2; 1 John 5:14; Hebrews 4:14; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Ephesians 6:18; Psalm 145:18

Discipleship

• Discipleship is the process of helping the individual and the community reach the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  It consists of three major phases in the life of the believer—conversion, where we first come to Christ as Savior; foundations, where we become rooted in the basics of the Scriptures and the practices of Christianity; and maturity, which lasts for a lifetime and where the believer goes deep in their commitment to please God in every aspect of their life. 
• Matthew 28:18-20; Act 1:8; Matthew 5:14-16; John 15:1-17; Ephesians 4:13

Imago Dei

• We recognize and acclaim that all of humanity is created in the image of God and is worthy of dignity and respect.  Regardless of race, culture, nationality, or socio-economic status we believe that people are not only equal in the eyes of God but should live out this truth in community with one another.  We believe the Church is the embodiment of this truth. In a world of division, hate, and lust for power & greed we long to see the Church live out our true identity as One People in the world.
• Genesis 1:26-27

Holistic Outreach & Restoration

• The Hebrew word justice or ‘mishpat’ calls for the restoration of people to their productive place; the selfless act of loving others, seeking their flourishing, and more. As a community committed to restoration and justice, we believe that the restoration of individuals and entire communities is part of the call of the Church.  We are not content to look solely to individual or spiritual restoration but are working together to restore people and communities physically, socially, educationally, vocationally, and economically.  We also understand from Scripture that one day Christ will restore all things – people, physical places, systems, and entire nations to Himself.
• Amos 5:24; Micah 6:8; Proverbs 29:7; James 1:27

Welcoming Community

• One of the greatest needs of people is the sense of honest and truthful connection.  When we find that, we stay put. When people walk into our church we want them to know that they are seen and loved for who they are.  Relationships take time, much like a journey and we want people to feel invited in where they are, how they are, and for the long haul.  We are not committed to numbers but to a nurturing familia where we share the ups and downs of life. We celebrate the good and lament the bad.  We want people to know that regardless of their race, culture, nationality, or social status, all are welcome into what the Holy Spirit is doing in His Church.  We actively join the Spirit in his work to build the Body of Christ and we want people to know that there are no barriers to their entrance into His place.
• Leviticus 19:33-34; Galatians 6:2; Romans 12:5, 16; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Timothy 5:10; 1 Peter 4:8-9

Authenticity

• When we create a mask or a false way of living we lose our connection with God and others.  It is easy to pretend that we have it all together and that everything is okay. If others knew what we really think, feel, or have done, there is no way they would ever love us.  So fear and shame keep us hidden from others and from God. However, in hiding we cannot receive the love and connection we need. It is in taking off the masks and being honest with ourselves, with God, and with others that we receive what we desperately need: grace, mercy, and love.
• 1 Samuel 16:7; 2 Corinthians 1:12; James 5:16

Shared Leadership 

• The church, both locally and globally, is one body with many parts.  No one part is greater than another, and leadership is no exception. An essential aspect to leadership is the understanding that if one is going to lead like Christ they must serve others.  A servant leader, one who puts others before themselves, is essential to the life of the church. Since WCI is a church of many ethnic, denominational, and economic backgrounds, we believe our leadership must be structured as a team.  A team-led approach reminds us that no one person or people group has a monopoly or complete understanding of the Gospel. This is reflected in our preaching team, elder board, and core team. No one leader or group of leaders is above another.
• Ephesians 4:11-13; Hebrews 13:17; Philippians 2:1-11; I Peter 5:2-3