Belief & Vision
Statement of Faith
God is God
We believe that God is God: the all-loving, terribly mysterious yet deeply personal architect of the universe. Father, Son and Holy Spirit all wrapped into one.
Jesus is Lord
We believe that Jesus is Lord. Not our politics. Not our sports. Not our past, present or future. Not even our streaming subscriptions. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection enlighten the way we live.
God Moves People
We believe that God moves people. We are the only hands and feet God has, and our bank account is God’s bank account. We discover and live out our God-purpose. We exist to love. We are better together.
Empowered by the Holy Spirit
We believe people are empowered by the Holy Spirit. It’s not a birthright of the super-spiritual. Anyone who says yes to Jesus is given special powers (spiritual gifts) to make the world a better place.
Resurrection
We believe in resurrection. Not zombies. The living dead are still dead. Jesus died, and God brought him back to life. It’s built into the rhythm of creation: The blind will see, the lame will walk, the last will be made first… and the dead will rise. The breath of God is the cure for life-decay.
God’s Kingdom
We believe God’s Kingdom is now and later. Present and coming. It’s not American, Italian, African, Asian or “anyotheran.” We hear it when justice cries loudly in the streets, and we feel it when we recline with the poor. We see it in the eyes of children, and we taste it in meals shared with enemies. God’s Kingdom is upside down.
The Bible
We believe the Bible is the inspired words of God. The collective books are written words that point us to the Living Word in Jesus Christ. It’s not a prop or a fairytale. It’s designed for reflection, rumination, conversation and questioning. It was fashioned out of the stories of creation and is the primary source by which we live our lives.
We exist as a community to help broken people, all people, find healing in Jesus.
We are putting our faith in action. We love Jesus and are doing something about it. We believe God wants to deploy our hands, feet, heads, belongings and bank accounts to partner with God to experience heaven on earth.
We are sharing food. Because Jesus eats with everyone, we eat with everyone. Food is one of the best tools we have to share our stories, lives and faith with others.
We are a community for all people! We see people as people. God’s Kingdom is diverse and inclusive. We are ever working to prepare our house for the presence of all God’s people.
We are the do-over church. God’s unconditional love is our first thought, and not our last. Recovery is central to our mission. We see the best in people and want to see people achieve God’s best in their lifetime.
We are a church that engages in hard conversations: ask anything, listen well, freely disagree and love regardless.
We are devoted to young families. We honor those who came before us by empowering those who will come after us. Our kids will belong, have fun and make a difference.
Purpose and Vision
Ginghamsburg Church exists to love Jesus and do something about it. We believe it all starts with inviting everyone to the table for faith, family and food.
Our 2030 vision is to engage 2000 families of all kinds, ages, shapes and sizes in loving Jesus and doing something about it, whether we worship and serve from a church building, use our homes as church hub or connect in community with one another online from across the globe.
Seeing all kids as “our kids,” passionately connecting with next generations and growing future leaders.
Generously investing our hands, feet, voices and resources to serve with and for neighbors, embracing diversity, building bridges and helping communities look more like the Kingdom of God.
Making and growing disciples of those within our spheres of influence, inviting children, women and men to experience the Jesus life and then, to extend that life-transforming invite on to others.
Our Theological Framework
For all Ginghamsburg Ministry
All are invited to take the next step toward deepening their relationship with Jesus and others.
Faith in Jesus is a process where followers are lifelong learners who grow through God’s love into a deeper understanding of God, others and ourselves. Everyone is invited to live the Jesus life through the life rhythms of worshiping, growing and multiplying.
Colossians 1:28-29; Philippians 1:6; Matthew 11:28-29
All will be challenged to grow in their awareness and application of the Bible.
The Bible is central to our faith. When interpreting the Bible, we not only see the Bible as primary, but we also reflect on tradition, experience and reason. This four-fold look at the Bible is a reliable tool for maintaining sound doctrine and engaging in theological reflection and exploration. We believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. But the Bible is not God. Jesus himself is the Living Word. We commit to always being open to God’s greater revelation through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20
All are invited to serve out of their call and giftedness as the priesthood of all believers.
Jesus commissioned the Church to invite all people to discover their call and giftedness through the Holy Spirit, so that all may love and serve within the Body of Christ.
Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; Ephesians 4:11-13
All are invited to embrace the unity of the Body of Christ.
We embrace Jesus’ design of one body, one church. Unity is a biblical mandate and not optional. Throughout Christian history numerous thoughts, views and opinions have been held concerning a variety of issues. We believe it is important to promote unity in the middle of disagreement, giving the church opportunity to engage in healthy and respectful conversation. We recognize this means at times passionate disagreement, but we are committed to holding opposing viewpoints in love. We will engage in our peacemaking practice of asking anything, listening well, freely disagreeing and loving regardless.
Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 4:4-6; John 17