No one was meant to do life alone. That’s why God created the church. It was a great idea, but sometimes the word "church" doesn’t conjure up the image of "community" as much as that of an ingrown social group where we can feel lonelier after we attend worship than before.
That is why WVPC is committed to CONNECTION using the Five Core Values listed below. These core values are key to our church, and form the foundation for our life together. They are based on the book Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by Robert Schnase. Our core values are:
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As you read these core values below, recognize that we have adopted them because we believe that these are the qualities Jesus lived out and that best describe who God is for us today.
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Passionate Worship - We Love
My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. -Psalm 84:2 Our times of gathered worship are single-purposed in glorifying and praising our wonderful Savior. We hope that with worship that is heartfelt and unhindered, people can powerfully and personally connect to God. We try to practice consistently authentic worship which leads to encounters with God that result in radical life change. We know that worship is not only when we gather to praise God in song but that worship is actually everything we do! Every action is an opportunity to glorify and worship God. We may begin with passionate worship here on Sundays, but we carry that worship into our everyday lives, praising God in all we do. Risk-Taking Mission and Service - We Serve ...'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' -Matthew 25:40 We want to make a positive impact on the world around us in order to glorify God. We recognize that God often calls His disciples to uncomfortably different and unknown environments and atmospheres in order to accomplish His will. Our hope is that we are often stretched outside of our comfort zone, challenged physically, mentally and spiritually to faithfully follow Christ. We want to be pushed beyond our routine church commitments and into places that we would never be if not for our desire to follow Christ. Wherever Christ is moving, we want to be there. We hope that through obedient service both in our local and global communities, we may make Jesus known, especially to those who may not otherwise know Him. Extravagant Generosity - We Give You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. -2 Corinthians 9:11 We want to share our blessings from God in a way that exceeds all expectations. We want to sacrificially and selflessly give of our time and talents. We want to give more than what is comfortable, fully depending on God to sustain us. We hope that our giving goes beyond simple obedience, but instead is inspired by the joy of giving as freely as God has so generously given to us. |
Intentional Faith Development - We Grow
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. -Acts 2:42 At WVPC we want to be, and to make, disciples of Jesus Christ; in a word, we want to be missional. This goal is reflected in our strong Sunday morning teaching curriculum - different classes that emphasize Bible study, and in church-wide small groups where people build close relationships, study scripture, and serve and grow together. We believe that it’s not enough to teach by simply conveying information. Intentional Faith Development is learning through discussion and accountability, through mutual trust and strong relationships, and through honesty and openness in our dealings with God and with each other. Scripture is our foundation, and relationships with God and one another are our focus. We know that as we grow and mature as followers of Christ, our lives will be transformed in big ways! Radical Hospitality - We Share Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. -Romans 15:7 We want to invite, welcome, and include every single person who walks through our doors. Our hope is that no one could walk away from WVPC without having felt the love of Jesus extended directly and personally to them. We want to always go the extra mile to make every visitor feel welcome and comfortable through personal, engaging, and loving encounters. Radical hospitality is not just something our first-time visitors experience; instead, we hope this is a mindset of every member of WVPC that permeates all of our interactions with family, friends, co-workers, and community. |
