Vision and Values

The Vision

We want to be a community of people who joyfully and sustainably:

Live the One Anothers

When the New Testament talks about the church, it regularly comes back to how people treat one another. It happens so often, you can find lists of ‘one anothers’ compiled online. These are things like “Love one another”, “Serve one another”, and “Live at peace with one another”. We want our community to practice living the one anothers together.

Neighbor Well

When asked “Who is my neighbor?”, Jesus famously tell a story of a ‘Good Samaritan’. The core of the story is that we should love, serve, even sacrifice for all whom we encounter over the course of our day, whether family, friends, strangers, or even enemies. We hope to live that out in our own lives.

Do Justice

There are systems and structures all around us that marginalize and oppress people God loves dearly. We want to notice what is happening and listen to those people so that we can be helpful in making wrong things right and so that all people can flourish.

The Values

We want to be a community animated by:

Sacrifice

We choose to offer ourselves to others, becoming a community marked by our generosity.

Openness

We commit to practices that open us up to God’s work in ourselves, our relationships, and our world.

Authenticity

We bring our imperfect selves to God, who can help us become who we were made to be.

Relationship

We want our everyday interactions to be marked by God’s grace, kindness, and love.

Diversity

We honor the image of God in those who are different than us, fully including all who want to know Jesus more deeply, regardless of gender, ethnicity, culture, or sexual orientation.

This means, among other things, that women and LGBTQ followers of Jesus will be able to lead, teach, and serve in whatever ways God has gifted and called them without restrictions.

For more on these values, check out the Pomona Valley Church podcast 2023 Refresh and Season 1, episodes 9 and 10.