Service
God always takes the first step in pursuing a love-relationship with His creation. Always...
In John’s Gospel (“good news” letter), he describes God with these words: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1). Then just a few verses later he says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14).
The word for God becoming human is incarnation, but the truth of God becoming human is powerful and guides who we are to be as His “body” (soma). Just as God took the initiative in pursuing a relationship with us, Christ-followers are sent out into the world (or local community) to live the message of God’s love through Jesus. Even more amazing, God transforms our broken lives into people with a specific purpose to bring God’s hope and restoration to those who haven’t yet experienced it.
How does this value shape us as a church? We understand ourselves as “sent people” into our surrounding culture intentionally looking for ways to make God’s love known. Below is a list of just a few things that we do on a regular basis:
--Interfaith Hospitality Network
--After-School in the Edge
--Fridays on the Green
--Love West Salem
--Adopt-a-Neighborhood