We Are a People of…

We are People of Presence: We bring all of us to the people, places and practices before us.

• Be present to each other
• Be fully present, while understanding the importance of refueling and Sabbath
• Honor the time commitments required, and clearly and kindly keep one another accountable 

We are People of Prayer: Our work is in response to and empowered by God’s work.

• We believe that prayer can and should be both communal and personal  
• Trust that God is constantly at work and we are constantly in communication 
• Praying together helps us cultivate compassion, selflessness and kindness 

We are People of Vulnerability: We open ourselves to others while allowing them to open themselves to us, knowing that God will lead each individual at their own pace and timing.

• Confessional community with rhythmic practices of sharing our stories
• All invited into a safe place of vulnerability and confidentiality
• Vulnerability is intentional – this is not a space of over-sharing, but of sharing deep, intimate things that draw us to a place of closeness with God and others

We are People of Humility:  Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.

• We prioritize being interested in others over presenting ourselves as interesting
• Humility is also honoring the gifts we have been given, and stewarding them well
• Not putting down of self, but instead living into gifts as we are called 

We are People of Hospitality: We honor the individuality of group members by creating a place and a pace that allows everyone to contribute and be heard.

• We ask, who is not represented here, and then agree to wait for those voices to be present – including gaps in ethnicity, age, background, education and economics
• Everyone has both a place and a voice at the table
• Understand that, while all voices should be heard, there are those who are responsible, accountable, consulted and informed – without this, no decision can be made

We are People of Grace: We seek to understand and respect others’ views and disagree without being disagreeable.

• Grace allows our mistakes to serve a purpose, instead of serving shame
• We will hold compassion for the viewpoint of the other 
• In the spirit of grace, we will meet others where they are, and, through the working of the Spirit, draw them closer to Christ

We are People of Truth: We expect the best out of each other while assuming the best of each other. When there is conflict we obey the Matt. 18 command by talking to each other and not about each other. 

• We will seek to always speak truth in love with grace
• We are people of both truth and love – we call people into a deeper relationship with Christ 
• Truth brings with it both accountability and discipline

We are People of Joy: While happiness is controlled by circumstances, the joy of the Lord thrives in spite of our circumstances.

• Joy is not “faking it until we make it” but the belief that, even when circumstances are hard, God has given us a spirit of joy, not fear
• For many, this is a bittersweet season – we will seek to understand the outward circumstances while claiming the inner joy
• Together, we will celebrate with joy all of the work God is doing in and through us