Core Values

Hope Church 
 
Discovering our Core Values and Living out our Mission

Hope Mission Statement: 

“Moving people from Life to Living”

Life = a life style focused on me, my needs, my wants and my desires

Living = a life style of worship that shifts my focus from me to God
  • Moving from Live to Living calls me to a deeper relationship with God & others.
  • Moving from Life to Living shifts the focus from me to God.
  • Moving from Life to Living connects me with others, grows my faith, equips me to serve, challenges me to share, calls me to give, and transforms my life to a lifestyle of worship.
  • Moving from Life to Living gives my life focus, intensity and purpose.
  • Moving from Life to Living is an intentional process of faith development. (It takes intentionality, determination, and course correction)
We move from Life to Living when we begin to live out our Core Values.

Hope Core Values:

Our goal as a church is to equip every member to live a lifestyle of worship. We live a lifestyle of worship by living out our Core Values.  Worship is both a value and the goal. Sunday morning worship is essential to our spiritual growth and development (it focuses us on God and places us in a community of faith).  Each of the other core values equips you to live a lifestyle of worship.

Each core value is essential in Moving People from Life to Living; they work together to shift the focus from me to God.

  • Worship keeps my eyes on God, not me.
  • Connection places me in a community with other believers.
  • Growth fortifies my faith and develops my understanding of God.
  • Service strengthens my commitment to God, others, and my church.
  • Sharing encourages others to join the journey.
  • Giving is a statement of faith and an expression of my love and gratitude.
The goal is to live a lifestyle of worship where my whole life points towards God.

Jesus said, “I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10

  • Abundant life is available to all believers
  • Abundant life is found by living according to God’s will and purposes not our own
  • Living by God’s will and purposes moves me from Life to Living
  • It is a change in priorities, a change in commitments, and a change in focus
 
Worship - A lifestyle that shifts our focus from ourselves to God. 
 
“Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking around life – and place it before God as an offering.” – Romans 12:1 
 
  • Worship is what we do and who we are. Worship is a way of life. Worship is a movement
  • Worship is a response to God’s love, grace and mercy.
  • Worship keeps my eyes focused on God & not me.
  • Worship is public and private. (Corporately on Sunday and individually daily). Sunday morning celebrations equip us to live a lifestyle of worship.
 
Connect – Joining with others along life’s journey. 

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If they fall down, they can help each other up. But pity those who fall and have no one to help them up!” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

  • We need to connect with God and other Christ followers. (We need God and each other)
  • We connect by worshiping together and meeting together in small groups (Acts 2:46)
  • Connection places me in community with other believers (love your neighbor).
  • Connection helps you face life’s problems by providing the support and encouragement of other Christians.  We connect with each other to build enriching relationships.
  • We need accountability to stay on the path from Life to Living
 
Grow – Learning the truth of God’s Word and applying Biblical principles to our lives.

"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.  For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.” – Philippians 1:9-10 (NLT)

  • We grow in worship, small groups, and individual study.
  • Growth fortifies my faith and develops my understanding of God.
  • Growth is Spiritual development (Discipleship)
  • Growth is a continuous process of development. Our faith grows and deepens throughout our lives. United Methodists are called to “become perfect in love”, a growing process.
 
Serve – Discovering, developing, and using our talents to support the ministries of Hope. (Takes place inside the church)

“There are different ways to serve the same Lord, and we can each do different things. Yet the same God works in all of us and helps us in everything we do. The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others.”  - 1 Corinthians 12:5-7

  • Service strengths my commitment to God and my church
  • Service is how I support and participate in my church
  • Service puts my faith into action.
  • Spiritual gifts assessment – We help you discover your gifts and find a place of service.  We expect every member to find a place of service.
 
Share – Reaching out beyond the walls of Hope to share Christ’s love with others.   (Takes place outside the church)

"But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.”  – Acts 20:24 (NLT)

  • Sharing our faith encourages and blesses others
  • Sharing our faith is our mission to those outside the church (evangelism).
  • Invest & Invite – Investing in the lives of others & Inviting them to join our faith journey.
  • Sharing fulfills the Great Commission (Matthew 28: 19-20)
 
Give – Giving back to God financially expresses our faith, gratitude and love for God and allows us to partner with Him in meeting the needs of others.

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” – Malachi 3:10 (NIV)

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21 (TNIV)

  • Giving is our financial response to God’s extravagant generosity.
  • Generous giving strengthens your faith.
  • Generous giving helps you see God as your source and provider.
  • Giving is a statement of faith. (Deuteronomy 14:23 LB)
  • Generous giving starts with tithing.  Tithing is giving back 10% of our income as an expression of love and gratitude.