Our Vision, Our Mission, and Our Values
Our Vision
Our vision is to experience church like we read about in the New Testament: The New Testament church is our inspiration for what church in the 21st century can be. Our roots stretch back to the New Testament church where we discover followers of Christ filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the world. They experienced supernatural miracles and spiritual awakenings. The early church lived in community where they experienced life together “house to house” (small groups) and in the “temple courts” (large group). They were generous and caring. This and so much more of what we discover in the early church is what we envision for congregations in the HeartLink Network.
Our Mission
Our mission is to multiply and encourage healthy, life giving churches: We believe healthy churches will be growing and life giving churches. The network overseer, staff members and Apostolic Council exist to provide support, accountability and encouragement to local congregations so they can function as healthy, life giving churches to fulfill the Great Commandment (“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” –Mark 12:30-31) and Great Commission (“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” –Matthew 28:18-20).
Our Values
The Presence of God
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. -Psalm 27:4
While the Bible reveals that God is everywhere present, many people don’t experience Him as the Almighty Friend because they don’t know Him or approach Him on His terms. But God wants to manifest His character, power, and authority in our lives. He wants to be real with us, and for us to be real with Him. So we don’t want to go through life just eating, sleeping, and spending paychecks…nor do we want to have church meetings just for the sake of being together. We want to taste more and more of His glorious love and power, to hear Him speaking words of wisdom and healing into our lives, and to see Him do what only He can do, to change lives and circumstances for His glory. Therefore, we live lives of prayer, listening, meditating on His Word, and worshipping our captivating Savior.
A Culture of Family
So then you are no longer strangers, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. -Eph. 2:19
The Bible reveals that God never intended to be a private, individual concern. He calls us personally to Himself, but it’s also a welcome into His family of imperfect people. That’s church! We belong to one another, so we try to do all the ‘one-another’ stuff, like encouraging, helping, and challenging each other like fellow-soldiers. We laugh and have fun together, and celebrate our victories. Likewise, we cry together, share the hard times, and help each other get back up and keep moving on the journey. Yes, we’re all different- unique that is, but that’s by God’s design since our complementing ethnicities, gifts, and personalities can accomplish more together than could any of the individual parts.
The Power of the Gospel
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes.”
-Rom. 1:16
The Bible reveals that the universe is the arena of the battle of the ages between the creator God and all who submit to His reign, and the evil one, satan, and all who are under his deception. It was through the actual crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus that God rescued us; breaking the guilt and the grip of sin from our lives and restoring us to our place of belonging at the dining table of our Father. We never get over the wonder of such grace, nor do we ever get beyond the need of more healing and restoration in our lives. Furthermore, no one is beyond God’s loving reach if they can hear and respond to this good news. We sing and speak of it continually, and celebrate it by sharing the bread and cup of communion together on the first Sunday of each month.
The Equipping of the Saints
…to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. -Eph. 4:12-13
The Bible reveals that from the first days of the church, God’s Holy Spirit used the Apostles’ teaching of the Scriptures and the message of Christ to form His family, both in local churches and as individual persons. That Spirit-formation continues among us as God calls and gifts parents, church leaders, and others to help folks to know God and to walk in His ways. Not only has God promised to write His word on our hearts- changing us from the inside-out, but He wants to lead each of His children in the particular life roles and passions for which He designed them. As we each grow in the character, power, and authority of Jesus, we become like the salt in a salad- taking His grace and truth into every part of our culture.