The Kingdom. This is something we hear a lot in churches—Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom. What is the Kingdom? There are many definitions from many intelligent people:

Dallas Willard - “The range of God’s effective will.”

C.S. Lewis - “The reign of God breaking into ordinary life, transforming people into citizens of Heaven.”
Henri Nouwen - “The lived reality of God’s love made visible in community, vulnerability, and service.”
John Wimber - “The dynamic reign of God breaking into the present through the Spirit.”
Tom Wright - “God becoming King on earth as in heaven through Jesus.”

Considering the prayer the Lord gave us (Matt. 6:9–12), found in Jesus’ Magnum Opus teaching (Matt. 5–7), WE believe the Kingdom is God’s will being done on earth as it is in heaven.

This has many facets, including but not limited to the following:

• Practicing hospitality (Lev. 19:33–34, Rom. 12:13, 1 Pet. 4:9). This includes eating together!
• Declaring one another’s sacred worth (Gen. 1:27, Rom. 10:14–15, cf. Jn. 1:12–13).
• Serving sacrificially (Matt. 5:13–16, 25:35–36, Jn. 15:13).
• Listening as WE share our secrets, struggles, mistakes, and desires (Lk. 7:36–50, Eph. 5:8–14).
• Bandaging wounds (Ex. 15:26, Ps. 147:3, Mk. 2, Lk. 10:34).
• Loving mercy and acting justly (Jer. 22:3, Mic. 6:8, cf. Lk. 6:36).
• Exhorting one another to live within our shared dignity (Col. 3:16, Eph. 4:14–16).
• Leading in a way that is not coercive or condemning (Jer. 10:23, Lk. 9:23–24, Rom. 8:1, cf. 1 Pet. 5:1–3).
• Modeling Jesus’ loving invitation AND loving challenge (Matt. 4:19, 28:18–20).
• Praying for one another (Col. 1:9–12, Jm. 5:16) and all people (Jn. 3:16, 1 Tim. 2:4).

In the end, WE seek the Kingdom first (Matt. 6:33) for others by holding one another (Lk. 15:20) and entrusting each other into the love of God, who is love (1 Jn. 4:16, cf. Matt. 22:36–40, Dt. 6:5–6, Lev. 19:18).

Our God is truth (Jn. 14:5, Heb. 6:18). Therefore, WE trust the Scriptures are an expression of God’s truth and His true desire to be in relationship with us (Ps. 19:7–11). WE believe the Bible is the normative, authoritative truth for all believers, having supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct, and has been preserved in the Old and New Testaments (2 Tim. 3:14–17).

No doubt, the task of interpreting biblical passages requires understanding the original context, genre, meaning, and congruence with Scripture’s overarching meta-narrative in order to receive its significance and application for us today. When read and understood correctly, the Bible is a gift that sustains us (Matt. 4:4, cf. Ez. 3:3) as well as empowers us to love and honor God and others (Matt. 22:36–40, cf. Dt. 6:4–5, Lev. 19:18).

Ultimately, the written Word—the Bible—leads us to the living Word, Jesus Christ. Jesus directs us to the Scriptures as the Scriptures direct us to Him (Is. 53, Lk. 24:44–48, Jn. 5:39). May WE read together to know Him more truly as the Lord knows and loves us fully.

WE want to be and become daily discerners—a church that prayerfully hears (or senses) what God is saying and faithfully responds, both personally (Jn. 10:1–5, Matt. 7:24–29) and collectively (Ps. 95:7, Mk. 3:34, Jn. 10:16, Heb. 3:7–15). To quote Larry Warner, Christian spiritual discernment is “an openness of heart—our thoughts, emotions, and desires—to the Spirit and to the communications of God in expected and unexpected places.” WE believe this “with God” living is where true life is (Dt. 30:19–20, Jn. 10:10).

This kind of attentiveness requires our certainty of God’s love for us as WE embrace our identity as God’s beloved (Jn. 5:20). WE must also trust that the Holy Spirit plays the primary role in Christian discernment (Jn. 14:15–17), consistently initiating with us (Jn. 5:19). The Spirit is available—and wants our attention! Being grounded in the Word, a proper theology of the Holy Spirit—the “forgotten God”—is vital.

Richard Foster states, “there are no un-charismatic Christians.” Though many of us have apprehensions about mishandling the spiritual gifts—understandably—as followers of Jesus, WE know that the Spirit guides just as the Spirit led Jesus in His earthly ministry (Rom. 8:14, cf. Jn. 5:19). And the path is freedom, joy, and love: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17).

Our world is growing increasingly divided, guarded, and isolated. Therefore, the Church must create space for all others (Gen. 18:1–8, Matt. 9:12, Heb. 13:2) as God first creates space for us (Rom. 15:7, cf. Ps. 23:5–6, Jn. 6:37).

Hospitality is not about entertaining or impressing—it is about creating free space where others can be seen, known, and loved. WE do not offer hospitality to change people, but to offer a place where God can do the changing (Lk. 5:29–32). When WE lower defenses through simple acts—food, conversation, presence—the table becomes sacred ground where Christ is revealed (Matt. 25:35–40).

First and foremost, WE believe our moral convictions must never hinder the Gospel call to love and welcome people from every walk of life—without exception (Gen. 1:26–27, Rom. 3:23). WE embody merciful compassion toward the stranger, outsider, enemy, and doubter—receiving all with dignity and grace. WE can fully embrace people without requiring immediate agreement, trusting God to work over time.

There is a direct connection between our relational openness and our spiritual maturity—when WE close our doors to others, WE are likely closing our doors to Christ (Matt. 25:44–45).

From Abraham’s tent to Jesus’ table to the marriage supper of the Lamb, Scripture tells the story of a God who is always inviting (Rev. 19:9). WE do not wait to practice hospitality—we begin now.

In Christ, WE are always welcomed… and therefore, WE always welcome.

In a world that “crashes” from work (Gen. 3:14, Ps. 127:2), WE live from an overflow of God’s deep, healing rest (Ex. 33:14, Ps. 4:8, Jn. 15:1–9). We cannot reflect the character and priorities of Jesus when we do not imitate His sweet rhythms (Matt. 11:28–30, Mk. 1:35, Lk. 6:12).

A restful life is a contemplative life—filled with prayer, Scripture reading, Sabbath (Ex. 31:17), silence, and other traditional practices that cultivate the Spirit’s work in our lives. This can also include—but is not limited to—hiking, biking, surfing, swimming, pickleball, jiu-jitsu, making soups, and taking a nap (Ps. 23:1–2). With love of God, refreshment has no limit (Ex. 20:8, Mk. 2:27).

The more WE rest daily, weekly, and annually, the more WE know who WE are and whose WE are in Christ (Ps. 139:1–24, Eph. 1). In turn, WE are further strengthened to seek God’s Kingdom without pride, bitterness, or burnout. From this place of unforced being, our lives can begin to become congruent with our faith (2 Cor. 3:18, Col. 2:6–7).