OUR VISION & VALUES

The Bible describes very clearly the fact that Jesus Christ is building His Church. That universal, global Church is expressed in unique local churches: each charged with fulfilling the Biblical mandate Jesus has given while expressing its unique flavor and call within its context. What is the “DNA” of Anthem Church? How do we see the world? And more importantly, what is the world we long to see?

All of Jesus For Everyone

This is the rallying cry that defines our mission and our ultimate aspiration. We exist to know all of Jesus—not just our favorite parts or the aspects of Him that are comfortable to us. “All” means all and leaves nothing out. We want all of Jesus—the full expression of who He is. And we want all of Jesus not only for ourselves but for everyone. “Everyone” includes everyone, leaving no one out.

OUR BANNER

The power and presence of Jesus deeply transforms lives by gifting us with intimacy with the Father and by freeing us from everything that holds us down and keeps us back.

This belief, rooted and illustrated in the Bible, is the foundation on which we build our entire vision framework. It is what is true of us in every season—it’s what motivates us and galvanizes us, informing every decision we make. We believe it wholeheartedly and therefore move towards expressing it and living it out in every aspect of OUR BANNER.

OUR BELIEF

These values are the covenants we keep with one another as a church in order to “take up” our BANNER.  If we want to see All of Jesus for Everyone, we will be a church that holds to these values together.  They are imperative statements—they’re intended to guide and to be intentionally pursued:

OUR VALUES

  • (Matthew 22:37 - You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.)
    We can’t pick and choose only the parts of Jesus or His teachings that we’re comfortable with. He has made Himself clear: He is not just our savior but our Lord— that means He has the final say over every part of our lives. Joyfully submitting ourselves to Him means individually asking the question, “How am I holding back from loving Jesus with all that I am and all that I have?”

  • (Ephesians 4:3 - Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.)
    The Bible teaches that God designed the Church—His people—and that Jesus builds it. What part do we play? We submit to God’s design by honoring one another, assuming the best of each other, and fighting for, not with, one another. We keep this mindset by asking, “How am I guarding unity within this local church?”

  • (Exodus 33:14 - My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.)
    We don’t approach God with a formula or with a set of religious rules. God is living, eternal, active—and the Bible teaches us that He speaks to us. Based on the foundation of the Bible, we always ask God what He’s doing among us, among our city, and beyond. And that means asking, “How am I actively seeking the presence of God and obeying His voice?”

  • (Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes...)
    God is clear: there is one way to know Him, and that’s through Jesus. There’s one way to abundant, meaningful, eternal life, and that’s through Jesus. Therefore we’re always looking to invite others to know Jesus—because that’s God’s intention for them! Daily we ask, “How does my relationship with Jesus overflow in introducing Him to others?”

  • (John 11:40 - Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?)
    The life of God doesn’t come outside of the power of God. We don’t heal, restore, cleanse or renew. Only God does those miraculous things. But God calls us to partner with Him as He does them! This means we can’t stand idle or be spectators, rather we always ask, “How am I engaging with the faithful God to see Him do the impossible?”

OUR ETHIC

Our VALUES are expressed through our ETHIC, which weaves itself through every part of who we are and what we do. These two themes are the vehicles of our expression to others, essentially answering the question, “What does this look like to the world?”

  • We are generous, always, with all that we have (time, resources, energy, finances, etc.). When we receive God’s blessing, we know that it is not solely intended for us but rather to be extended and given to others.

  • God's love, always present in us, is the “flavor” of who we are to the world. Jesus Himself said that His love would be the distinguishing characteristic of those who follow Him.

To listen to our most recent Vision Sunday sermon, click here.